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[sheddyian]

I've been given an old modem, a Netgear Sky Broadband one.  (see pictures).  Googling finds me pictures of similar, but no actual model number or anything I might do further searches on.

So, does anyone know anything more about this modem?  What is it?  Will it only work with Sky?  Can it be flashed with any interesting/useful/unusual firmware?

Or shall I take it to recycling next time I'm out that way?

Thanks

Ian

[broadstairs]

Looks to me like a DG934G see http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/skyDG934.htm.

Stuart

[burakkucat]

Agreed. 'Tis a Netgear DG934G with Sky firmware. 

[sheddyian]

Oops, only just seen this!  Thanks for the info.  I'll add it to my "maybe" pile that'll get recycled unless I can find a use for it

Ian

[kitz]

>> I'll add it to my "maybe" pile that'll get recycled unless I can find a use for it

As it is its probably not much use, but if you install the Netgear firmware on it, then you'll have yourself a handy Netgear DG834Gv3 thats in a black box

[sheddyian]

As it is its probably not much use, but if you install the Netgear firmware on it, then you'll have yourself a handy Netgear DG834Gv3 thats in a black box

ooh!

I had read the Kitz tutorial about that, but quickly dismissed it as it told me I needed the Sky setup CD, which I don't have.

Is it possible to install the DGTeam custom firmware on it?  Do I just follow the instructions for DG834GV3?  Or have I got to get rid of the Sky firmware first?

Ian

[kitz]

eke.. yes you do.

I no longer have that router as I gave it to someone who needed a router, but I'll have a look tomorrow to see if I still have the cd.   If I do it will be in the loft with all the other router odds and sods I put up there.  Not going up there tonight as Im off to bed in a min... If I forget give me a poke.

Alternatively you could try see if someone has posted one somewhere. 
DG934G-1SKUKS_V1.02.26.img

[kitz]

Sorry its taken a while to get back to you, but Ive not been getting back until late and going up into the loft at night isnt something I particularly relish doing :/

I have extracted the file from the cd and can email it you if you like - its about 4MB.

[sheddyian]

Thanks for that! 

I'd intended to reply and say don't worry about it if it's hassle, but forgot to do so !  But as you've found it now, I would appreciate the file - thanks 

Have PMd you my email

Ian

[kitz]

yvw - mailed it to you

TBH I had quite a bad fall from the loft a few years ago when trying to take some some big heavy boxes on my own, so Im still a bit nervy of going up there now - unless in daylight for something small, or if someone else is with me to pass stuff up/down.  I hadnt forgotten, its just that I was waiting until I had the right opportunity to go up there.

[sheddyian]

A very belated thanks for the setup files, Kitz, though I hope I thanked you at the time in reply to your email with the .rar attached.

Just been trying it out this evening, but didn't get very far.  Following the instructions here http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/skyDG934.htm I downloaded the extra bits needed, ran the update from the Sky setup files you'd sent, and it wasn't very happy from the outset.

Although it detected my network adapter, it didn't detect much else.  The current revision of firmware wasn't displayed in a reasonable way, and the screen didn't refresh properly when I pressed NEXT.  Clicking through, it just sat there when it said flashing, with no activity on the modem, and the window not doing anything.  (Although I could kill it and Windows didn't complain that the processes wasn't responding).

I'm running the updater on Windows XP, and given the date of the files, that should be fine.  Also tried in 98/ME compatibility mode, but that failed miserably and the program wouldn't run at all.

See attached pics for what the display looked like.  It wasn't happy in the 2nd picture and onwards!

edited to add : The PC was connected directly to the Sky modem in question and nothing else, and the modem had been put into flash mode (with the two lights blinking on the front).  Having fiddled about for a bit and not got anywhere, I reset the modem and was able to successfully view the various Sky setup screens via it's web interface, so the PC was able to talk to the modem without problem.

Ian

[kitz]

Did it find the MAC address ok?  (trying to determine which stage it went to pot at)

It should work fine via an XP machine, so I dont think its that.

Your 2nd screenshot layout definitely looks weird.  I note that 1) its displaying a different current version to my screen cap  and
2) its not even displaying the upgrade version of the new firmware.
Just double checking that you didnt download the US version of the firmware? 

[sheddyian]

It didn't even find it's MAC address, no.

The 2nd screen looks weird because it hasn't completely erased the dispaly from the 1st screen, it's badly overwritten it, and the information is incomplete.  Thats why I was wondering if it was a compatibility thing, but we both agree it ought to be ok on XP.

Yes, I did download the US version of the Firmware - I didn't find any other version - the link from the Kitz page only seemed to have PDF manuals and the US firmware.

It had failed before it got to flashing though, so I don't think it's that.  In hindsight, maybe it's just as well it didn't flash if the US version might kill the modem.

If I can find a UK firmware for it, I'll try it again with that!

I only really wanted to reflash it so that I could try the DGTeam firmware and have a play with it.  This modem is only 802.11 B & G, whereas my current modem also does N300.

Ian

[kitz]

>> the link on the kitz page....

It looks like its now a redirect, but from that page there's the north american version, then underneath a link for other versions (get more downloads)

http://downloadcenter.netgear.com/en/product/DG834Gv3

I'll try to remember to change the URL on the main site when I get time and also near the pc, (which I haven't had chance to do for about the past week).

[sheddyian]

Update to my original thread, because I've found a workaround for the problem I described a few messages earlier.

I've got an actual DG834v3 that I wanted to recover with the utility, and it failed in exactly the same way as described earlier.

Googling for the problem led me to a Netgear forum where various solutions were presented - one of which was that the software needs 2 network adaptors to be present.  As I had a spare one lying around, I went with that.  The spare adaptor happened to be a Netgear gigabit PCI.

With the 2nd network adaptor installed and running, the modem in recovery mode and connected to said Netgear adaptor,  I ran the recovery utility, which allowed me to choose the Netgear network adaptor, and the display was no longer corrupted - it showed me the MAC address etc, and allowed me to flash the modem, which took a few minutes and a flurry of LED activity.

It's all working fine again now!

So, for anyone coming here having problems with the DG834 recovery utility from Netgear, the solution is one of these :

o Have 2 network adaptors, connect the dead modem directly to the 2nd one
o Have 2 network adaptors, one of which must be a Netgear one, connect dead modem directly to this one.
o Perhaps the utility only works with a Netgear adaptor.

I've no idea which of those statements is 100% accurate, but the second one worked for me! 

Ian