This document is designed to help you install the Commotion software if the Install on a Ubiquiti Device instructions did not work, or if your router has malfunctioning software and needs to be installed again or updated. It contains instructions on using a protocol called Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) to install the software.
+This document is designed to help you recover the Commotion software if the Install on a Ubiquiti Device instructions did not work, or if your router has malfunctioning software and needs to be installed again or updated. It contains instructions on using a protocol called Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) to install the software.
-Start these instructions after you have prepared your computer and gathered your supplies, but before you get to installing the software. You will find instructions specific to the operating system you are running on your computer - either Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux. Please proceed to the section for your operating system below.
+You will find instructions specific to the operating system you are running on your computer - either Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux. Please proceed to the section for your operating system below.
This process takes longer than the basic instructions. Add another half hour to an hour for the additional setup steps on these pages.
-Same materials and supplies block as in the Install on a Ubiquiti Device.
+To recover a Commotion installation, you will need the following items on-hand:
-Configure your computer's wired connection with the address 192.168.1.254.
+Proceed to the installaton instructions for your platform, below:
+ +This guide should work with any version of Microsoft Windows from Windows XP on. If you aren't sure what version of Windows you have, click on the Start Menu and type winver in to the Run menu or the Search box. The most likely responses are Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
This guide should work with any version of Microsoft Windows from Windows XP on. If you aren't sure what version of Windows you have, click on the Start Menu and type winver in to the Run menu or the Search box. The most likely responses are Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.
The Ubiquiti router must be put in a special mode to load files on to it using TFTP. To set the router to recovery mode, it must be powered on with the Reset button pressed, until the status lights flash in a special order. To put your router in recovery mode:
- -1. If your router is already plugged in to power, remove the Ethernet cable from the bottom of the router. The lights on the router will go off.
- -2. Take a paper clip with one end bent out, and gently depress the Reset button on the underside of the wireless router, next to where the Ethernet cable
-plugs in.
You can either install the Commotion software onto your router with a graphical user interface (GUI) program for TFTP, or by using the command line. We recommend the GUI option if you are new to this process. First download the TFTP2 client and install it on your computer. After this, you will prepare the router for TFTP and then load the software.
-3. While holding the Reset button down, plug in the Ethernet cable, which will power on the router.
+4. While keeping the Reset button held down, watch the lights on the front of the unit. The lights under the triangle will do a special dance:
+First, configure your computer's wired connection with the address 192.168.1.254. You can do this in the Control Panel section for network connections, under the Ethernet port settings.
-
Next, the Ubiquiti router must be put in a special mode to load files on to it using TFTP. To set the router to recovery mode, it must be powered on with the Reset button pressed, until the status lights flash in a special order. To put your router in recovery mode:
-1. The two middle lights, one orange and one green, will light continuously, then go out.
+
2. The lights from left to right will light up in order: red, orange, green, and green again.
- -
There are two possible sequences of lights for Ubiquiti routers. Your device will go through one of the two light progressions below.
-
First, the two middle lights - one Orange and one Green - will light for a few seconds, then go out.
+
3. The 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+Next, the lights from left to right will light up in order: Red, Orange, Green, and Green again.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
-
First, the two middle lights, One orange and one Green, will light for a few seconds, then go out. The lights will remain off for about 10 sections - be patient!
+
When this happens, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute passes and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
+Next, all of the lights will flash on, then turn off. This will happen three times.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
Note that the recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
+Once the router is in the final stage - where the two sets of lights are flashing back and forth, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute pass and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
--
You can either install the Commotion software onto your router with a graphical user interface (GUI) program for TFTP, or by using the command line. We recommend the GUI option if you are new to this process.
+Recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
-Using a GUI Interface
-There are a few graphical user interface (GUI) programs to facilitate TFTP transfer on Windows. This guide discusses TFTP2.
+TFTP2
+We will go through the GUI installation process first, which is recommended. If the TFTP2 program does not work for you, proceed to the command line instructions below and try those.
-TFTP2 is a very simple TFTP client that includes only the settings necessary to install the software. You can download TFTP2 from our developer site and install the program.
+
TFTP2 is a very simple TFTP client that includes only the settings necessary to install the software. Use the link in External Resources below to download and install the program before proceeding, if you haven't done that already.
+
Once you have installed TFTP2, make sure your computer's IP address is set correctly as discussed above in Install on a Ubiquiti Device. Then, prepare your router and open TFTP2.
+After a minute or two, the router should reboot and start loading Commotion. Proceed to the document Configure Commotion to finish setting up the device.
-If the TFTP2 program doesn't work for you, try using TFTP on the Windows command line. The specific instructions are slightly different for different versions of Windows, so read below for your specific version.
Windows XP
-
This version of Windows has a TFTP client built-in. You will just need to browse to your Command Prompt by clicking the Start Menu, selecting Run, and typing cmd.
You should get a window titled "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe", or similar.
First, we need to navigate to the folder where you saved the Commotion image file.
-To do that, type in:
- cd "path to the folder where you saved the file" and hit Enter.
This may look something like cd Desktop or cd Downloads - or something else. If you aren't sure, you can use the Windows Explorer file browser to find the file, and then click in the top address bar. The full directory path should appear. You can then type this in to the Command Prompt after the cd command.
To do that, type in: cd "path to the folder where you saved the file" and hit Enter.
This may look something like cd Desktop or cd Downloads - or something else. If you aren't sure, you can use the Windows Explorer file browser to find the file, and then click in the top address bar. The full directory path should appear. You can then type this in to the Command Prompt after the cd command.
It should look something like this: C:\your\path\tftp -i 192.168.1.20 put exact-name-of-file.bin
It should look something like this: tftp -i 192.168.1.20 put exact-name-of-file.bin
The command breaks down in to these parts:
@@ -143,35 +165,34 @@ The address of the router we are working on. The command to the TFTP program to send a file from the PC to the device.exact-name-of-file.bin
-The Commotion image for our hardware, as mentioned in the document Install on a Ubiquiti Device
Once you have executed that command, there should be some text or a progress indicator that lets you know if the file transferred to the device correctly. If there is an error message, go back and make sure you are in the correct directory, and that you typed everything in correctly.
-Once you have executed that command, there should be some text or a progress indicator that lets you know if the file transferred to the device correctly. If there is an error message, go back and make sure you are in the correct directory, and that you typed everything in correctly. You can then head back to the Install on a Ubiquiti Device document and finish installing Commotion.
+If all goes well, after a minute or two, the router should reboot and start loading Commotion. Proceed to the document Configure Commotion to finish setting up the device.
Windows Vista and Windows 7
These versions of Windows don't come with a TFTP client by default, but it can be installed fairly easily in the "Add Windows components" menu. In order to find this menu:
-Click the Start Menu, then Control Panel.
- -In the window that opens, select the "Programs" option.
- -There should be an option to "Turn Windows features on or off", select this.
- -A "Windows Features" menu should appear - scroll until you see the "TFTP Client" option, then select it and hit Ok or Apply.
- -The TFTP client should install.
+From here, you can use the Windows XP instructions above, since everything should work identically once the client is installed.
- -
This guide should work with any version of Mac OSX.
-The Ubiquiti device is listening for a TFTP connection on a specific address. For your computer to connect, it will need an IP address with the following settings:
@@ -179,83 +200,90 @@ The Commotion image for our hardware, as mentioned in the document mactechnologies.com. +There is a command line or a graphical user interface (GUI) option to install the Commotion software onto your router. Both methods are discussed in detail below, but we recommend following the GUI method. You can download the GUI program MacTFTP Client and install it on your computer. You can download the program from Mac Technologies.
-The Ubiquiti router must be put in a special mode to load files on to it using TFTP. To set the router to recovery mode, it must be powered on with the Reset button pressed, until the status lights flash in a special order. To put your router in recovery mode:
-1. If your router is already plugged in to power, remove the Ethernet cable from the bottom of the router. The lights on the router will go off.
+
2. Take a paper clip with one end bent out, and gently depress the Reset button on the underside of the wireless router, next to where the Ethernet cable plugs in.
- -3. While holding the Reset button down, plug in the Ethernet cable, which will power on the router.
- -4. While keeping the Reset button held down, watch the lights on the front of the unit. The lights under the triangle will do a special dance:
- -
1. The two middle lights, one orange and one green, will light continuously, then go out.
- -
2. The lights from left to right will light up in order: red, orange, green, and green again.
- -
There are two possible sequences of lights for Ubiquiti routers. Your device will go through one of the two light progressions below.
-
First, the two middle lights - one Orange and one Green - will light for a few seconds, then go out.
+
3. The 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+Next, the lights from left to right will light up in order: Red, Orange, Green, and Green again.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
-
First, the two middle lights, One orange and one Green, will light for a few seconds, then go out. The lights will remain off for about 10 sections - be patient!
+
When this happens, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute passes and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
+Next, all of the lights will flash on, then turn off. This will happen three times.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
Note that the recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
+Once the router is in the final stage - where the two sets of lights are flashing back and forth, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute pass and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
--
You can either install the Commotion software onto your router using a graphical user interface (GUI) program for TFTP, or using the command line. We recommend the GUI option if you are new to this process.
+Recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
-Using a GUI Interface
+This guide discusses a client called MacTFTP Client by MacTechnologies Consulting.
+You will now install the Commotion software using the GUI program. If it doesn't work, try using the command line method below.
-MacTFTP Client (GUI)
+The MacTFTP Client includes only the settings necessary to install the software on a device. You can download it from mactechnologies.com and install the program.
+The MacTFTP Client includes only the settings necessary to install the software on a device. You can download it from the link in External Resources and install the program, if you haven't already.
-Once you have installed MacTFTP Client, make sure your computer's IP address is set correctly as mentioned above in Prepare your Computer for TFTP. Then prepare your router and open the MacTFTP Client.
+Once you have installed MacTFTP Client, make sure your computer's IP address is set correctly as mentioned above in Getting Started. Then prepare your router and open the MacTFTP Client.
-
If your router is ready in TFTP mode and the IP addresses are properly configured, a blue progress bar will appear. When it is finished, you will see this screen.
+After the software loads, you should see the message "Transfer completed successfully". After a minute or two, the router should reboot and start loading Commotion. Proceed to the document Configure Commotion to finish setting up the device.
+ -All versions of Macintosh OSX should have a TFTP client installed. It is accessible from the Terminal program, which is a text-based interface to the OSX system. You can find this program by navigating from the Applications folder to the Utilities folder.
-
From there, launch the program titled "Terminal", it should open a command line interface titled "Terminal - bash", or something similar.
-
The window may look different, depending on the version of OSX you are using. You should see a prompt that looks something like:
@@ -265,7 +293,7 @@ Gateway:192.168.1.1
This may look something like cd Desktop or cd Downloads - or something else. If you aren't sure, you can use the Finder to browse to the file, and then hit command I. The "Get Info" dialog should appear, where you can find the full path under the General tab, labeled "Where:". You can then type this in to the Terminal after the cd command. To verify the files are in your current directory, you can type ls, which should display a listing of files.
Once you are in the proper directory, you can run the TFTP client. To do this, just type tftp at the prompt and hit enter. Your command line should change to the following:
192.168.1.1
You should see some numbers flash by, then a line that states something like "Sent ### bytes in ##.# seconds [### bits per second]". You can then type quit at the prompt, and your terminal will change back to the normal mode.
If there is an error message, go back and make sure you are in the correct directory, and that you typed everything in correctly. You can then head back to Install on a Ubiquiti Device.
+If there is an error message, go back and make sure you are in the correct directory, and that you typed everything in correctly. You can then proceed to Configure Commotion to finish setting up the device.
Depending on your distribution of Linux, you may or may not not have a TFTP client installed by default. You can check this at the terminal, and if it turns out you do not TFTP installed, it will be possible to install a client at the terminal, then use it.
First, open the Terminal application:
-If you use Gnome as your window manager, you should be able to find a terminal program in the main menu, under Accessories > Terminal.
- -If you use KDE as your window manager, you should be able to access the terminal program in the KMenu, under System > Konsole.
- -If you use another window manager, chances are you know how to access the terminal already.
+If you aren't sure, or don't have a window manager, just go to a terminal by pressing ALT, CTRL and the number 1 or 2. This should bring up a full screen terminal. You will most likely have to log in using whatever credentials you first set up on the computer.
-From here, you will see a prompt similar to: computername:~ $
From here, you will see a prompt similar to: computername:~ $
Type which tftp at this prompt and hit enter. This will return one of two things: the location of the tftp program if you have it installed, or it will return an error.
Type: which tftp at this prompt and hit enter. This will return one of two things: the location of the tftp program if you have it installed, or it will return an error.
If you have a tftp client, the output should look like:
- /usr/bin/tftp
If you have a tftp client, the output should look like: /usr/bin/tftp
If you don't have one, the output will look something like:
- which: no tftp in (/path...
If you don't have one, the output will look something like: which: no tftp in (/path...
If you have a TFTP client installed, you can skip down a few steps. If you don't have one, you will need to install a client before moving on. How you install this is dependent on which distribution of Linux you are using. We will detail the commands to type for the few most common distributions below. The commands are shown at the normal prompt we started from above. You will need to know the administrator (root) password you set up when the system was first installed.
-Ubuntu:
- $ sudo aptitude install tftp
Ubuntu: $ sudo aptitude install tftp
Debian:
- $ sudo apt-get install tftp
Debian: $ sudo apt-get install tftp
Arch:
- $ sudo pacman -Ss tftp-hpa
Arch: $ sudo pacman -Ss tftp-hpa
Fedora:
- $ sudo rpm -i tftp
Fedora: $ sudo rpm -i tftp
Since we can't cover every distribution of Linux, if you aren't sure how to install the TFTP client package on your computer, use Google!
After typing in the correct command for your distribution, you should see a confirmation on the screen that your package was installed. To verify, you can type which tftp at the prompt again. If you receive a single path response, as show above, you should be good to go.
The Ubiquiti device is listening for a TFTP connection from only a single source, or computer with a specific address. You will need to set the IP address of your computer with the following settings:
@@ -337,54 +362,61 @@ Gateway:192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0192.168.1.1
-If you need help assigning a static IP address for your Linux computer, check out this guide.
- -
If you need help assigning a static IP address for your Linux computer, search for your specific version of linux and "static IP address".
The Ubiquiti router must be put in a special mode to load files on to it using TFTP. To set the router to recovery mode, it must be powered on with the Reset button pressed, until the status lights flash in a special order. To put your router in recovery mode:
-1. If your router is already plugged in to power, remove the Ethernet cable from the bottom of the router. The lights on the router will go off.
- -2. Take a paper clip with one end bent out, and gently depress the Reset button on the underside of the wireless router, next to where the Ethernet cable plugs in.
- -3. While holding the Reset button down, plug in the Ethernet cable, which will power on the router.
+
4. While keeping the Reset button held down, watch the lights on the front of the unit. The lights under the triangle will do a special dance:
- -
1. The two middle lights, one orange and one green, will light continuously, then go out.
- -
2. The lights from left to right will light up in order: red, orange, green, and green again.
+There are two possible sequences of lights for Ubiquiti routers. Your device will go through one of the two light progressions below.
-
First, the two middle lights - one Orange and one Green - will light for a few seconds, then go out.
+
Next, the lights from left to right will light up in order: Red, Orange, Green, and Green again.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
-
3. The 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+First, the two middle lights, One orange and one Green, will light for a few seconds, then go out. The lights will remain off for about 10 sections - be patient!
+
Next, all of the lights will flash on, then turn off. This will happen three times.
+
Finally, the 1st and 3rd will light, then the 2nd and 4th, over and over.
+
When this happens, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute passes and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
+Once the router is in the final stage - where the two sets of lights are flashing back and forth, the unit is in TFTP mode. You can release the Reset button at this point. If 30 seconds to a minute pass and the lights do not cooperate, you may need to try again. Unplug the Ethernet cable and start the process again.
-
-
Note that the recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
+Recovery mode is only enabled for a short amount of time. If the router does not accept the software, you will need to restart the Reset button process. Typically you will need to restart if it has been in recovery mode for more than three minutes.
-Now we need to navigate to the folder where you saved the Commotion image file, as mentioned in the document Install on a Ubiquiti Device.
+Now we need to navigate to the folder where you saved the Commotion image file for your router.
-To do that, type in:
- cd "path to the folder where you saved the file" and hit Enter.
To do that, type in: cd "path to the folder where you saved the file" and hit Enter.
This may look something like cd ~/Desktop or cd ~/Downloads - or something else. If you aren't sure, you can use Nautilus in Gnome to browse to the file, and hit Control-L. This should display the path to the directory you are viewing. Using Konqueror in KDE, browse to the file, and then read the path in the top statusbar.
@@ -403,7 +435,7 @@ Gateway:192.168.1.1
You should see some numbers flash by, then a line that states something like "Sent ### bytes in ##.# seconds [### bits per second]". You can then type quit at the prompt, and your terminal will change back to the normal mode.
If there is an error message, go back and make sure you are in the correct directory, and that you typed everything in correctly. You can then head back to Install on a Ubiquiti Device and finish installing Commotion.
+If all goes well, after a minute or two, the router should reboot and start loading Commotion. Proceed to the document Configure Commotion to finish setting up the device.
192.168.1.1
For Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to help with the TFTP process:
-Windows: https://code.commotionwireless.net/attachments/download/272/tftp2.exe
+Windows: TFTP2 from Shadow Software
-Mac OSX: http://www.mactechnologies.com/index.php?page=downloads#tftpclient
+Mac OSX: Mac Technologies TFTP client