WRT160N Cisco Linksys Wireless Broadband Instructions

: June 15, 2024
: Linksys

Table of Contents

WRT160N Cisco Linksys Wireless Broadband
Specifications
Product Usage Instructions
WRT150N and WRT160Nv1 Instructions
WRT160Nv3 wireless issues
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

WRT160N Cisco Linksys Wireless Broadband

WRT160N-Cisco-Linksys-Wireless-Broadband-product

Specifications

Flash device: 0x400000
Flash chip size: 4.00 MB (0x400000 bytes)
‘linux’ partition size: 3.6875 MB (3866624 bytes)

Product Usage Instructions

Flashing Firmware on WRT150N and WRT160Nv1

Ensure the firmware file is not larger than 3.6875 MB (3866624 bytes).
Read the Firmware FAQ and Peacock Announcement for more information.
Download the appropriate firmware version (e.g., 14929 mini generic) from the official website.
Access the router’s management page.
Navigate to the Firmware Upgrade section.
Select the downloaded firmware file.
Initiate the firmware upgrade process.
Wait for the router to reboot and complete the firmware installation.

Flashing Firmware on WRT160Nv2

_ Note: _Linksys WRT160N v2.0 is not supported for firmware flashing.

Flashing Firmware on WRT160Nv3

Read the Firmware FAQ and Peacock Announcement for more information.
Download the eko build of dd-wrt.v24-13575_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_wrt160nv3.bin.
Note: If eko builds are not available, use dd-wrt.v24-14929_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_wrt160nv3.bin instead.
Only use the trailed build with “WRT160Nv3” in the file name.
Important: Linksys does not offer upgrade firmware for this router, so reverting back to the factory firmware is not possible after flashing dd-wrt.

Performing a 30/30/30 Reset on WRT160Nv3

Perform a hard reset by pressing and holding the reset button for 30 seconds.
Login to http://192.168.1.1/ to access the Linksys Management Mode page.
Click on the “Reboot” button.
Wait for the router to complete the reboot process.
Once the lights return to their normal state, click “Continue” to access the router’s main page.

The process for flashing the WRT150N and the WRT160Nv1 are the same. The WRT160Nv3 differs slightly and has its own instructions further down the page. DO NOT TRY TO FLASH THE WRT160N V2 AS IT IS NOT SUPPORTED.

WRT150N and WRT160Nv1 Instructions

These have a 4.00 MB flash chip (0x400000 bytes) with slightly larger ‘linux’ partition than most “4MB” devices:

Flash device: 0x400000 […]
0x00000000-0x00040000 : “cfe”
0x00040000-0x003f0000 : “linux”

**The ‘linux’ partition size is therefore: 0x3f0000-0x40000 = 3866624 bytes = 3.6875 MB ***

DO NOT attempt to flash firmware larger than 3866624 bytes (3.6875 MB)
Read the Firmware FAQ and Peacock Announcement
Download 14929 mini generic
- For WRT150N: r38159 mini generic has been confirmed to work fine as well (Jan 2019)
Use a wired connection to the router (disable any wireless adapter)
Perform a hard reset.
Navigate to http://192.168.1.1/ in your web browser of choice.
Enter no username, and the password “admin”.
Go to Administration->Firmware Upgrade
Browse to the downloaded firmware file
Click on the upgrade button and WAIT 5 minutes after the Upgrade Successful message.
Try to access the DD-WRT password screen at [192.168.1.1]. Power cycle if no response.
Perform another reset on the router and wait to access the password screen again.
Set a new username and password, then continue to manually configure the router.

Upgrade DD-WRT

Now any generic.bin (Broadcom folder) build except Mega or Micro can be flashed via Firmware Upgrade.

WRT150N and WRT160Nv1 Instructions

LinksysWRT150N &_WRT160N

VPN build (v24_vpn_generic.bin) sizes after 36808 and before 41986 are too big!
Recommended: Reset after flashing if making a large jump in build revision
NEVER re-use a configuration file from a previous build or another router. Always reconfigure from scratch.

WRT160Nv2 Instructions

Linksys WRT160N v2.0 is not supported.

WRT160Nv3 Instructions

Read the Firmware FAQ and Peacock Announcement.
Download eko build dd-wrt.v24-13575_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_wrt160nv3.bin
- NOTE: eko builds have disappeared, use the dd-wrt.v24-14929_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_wrt160nv3.bin instead. Only use the trailed build (with “WRT160Nv3” in the file name)
- To experiment with newer builds, use trailed builds from the /broadcom_K26 folder here
- First read the appropriate “New Build” thread before flashing any build
Ensure you have a physical ethernet connection to your router, and disable your wireless adapter, antivirus/firewall protection, and any software that makes strong use of your network (BitTorrent, Streaming Audio/Video, etc).
Perform a hard reset.
Navigate to http://192.168.1.1/ in your web browser of choice.
At the Linksys Management Mode screen, do not give the reboot command. You will use this page to upgrade your firmware.
Browse to the firmware you downloaded and click Upload.
Do not touch anything. The page will tell you that the upgrade was successful and the router is now rebooting. Your router may take upwards of a couple minutes to reboot. Watch the lights… once the wireless and power indicators are on steadily for several seconds, your router is fully rebooted and you can click “Continue” in your browser window.
If the DD-WRT password change page displays, your upgrade has been successful, and you must now perform another hard reset. This time, when you navigate to 192.168.1.1, click “Reboot” and wait for the router to come online again so you can configure it.

If the DD-WRT password change page does not display, your page request times out, or you can’t ping 192.168.1.1, make sure both wireless and power lights are on steadily first, then do a hard power cycle (unplug the power from the router–do not do a 30/30/30 reset). Wait a few seconds and plug the power back into the router. Wait until both wireless and power lights are on steadily, then navigate to http://192.168.1.1 /in your browser of choice again. If the DD-WRT password change page displays, your upgrade has been successful, and you must now perform another hard reset. This time, when you navigate to 192.168.1.1, click “Reboot” and wait for the router to come online again so you can configure it.
NOTE: As of 3/24/2021 Linksys DOES NOT offer upgrade firmware for this router so you will not be able to revert back to the factory firmware after flashing dd-wrt.

Performing a 30/30/30 Reset on a WRT160Nv3

Perform a hard reset.
Login to http://192.168.1.1/ and you will see the Linksys – Management Mode page.
Click “Reboot.”
In a moment, you will see “Command reboot completed.” The router will now start the reboot process. When the lights return to their normal state, you can click “Continue” to be taken to the router’s main page.

WRT160Nv3 wireless issues

Do not set to N mode – the forum says G-only works, and I’ve been fine with Mixed BG mode

WRT160Nv3 Linksys Management Mode if a 30/30/30 reset doesn’t work

If the 30/30/30 fails to bring up the management mode page, try this:

Plug power in
Wait 1-2 seconds and then press and hold reset button for 5 seconds
Browse to http://192.168.1.1

You should now see the Linksys Management Mode screen. Again, this was only because the 30/30/30 method was not working. Try this as a last resort. See these threads for undocumented recovery means:

How Lights Behave During Reboot on a WRT160Nv3

When you power cycle a WRT160Nv3, the lights will act as follows:

Power light blinks. If LAN or WAN cable is plugged in, their respective lights will flash on activity.
Power light turns off for several seconds.
All lights, except power light, turn on and then off.
Power light blinks slowly, then faster, and WLAN light will turn on.
Once Power light and WLAN light are on solid, the router is fully rebooted.

If You Install the Wrong Firmware on the WRT160Nv3

If you install the wrong firmware on accident (as I did by not installing a K26 build) to the WRT160Nv3, the power light may not go to a solid state after a normal or hard reset and the DD-WRT login may not be
Performing a 30/30/30 Reset on a WRT160Nv3 available. You may be able to put the router in management mode to re-install firmware by following these steps:

Unplug the router’s power source.
Plug an ethernet cable from a computer to one of the router’s LAN ports.
Hold the router’s reset button.
Plug in the router’s power source, continuing to hold the reset button for 10 – 15 seconds, then release the button.

The power light on the router should become solid. You should then be able to utilize the router’s management mode to re-flash the firmware by accessing 192.168.1.1 in a browser.

JTAG

Barryware, using a mixture of perseverance and brilliance, has found a way to fix the fact that Linksys, in for completely baffling reasons, did not connect the jtag port to the processor. This isn’t for the faint of solder, but there is way to jtag the 160nV3.