How To: Upgrade Netgear r7000 Router Firmware with Tomato Latest Version

How To: Upgrade Netgear r7000 Router Firmware with Tomato Latest Version

The powerful Netgear r7000 dual band AC Wireless Router is one of the fastest wireless routers on the market for your home network. A unique feature specific to the r7000 model allows for custom firmware flash to allow advanced configuration and improved interface of the current built-in features the default Netgear operating system offers. In this guide, we will flash our Netgear r7000 with the Tomato custom firmware step-by-step below.

 

Prerequisites:

1x Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Router (R7000) order here.

AdvancedTomato custom firmware for the r7000 can be found here. (refer to guide below for needed files)

 





1. Get your Netgear r7000 router unboxed and powered on. After plugging your router into a power source, make sure the power switch on the back of the router is on.

2. Ensure the router is using its default configuration. To be safe, reset the router. On the back of the router is reset button. Using a pen head, press and hold the reset button until the power light flashes on and off orange then release. The router will boot to default values.

3. Plug an Ethernet cable from one of the routers 4 ports to your desktop computer. Login to the router using a web browser, such as Google Chrome with the information below.

Address: http://192.168.1.1

Username: admin

Password: password

 

4. You can advance past the router’s default configuration screens. Choose I want to configure the Internet connection myself.

5. Expand Administration -> Router Update. Now, download the following file from the Tomato website here tomato-R7000-1.28.AT-ARM-3.4-138-initial-64K.chk

 

6. Choose Browse then select tomato-R7000-1.28.AT-ARM-3.4-138-initial-64K.chk file. Click Upload.

Netgear r7000 router tomato firmware chk file

 

 

Note: You will receive a prompt about the firmware version being older than the one you are update. That’s ok. The router will take about 4 minutes before fully rebooting. Once it does, it should refresh you to the new Tomato page J

Netgear r7000 router tomato firmware web page

 

8. Now, go to Administration -> Upgrade. Now, we must download Tomato upgrade file here tomato-R7000-AT-ARM-3.4-138-AIO-64K.trx

9. Click Browse and select the file tomato-R7000-AT-ARM-3.4-138-AIO-64K.trx. Click Upgrade.

Netgear r7000 router tomato firmware trx file

 

 

You will see a message linux: CRC OK – Image successfully flashed…Rebooting please wait.

Netgear r7000 router tomato firmware linux crc ok

 

10. Now, let’s flush out the router NVRAM. Go to Administration -> Configuration and choose Erase all data in NVRAM memory (thorough).

Netgear r7000 router tomato firmware clear nvram

 

Once the router reboots, you may find you can no longer login via the backend. It seems Tomato changes the password if you did not change the default password. Use the following username and password to log back in: admin / admin. If that does not work, try the others from the list below.

 

Tomato Router Default Passwords:

admin/admin

admin/password

root/admin

admin/blank

root/blank

root/password

* Please use the comment form below. Comments are moderated.*



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Comments 8

Guest - David Greene on Sunday, 14 May 2023 16:37

Just flash FreshTomato on your Netgear. Many models are supported. See the installing firmware HOWTO on the wiki to learn how.

Just flash FreshTomato on your Netgear. Many models are supported. See the installing firmware HOWTO on the wiki to learn how.
Guest - Ndou on Wednesday, 25 November 2020 23:22

Did someone update Netgear R7000P with tomato firmware's latest version? I want to update mine and I am afraid. Your advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

Did someone update Netgear R7000P with tomato firmware's latest version? I want to update mine and I am afraid. Your advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
Guest - Mark F on Thursday, 10 September 2020 18:19

I got errors (-2 firmware not compatible) with Advanced Tomato (last release 2017), but Fresh Tomato (still under active development) worked fine. Purchased an R7000 AC1900 in Sep 2020.

I got errors (-2 firmware not compatible) with Advanced Tomato (last release 2017), but Fresh Tomato (still under active development) worked fine. Purchased an R7000 AC1900 in Sep 2020.
Guest - Mak on Monday, 29 July 2019 19:31

Got to the reboot but none of the username/passwords are good. Did not reach the upgrade step.

Got to the reboot but none of the username/passwords are good. Did not reach the upgrade step.
Guest - peter on Tuesday, 22 January 2019 11:27

I just get error message -1 the firmware is not compatible with your router

I just get error message -1 the firmware is not compatible with your router
Guest - Asad on Friday, 15 February 2019 12:13

The router model I have is Netgear (R7000-100PAS) Nighthawk AC1900

The router model I have is Netgear (R7000-100PAS) Nighthawk AC1900
Guest - Asad on Friday, 15 February 2019 11:59

I'm getting the same error as well. Think the newer model of the router is not compatible with the older firmware versions.
Maybe we need to wait for a newer version of the Tomato firmware.

I'm getting the same error as well. Think the newer model of the router is not compatible with the older firmware versions. Maybe we need to wait for a newer version of the Tomato firmware.
Guest - Shirvo on Friday, 13 April 2018 20:38

Will this work on the Netgear Nighthawk R7000P?

Will this work on the Netgear Nighthawk R7000P?
Thursday, 28 March 2024