RuggedRouter User Guide
Appendi x B – D owngradi ng Route r Softwa re
RuggedCom recognizes that customers may need to downgrade router software:
•Routers being added to the ne twork h ave mor e recen t versi on than that
standar dized f or the n etwork.
•Network staff may wi sh to re gain co nfidence in the softwa re of a n
exposed router by down grading it to i ts curr ent vers ion, es sentia lly
reloadi ng its softwar e.
•Network staff may wish to explore how features operated on a previous
release.
The release process involves the following steps:
1. The downgrade image file is downloaded from RuggedCom to a web server.
2. The router to downgrade is attached via one of its Ethernet ports to the web
server (either directly or via a network), configured and tested.
3. The router can also load a specific configuration archive on to the target
router. This file is also loaded on the web server.
4. The router is rebooted and is forced to enter its boot selection menu by
pressing the down arrow key of an attached terminal continuously. The router
will offer a menu that will provide the option “Software Downgrade Utility”.
Select this option and press enter.
5. The router will prompt for the required information.
6. The router will downgrade the software and reboot. This will require five to
ten minutes to complete.

Note: T he router must not lose power or be int errupted during the downgrade

process. The pr ocess invo lves a co mplete rew rite of t he operati ng image. Interrup tion

will req uire that the route r be retur ned to th e factory to have t he softwar e restored .

RuggedCo m suggests minimizat ion of pr oblems by using a st andalone PC as the web

server a nd by powe ring both the PC an d the rout er from a n uninterr uptible p ower

source ( UPS).

The following information will be requested during the download:
•The Eth ernet p ort to use, wh ether t o use D HCP or assign a static IP
address and a n etwork mask.
•A gatew ay IP a ddress (if one is need ed).
•The URL of the image file on the web server .
•The URL of the configuration archive file on the web server (if one is used).
270 RuggedCom