How to properly flash ASUS RT-N12 router

ASUS RT-N12 is a modern wireless router with many useful features. It has four output ports, two antennas for wireless transmission of information, a convenient LED panel. The capabilities of the factory firmware do not always suit the users, so we will tell you how to properly configure it to ensure maximum functionality of your router.

We update the firmware

So, you have purchased a router ASUS RT-N12 and you are not satisfied with the firmware, which is installed on it by default. For starters, you can try to upgrade your existing firmware by installing the latest version from the official site. This will require the following steps.

  1. Go to the official ASUS website and enter the model of your router in the search bar. Download the latest firmware version to your computer.
  2. Connect to the router interface to enter its settings section. To do this, in the address bar of the browser, you must enter the address of your network, for example, 192.168.1.1.
  3. You will be taken to the configuration section of the RT-N router. Select “Advanced Settings”, then “Administration”.

  4. Now you need to find the tab "Update". On this tab, you will find the “Browse” and “Submit” buttons, which will allow you to find and download the update file that you downloaded earlier directly to the router.
  5. After performing these manipulations, the process of updating the internal software of the RT-N router will begin. Upon completion, you will see a configuration page. You can make the necessary changes or close the settings page.

If these actions were not enough to get the necessary functionality, a third-party firmware called DD-WRT can be installed. It is an alternative software based on Linux and is suitable for most wireless routers.

Installing new DD-WRT firmware

What you will need:

  • Original firmware ASUS - version 3.0.0.4.374.813 was used for this manual.
  • The following files are related to DD-WRT:

dd-wrt.v24-14896_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_RT-N12.trx

dd-wrt.v24-18774_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini.bin

  • A program to restore the firmware from ASUS called Firmware Restoration. It can be downloaded from the official ASUS website.

Now let's proceed directly to the installation process.

  1. Connect the router to your computer through the LAN port labeled with the number 1. It is important to use port 1, not 4.
  2. Connect to the settings of your router via the address bar of the browser. We recommend using for this purpose Internet Explorer, which is installed by default in Windows.
  3. Now the firmware should be downloaded as described in paragraph 3 of the previous section of this article. Download the DD-WRT file with the extension .trx, the first of the proposed list.

  4. After clicking on the "Send" button, you need to wait for the download. During the installation process, the router will reboot several times. On the screen you will see the scale of the installation process.
  5. Now you need to install the Firmware Restoration program, which you downloaded from the official ASUS website. It is installed in a standard way on your computer. When installation is complete, run this program.
  6. The program must specify the installation location of the software DD-WRT. But do not rush to click on the "Send" button. First you need to overload your router, since these manipulations are performed on the newly turned on device.
  7. Press the shutdown button on the router or disconnect it from the network.
  8. Turn on your router again and wait for the power-on indicator to start flashing slowly. Perhaps this will require an additional reboot using a special button on the router.
  9. Now you can click on the “Send” button in the Firmware Restoration program. Be patient. You need to wait for the program to connect to the router and the firmware has loaded. After that, some more time will be required to install the software.
  10. At the end of the process, the router will reboot itself. In most cases, this means that everything went well. Wait for the final download and try to contact the router in the usual way through the address bar.
  11. You should see the DD-WRT interface. Congratulations, new firmware is installed! Now you need to configure it.

Perform new firmware setup

The fact is that after installing DD-WRT, the ports are confused. If you look at the back of your RT-N12 router, you will see 4 LAN ports and one WAN (sometimes it is marked as an Internet port). After installing the DD-WRT software, the WAN port is written as LAN, and LAN 4 as WAN. Why it happens? The fact is that DD-WRT firmware is designed for a variety of routers, and ASUSRT-N12 is only one of them. Therefore, on some models such confusion arises. But we will eliminate it by the following actions.

  1. The computer must be connected to the router through the LAN connector
  2. Open a command prompt (to do this, type cmd in the Windows search bar).
  3. Type telnet168.1.1 (or your other address). We need to connect to the RT-N12 router via telnet.
  4. Enter the password and login DD-WRT. By default, the login is set to —root, and the password —admin.
  5. You will be taken to the DD-WRT interface. Here you can reinstall the ports. To do this, type the following commands:

nvramset vlan0ports = ”0 1 2 3 5 *”

nvramset vlan1ports = ”4 5”

nvramcommit

reboot

After the introduction of each line, you must press Enter.

  1. The device will reboot with the new settings. Now you can use the WAN port for its intended purpose, as well as other ports.
IMPORTANT. If your firmware ever returns to its default settings, you will need to reassign the ports, as they will also return to their original configuration. So keep this instruction handy.

We wish you successful work with the new firmware of your router RT-N12!