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Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

infobleep
Grafter
Posts: 27
Registered: ‎24-07-2013

Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

Hi there
I've got an Apple Mac computer and I've just taken out PlusNet Business broadband/phone. I am thinking of upgrading the firmware of the router. Is it possible to do this natively on a Mac or do Mac users need a licensed copy of Windows 7 to do this themselves?
As it so happens I have a copy running in VM Ware Fusion so I could go down this route. Would prefer to do it in OS Mountain Lion if possible though.
My last O2 router, Wireless Box IV, was also a Thompson router and that offered the option of upgraded via the router interface. Much better solution in my opinion. Far less hassle and no other programs required for installation. Not keen on installing extra programs in Windows as one never knows what will get left behind in the registry.
Well looks like it failed to locate my router. I'm running it on a virtual windows 7. I guess I will need to switch on bridge networking.
Why are companies so anti mac? I'm also starting to find they are anti windows 8 too. For example O2 don't support IMAP which without windows live is the only way to access e-mails on windows 8. At least Plusnet support using e-mails out of the box on Windows 8. If Plusnet didn't support IMAP I wouldn't have joined.
I don't have windows 8 and I've heard not good things about it. However I don't think that is a good enough reason not to support them and in the case of Macs, whilst the operating system may not be perfect at times, e.g. I don't like it's Mail application, on the whole I like it. Even if I didn't like it, I still think their is a strong enough user base to support it.
UPDATE: No I tried to upgrade via the Windows 7 setup and that failed. It got to the point of transferring and right towards the end of that it failed. Now I have the setup files located on a network drive which actually is my Ma HFS+ hard drive. I've installed other programs via this route without a problem so that's not the issue here.
My start with Plusnet hasn't been great. First they don't send business documentation with the router; then someone accidentally connects my phone to the wrong port so I end up with someone else number and now I can't upgrade the firmware. The middle one was a genuine human error and these things happen. The first and last however could be dealt with by implementing a company policy changes. They are not human errors.
Kind regards
7 REPLIES 7
dvorak
Moderator
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Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

Plusnet should be able to push the firmware out to your router.
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infobleep
Grafter
Posts: 27
Registered: ‎24-07-2013

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

Thank you for your reply. Does this require them to access my computer or for me to be around?
I had wanted to set up all my port forwarding rules tonight as I've been without Internet for the past week but I can't do this because as soon as the firmware gets upgraded I lose them all.
I'm not a happy customer. Why can't I simply do the changes myself? I work in IT myself. I didn't expect what I considered to be a simple issue to be so complicated. This means a further delay given that, quite rightly, Plusnet staff don't work 24 hours a day.
May be someone can explain why its better for business customers not to have access to firmware. I don't see it myself.
I'm only using the official router so Plusnet can't claim any problems are caused by non use of the officially supported router. Not that I have a spare unlocked router.
infobleep
Grafter
Posts: 27
Registered: ‎24-07-2013

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

I resolved the problem but resorting to using the Windows XP installation files on my 9 year old Toshbia laptop. It's rather slow but it did the job. Just think next April Microsoft stop support Windows XP. I think quiet a few companies are still using it. In the last few years I've worked for some that are myself.
I only use Toshibalaptop for the odd occasion when I need to use some older piece of software or, as most likely in this case, I need to use a piece of software which doesn't work with virtual windows machines. There are not many programs I come across that don't support virtual machines. Looks like this is one of them.
Resolving it myself, whilst being a hassle that it shouldn't have been in my opinion, frees up Plusnet staff time. It's not as if they are not busy already.
Jaggies
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 1,700
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Registered: ‎29-06-2010

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

@infobleep
Can't you use Boot Camp or similar to run Windows on your Mac instead of using a VM?
infobleep
Grafter
Posts: 27
Registered: ‎24-07-2013

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

No because I set up my virtual machine first. I did once have ago and seeing if I could migrate it to a boot camp but didn't get very far. I then gave up because I had no intention of ever booting solely into windows. That might be an alien concept to some people, the thought of not using Windows, but it is the case with me.
To be honest, most of what I do requires my Mac. It is less often that I go into Windows. However when I do, I don't want to have to shut down my Mac.
For example I use WordPerfect because it's the best word processor I've ever used. I have version X15 which is one short of the latest. So I run that in Windows 7. However all my e-mail is in OS Mountain Lion. Now if I am writing a Word Perfect document I don't suddenly not want access to my e-mails. Hence I never saw the point of spend ages trying to get my virtual Windows to work in boot camp.
I have enough other technological issues to try and resolved, let alone that. I have 8GB of memory and that is more than enough to run my Mac and Windows 7 virtual side by side.
Another piece of modern software that doesn't work on Mac's is Slingbox's setup software. Slingbox is a device for viewing you TV over the Internet. It takes your TV or my case satellite feed and transmits it over the Internet to your account. The page required to set up the port number does not work on Macs. It just causes the Internet browsers to stop working.
Again I set this up using my 9 year old Toshiba  laptop running Windows XP.
MisterW
Superuser
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

It's also possible to upgrade the firmware using TFTP http://wiki.aa.org.uk/Router_-_TG582N_-_Firmware_and_Factory_Reset#Firmware_Upgrade_via_your_TFTP_se...
Not being a Mac user, I'm not sure if there's a TFTP server available for it though...

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infobleep
Grafter
Posts: 27
Registered: ‎24-07-2013

Re: Upgrading the firmware on a Mac

Thanks for your replies. I've not heard of a TFTP server.
I just looked it up and guess what, Mac's have it built in to OS X where was Windows does not. I find Macs are good like that sometimes. You get things as standard that Windows users, of which I'm also one, has to add on separately.
Shame though that more companies don't support Macs. Someone at work reckons the finance departments have done the maths and worked out that it isn't financially worth training support staff with the skills required to support platforms such as Macs and Linux etc.They may be right.