NetComm NTC-221 Industrial IoT M2M LTE Router with GPS User Guide

Firmware Upgrade Guide
NTC-221/NTC-222/NTC-223/NTC-224
Doc No. FI01155

Copyright
Copyright© 2019 NetComm Wireless Limited. All rights reserved.
The information contained herein is proprietary to NetComm Wireless. No part of this document may be translated, transcribed, reproduced, in any form, or by any means without the prior written consent of NetComm Wireless.
Trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of NetComm Wireless Limited or their respective owners.
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Images shown may vary slightly from the actual product.
Note – This document is subject to change without notice.

Document history
This document relates to the following products:
NetComm NTC-221/NTC-222/NTC-223/NTC-224

Overview

Introduction

This document provides you with all the information you need to download and install a new version of firmware for the NetComm Wireless NTC-220 Series router.

Target audience

This document is intended for system integrators or experienced hardware installers who understand telecommunications terminology and concepts.

Prerequisites

Before continuing with the installation of your router, please confirm that you have the following:
An electronic computing device with a working Ethernet network adapter and a web browser such as the Internet Explorer®, Mozilla Firefox®, or Google Chrome™.

Notation

The following symbols may be used in this document:
Note – This note contains useful information.
Important – This is important information that may require your attention.
Warning – This is a warning that may require immediate action in order to avoid damage or injury.

Upgrading the firmware

Over the lifetime of your router, NetComm will periodically produce updates of its firmware.
Files containing the latest firmware releases will be published on NetComm’s support website and will be available to you for download and installation.
To see the most recent firmware version for your router, go to:
https://support.netcommwireless.com/product/ntc-220-series
The procedures outlined in this guide will install the latest firmware while preserving and reapplying your current settings.

Process overview

Take the following steps to upgrade the firmware:

1.  Log in to the web interface
2. Check and download the most recent firmware
3.  Back up current settings (optional)
4. Install the new firmware
5.  Restore your settings (optional)
6.  Confirm firmware upgrade

Log in to the web interface

In order to perform a firmware update, you must be logged into the router with the root manager account.
To access the router’s web interface:

1. Connect one end of the RJ-45 (Ethernet cable) to the Ethernet port of the router and the other end to the Ethernet port of your computer.

2.  Connect the power adapter to the DC power jack of the router and plug it into an available wall socket. Wait approximately 1 minute for the router to start up.

3.  Open a web browser (such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox), type the following address into the address bar, and press Enter.
   https://192.168.1.1

4. The Login page is displayed:

5. In the Username field, select root and enter the password for the device in the Password field, then click the Login button.
   The Status page is displayed.

Check and download the most recent firmware

1. When the Status page is displayed, go to the System information section and note the Firmware version in the Device version section:

2. Open a new tab in your browser and go to the NetComm support website page for the NTC-220 Series:
   https://support.netcommwireless.com/product/ntc-220-series

3. Choose your model from the page and select it to open its support information page

4. Click its Firmware link to jump to details of the latest firmware release.

5. If the Firmware version on the NetComm support site is more recent than that shown on the router’s Status page (refer to step 1, above), click the Download Link and the following .zip file will be downloaded into your browser’s download folder:
   NTC-220_Firmware_Vx.x.xx.x.zip

6. Unzip the folder and extract the file in the ntc_220_x.x.xx.x.cdi format to a safe location.

Important – Do not change the file extension (.cdi) of the router firmware files as this can cause the firmware upgrade process to fail.

Back up current settings (optional)

NTC-220 Series routers and their firmware upgrade files are designed to retain your existing settings throughout the upgrade process. Strictly speaking, you do not need to back up your current settings prior to the firmware upgrade.
However, it is recommended that you back up your settings on a regular basis in case of damage to the router or an unexpected interruption during the firmware upgrade process.

To make a backup of your current router configuration do the following.

1. Log in to the router web user interface and select System from the menu at the top of the screen.

2.  From the System menu on the left, select System Configuration and then Settings backup and restore from its submenu.

3. If you want the backup file to be encrypted, enter a Password and then enter it again in the Confirm password field.
   Leave the two password fields empty if you do not require an encrypted backup file.

4.  Click the Save button to begin downloading the backup file.

5.  A warning advising not to change the file extension will appear, click the OK button to download the configuration backup file.

6. The backup file in the following format will be saved in your browser’s designated download folder:
   ntc_220_XXXX.cfg.tar.gz

Note – We recommend that you save this backup file to a secure location.
Do not change the file extension of the router firmware files as this can cause the firmware upgrade process to fail.
Important – Do not change the file extension of the router firmware files as this can cause the firmware upgrade process to fail.

Install the new firmware

The router uses a single combined image that contains both recovery and main images.
The firmware upgrade file includes a script that performs checks to determine which components require updating and performs all the updates automatically.

Note – To install firmware that has not been signed, you must first navigate to System > System configuration > Firmware signature and toggle the Enable firmware signature check option off.

To install the firmware upgrade, do the following.

1. Log in to the web user interface and select System from the menu at the top of the screen.

2.  From the System menu on the left, select System Configuration and then Upload from its submenu.

3. Click the Choose a file button and select the ntc_220_x.x.xx.x.cdi file that you had previously downloaded from the NetComm support website, refer to steps 5 and 6 of the Check and download the most recent firmware section of this guide, above.

4.  Once chosen, the filename will appear after the File Chosen button

5.  When the new file appears in the File name list, click its Install link to install the new firmware onto the router.

6. You will be asked to confirm that you want to install the selected file. Click the OK button to proceed.

7.  The LED lights on the front of the router will begin to flash and the progress details will be displayed in the bottom area of the File uploads page: Important – Do not remove the power when the router’s LEDs are flashing as this is when the firmware update is in process.

8. The installation is complete when the countdown reaches zero. The router automatically reboots into the main system.

9. Log in and check that you can access the router’s web interface.
   Note – Your login password should be the same one that you had defined prior to the firmware upgrade.

10.  Go to the Status page and check in the System information section that the Firmware version has changed.
    The firmware upgrade is complete.

Restore your settings (optional)

This section provides you with instructions to restore the saved configuration.
As mentioned in the Back up current settings section, NTC-220 Series routers and their firmware upgrade files are designed to retain your existing settings throughout the upgrade process. Unless something unusual happened during the firmware update process, for example, a power failure during the process, all your previous settings, including your login password, will be preserved.
To restore your previously saved configuration (refer to the Back up current settings section, above) do the following

1. Log in to the router’s web user interface and select System from the menu at the top of the screen.

2.  From the System menu on the left, select System Configuration and then Settings backup and restore from its submenu.

3. From the Restore, saved settings section click the Choose a file button.

4.  Navigate to the location of the backup file that you had previously created. It will be in the following file format:
   ntc_220_XXXX.cfg.tar.gz

5. Select the file and click the Open button.
   The button in the Restore saved settings will change to read File Chosen and the filename of the backup file will appear to the left of the button.

6.  Click the Restore button to begin the settings restoration process.
   Note – If when you made the backup file you had elected to make an encrypted file with a password, you will be prompted to enter the password:

7. Enter the backup file’s password and click the Submit button to continue with the settings restoration process.

8. Once the file has been uploaded and validated, you will be advised that it was successful and that the system will now reboot: Click the OK button to proceed with the reboot.

9. During the rebooting process, a progress indicator is displayed.

10. When the reboot is complete you will be returned to the login page.

Confirm firmware upgrade

1. In the Username field, select root and enter the password for the device in the Password field, then click the Login button.
2. The Status page will display. go to the System information section and note the Firmware version in the Device version section:

NTC-221/NTC-222/NTC-223/NTC-224 – Firmware Upgrade Guide
FI01155 v1.0 13 May 2019
10 of 10
© NetComm 2019

References

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