Howto unlock your Eircom F1000

AngryDiMaria · 29-01-2015 7:29pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

The xmodem file transfer of the bootloader from the PC to the F1000 is failing. When you execute the ATUB command on the F1000, it waits for the PC to send the bootloader via xmodem. Your PC app must have option to send a file, the bootloader in tghis case, via xmodem. You have several seconds after the ATUB command to kick off the transfer. Sadly, I dont have windoze so cant sent a useful pic.

Thanks for the quick reply!

After a few attempts I realised that I had to send the file manually, about 30 seconds after the file transfer began I got the exact same error. I will try again tonight.

rogercross · 29-01-2015 7:54pm

Hi Dermot, all working for me now and my router is unbranded.

Is V100AAKL4b2 still considered the most stable?

Dermot McDonnell · 29-01-2015 8:21pm

rogercross wrote: »

Hi Dermot, all working for me now and my router is unbranded.

Is V100AAKL4b2 still considered the most stable?

Well done

I use the latest firmware, not had any reports of stability issues with it yet but it is only 6 weeks old.

How's wifi and sync performance?

rogercross · 29-01-2015 8:44pm

Hi Dermot,

I'm not sure yet, its for a family member so i will test it this weekend.

I used possibly an older version of your pdf guide saved locally on my laptop, i didn't see the line you'd written in more recently about erasing the eircom settings until i had finished, is that still required:

"CFE> atbr <- Erase Eircom settings and you're done.
Erase persisten storage data? (y/n):y"

Oh ok so you're on "V100AAKL7C0", no problems in the 6 weeks you've had it no?

Dermot McDonnell · 30-01-2015 2:36pm

rogercross wrote: »

...
"CFE> atbr <- Erase Eircom settings and you're done.
Erase persisten storage data? (y/n):y"

Reseting the F1000 from the GUI will achieve the same result. Maintenance -> Configuration -> Reset.

Oh ok so you're on "V100AAKL7C0", no problems in the 6 weeks you've had it no?

None.

rogercross · 30-01-2015 2:53pm

Cool!

I've also made the changes you had in screenshots for eircom, now when i hook that up to the line for the first time this weekend is there any additional settings i need to enter to make it work with eircom's efibre service?

Dermot McDonnell · 30-01-2015 3:39pm

rogercross wrote: »

Cool!

I've also made the changes you had in screenshots for eircom, now when i hook that up to the line for the first time this weekend is there any additional settings i need to enter to make it work with eircom's efibre service?

For Eircom, the only default VDSL setting that needs to change is VLAN 802.1q must be 10. The F1000 will sync automagically, DSL light should go AMBER, and Internet light Green.

rogercross · 30-01-2015 4:00pm

Excellent, thanks for all your help on this Dermot.

I'm curious to see what the difference will be now using this new firmware, an initial positive is the web management interface behaves much more smoothly compared to eircoms custom interface.

rogercross · 30-01-2015 5:23pm

So when i'm on "100AAKL7C0", how many versions is that ahead of eircom now?

Dermot McDonnell · 31-01-2015 12:14pm

rogercross wrote: »

So when i'm on "100AAKL7C0", how many versions is that ahead of eircom now?

Quite a few. See the latest firmware changelog linked earlier in this thread. One difficulty is it that it is impossible to know what, if any, fixes and updates Eircom apply in their releases as they do not say. However, they still include the 038 xDSL PHY, for example, while the more recent and much improved 039 PHY was released by Zyxel well over a year ago.

rogercross · 31-01-2015 8:32pm

Hey Dermot,

All looks good, everything is working great, network is stable for the first time in over 2 months.

Thanks again for everything!!!!

Dermot McDonnell · 01-02-2015 11:06am

rogercross wrote: »

Hey Dermot,

All looks good, everything is working great, network is stable for the first time in over 2 months.

Thanks again for everything!!!!

Roger, great work. Nice bit of DIY

If you have any stats or tips to share, please advise.

Dermot McDonnell · 01-02-2015 11:17am

Some of you may have a SamKnows box on your network. Just to report that WiFi devices, an S4 and iPad, would connect to a newly unlocked F1000 on a LAN with a SamKnows but the devices did not get Internet connectivity. Removing the SamKnows resolved the problem although the underlying cause was not determined.

Thanks to John C for this information.

jca · 01-02-2015 5:25pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

Some of you may have a SamKnows box on your network. Just to report that WiFi devices, an S4 and iPad, would connect to a newly unlocked F1000 on a LAN with a SamKnows but the devices did not get Internet connectivity. Removing the SamKnows resolved the problem although the underlying cause was not determined.

Thanks to John C for this information.

I've a bit more info on this Dermot. If you have a SamKnows box disconnect it while doing the initial setup and connect the router directly to the unlocked modem. Get your router password, wireless password etc all sorted, then connect the SamKnows and everything works perfectly. Anyone with the older external sky wireless adaptor will have to use b/g/n mixed instead of "n" only.

AngryDiMaria · 01-02-2015 5:32pm

I got it working Dermot, I selected XMODEM 1K instead and it transferred in a couple of seconds. My network has been stable for the last couple of days and I'm not getting constant complaints from the family that "the internet is broken".

Thank you

Dermot McDonnell · 01-02-2015 7:36pm

jca wrote: »

I've a bit more info on this Dermot. If you have a SamKnows box disconnect it while doing the initial setup and connect the router directly to the unlocked modem. Get your router password, wireless password etc all sorted, then connect the SamKnows and everything works perfectly. Anyone with the older external sky wireless adaptor will have to use b/g/n mixed instead of "n" only.

Great work cracking the SamKnows issue

Nice too have a working router. You mentioned in a PM that the printer server is working well too. That's cool to have it confirmed by someone who had that issue.

Eircom, please fix the F1000 and give your customers what they are paying for. It's not difficult to fix the vast range of issues with your current firmware.

Dermot McDonnell · 01-02-2015 7:38pm

AngryDiMaria wrote: »

I got it working Dermot, I selected XMODEM 1K instead and it transferred in a couple of seconds. My network has been stable for the last couple of days and I'm not getting constant complaints from the family that "the internet is broken".

Thank you

Good work, AngryDiMaria!

KeRbDoG · 01-02-2015 9:16pm

Does the latest firmware for the F1000 ZyXel improve the downstream/upstream sync rates?

jca · 01-02-2015 9:43pm

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Does the latest firmware for the F1000 ZyXel improve the downstream/upstream sync rates?

My attainable rates have gone from 74/21 to 85/25 in about 10 hours. Luckily I got it up.and running today 1st of February so it will be interesting to see what my Sam Knows results will be like for February compared to January.

wcarey1975 · 02-02-2015 3:54pm

Thanks Dermot for the very detailed post and detailed guide. I'm looking to get a 2nd F1000 to give this a go on as its something that interests me as a hobby anyway. I have a question about he link for the bootloader. I've clicked on it and it says file is not sound. Has it been moved and if so can you post another link to it. Apologies if the issue is on my end.

Thx,
Wayne

Edit never mind I completed skipped the answer in the 2nd page of the thread......thankt'll teach me to speed read...

Dermot McDonnell · 02-02-2015 6:04pm

wcarey1975 wrote: »

Thanks Dermot for the very detailed post and detailed guide. I'm looking to get a 2nd F1000 to give this a go on as its something that interests me as a hobby anyway. I have a question about he link for the bootloader. I've clicked on it and it says file is not sound. Has it been moved and if so can you post another link to it. Apologies if the issue is on my end.

Thx,
Wayne

Edit never mind I completed skipped the answer in the 2nd page of the thread......thankt'll teach me to speed read...

Yes, the original link to the bootloader is broken. I put it on google drive, chick here.

I shall try to improve my unlock guide. Any windoze users out there with screen shots of their Comms Package config and xModem transfer? I would like to include some pics in the guide and will acknowledge any contributions.

wcarey1975 · 02-02-2015 6:22pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

Yes, the original link to the bootloader is broken. I put it on google drive, chick here.

I shall try to improve my unlock guide. Any windoze users out there with screen shots of their Comms Package config and xModem transfer? I would like to include some pics in the guide and will acknowledge any contributions.

I'll be doing mine through Windows so once I get the cable/modem I'll be on my way. Have modem sorted just need to agree price and getting the cable will be the easy part.

jca · 02-02-2015 7:05pm

============================================================================
VDSL Training Status: Showtime
Mode: VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL Profile: Profile 17a
Traffic Type: PTM Mode
Link Uptime: 1 day: 12 hours: 35 minutes
============================================================================
VDSL Port Details Upstream Downstream
Line Rate: 20.477 Mbps 71.678 Mbps
Actual Net Data Rate: 20.478 Mbps 71.679 Mbps
Trellis Coding: ON ON
SNR Margin: 11.8 dB 12.5 dB
Actual Delay: 0 ms 0 ms
Transmit Power: 0.9 dBm 13.4 dBm
Receive Power: -18.0 dBm -3.2 dBm
Actual INP: 29.0 symbols 30.0 symbols
Total Attenuation: 18.9 dB 16.6 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate: 25.221 Mbps 86.192 Mbps
============================================================================
VDSL Band Status U0 U1 U2 U3 D1 D2 D3
Line Attenuation(dB): 4.9 25.8 38.7 N/A 13.8 33.2 50.8
Signal Attenuation(dB): 4.9 25.2 37.6 N/A 13.6 32.9 50.8
SNR Margin(dB): 11.6 11.8 11.7 N/A 12.6 12.4 12.5
Transmit Power(dBm):-13.5 - 4.0 - 1.0 N/A 10.3 7.9 6.9
============================================================================
Attainable rates still rising!! I'm about 550m from the cabinet. Samsung TV can play files on the usb plugged into the router, all good here.

Dermot McDonnell · 03-02-2015 4:31pm

I want to thank Raymond W. in Dundalk for his unlocked F1000 numbers:

The upload has gone up attainable by 50% was always 20 now 30, down was always around 92/3 now 104.

Link Uptime: 0 day: 19 hours: 30 minutes
============================================================================
VDSL Port Details Upstream Downstream
Line Rate: 20.477 Mbps 92.155 Mbps
Actual Net Data Rate: 20.478 Mbps 92.156 Mbps
Trellis Coding: ON ON
SNR Margin: 15.1 dB 12.9 dB
Actual Delay: 0 ms 0 ms
Transmit Power: - 3.2 dBm 14.0 dBm
Receive Power: -19.7 dBm -3.3 dBm
Actual INP: 29.0 symbols 30.0 symbols
Total Attenuation: 16.5 dB 17.3 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate: 30.404 Mbps 104.037 Mbps

mass_debater · 03-02-2015 5:07pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

I want to thank Raymond W. in Dundalk for his unlocked F1000 numbers:

The upload has gone up attainable by 50% was always 20 now 30, down was always around 92/3 now 104.

Link Uptime: 0 day: 19 hours: 30 minutes
============================================================================
VDSL Port Details Upstream Downstream
Line Rate: 20.477 Mbps 92.155 Mbps
Actual Net Data Rate: 20.478 Mbps 92.156 Mbps
Trellis Coding: ON ON
SNR Margin: 15.1 dB 12.9 dB
Actual Delay: 0 ms 0 ms
Transmit Power: - 3.2 dBm 14.0 dBm
Receive Power: -19.7 dBm -3.3 dBm
Actual INP: 29.0 symbols 30.0 symbols
Total Attenuation: 16.5 dB 17.3 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate: 30.404 Mbps 104.037 Mbps

That's the attainable, what you're line is capable of, your actual is still 92/20

Dermot McDonnell · 03-02-2015 10:40pm

mass_debater wrote: »

That's the attainable, what you're line is capable of, your actual is still 92/20

The point is his Attainable Up increased by 50% and Attainable Down increased by 12% via a softwarte upgrade. If Eircom lock your WAN speeds, you need to talk to them about your plans to move to any other ISP. PS: Ask them to apply the available fixes to their F1000 while you are on the phone, who knows?

mass_debater · 03-02-2015 11:07pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

The point is his Attainable Up increased by 50% and Attainable Down increased by 12% via a softwarte upgrade.

The copper pair does not change so the difference in reading is a software error or miscalculation on one of the readings. The sync rate is usually rate adaptive set by the server.

Dermot McDonnell · 03-02-2015 11:44pm

mass_debater wrote: »

The copper pair does not change so the difference in reading is a software error or miscalculation on one of the readings. The sync rate is usually rate adaptive set by the server.

So, a software upgrade to the router xDSL PHY, for example, never mind numerous bug fixes cannot improve router performance in real life? I disagree.

A number of poster have already made it clear that their real life experience of upgrading their F1000 operating sytem has been very positive, there has not been a single naysayer. A number of posters have provided measurements from network devices that support the view that real life experience is much better.

jca · 03-02-2015 11:53pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

So, a software upgrade to the router xDSL PHY, for example, never mind numerous bug fixes cannot improve router performance in real life? I disagree.

A number of poster have already made it clear that their real life experience of upgrading their F1000 operating sytem has been very positive, there has not been a single naysayer. A number of posters have provided measurements from network devices that support the view that real life experience is much better.

It sure is an improvement, besides internet speeds, the opening up of the standard router features is great.

mass_debater · 03-02-2015 11:53pm

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

So, a software upgrade to the router xDSL PHY, for example, never mind numerous bug fixes cannot improve router performance in real life? I disagree.

A number of poster have already made it clear that their real life experience of upgrading their F1000 operating sytem has been very positive, there has not been a single naysayer. A number of posters have provided measurements from network devices that support the view that real life experience is much better.

What, when did I question any of that? I questioned the reported attainable figure, I'd love to put my Megger meter on it because one or both of the before/after attainable figures is wrong. Not at all knocking your achievements btw

Howto unlock your Eircom F1000

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