Firmware upgrade/downgrade

Firmware upgrades are needed to fix bugs, improve security, and add new features. You can easily upgrade the x500’s firmware from inside X4 Remote at any time.

We strongly recommend reading the full article before starting a firmware upgrade.

  • What do I need to know before upgrading?
  • How do I upgrade my x500’s firmware?
  • Troubleshooting – What if my x500 doesn’t come back online?

What do I need to know before upgrading?

The firmware upgrade process usually takes 5 minutes with any decent internet connection. As part of this process the x500 will reboot twice. This means that any communication going trough the x500 will be interrupted for a few seconds. This includes any communication between devices directly connected to the x500’s LAN ports (e.g. a PLC and HMI), and any communication going from WAN to LAN and vice versa, if applicable. Once the firmware upgrade has finished the x500 will automatically come back online.

Before you start an upgrade, make sure:

  • There is no USB flash drive in the x500 as it may contain an old configuration file, resulting in the x500 being configured incorrectly and not being able to come back online.
  • You have someone available near the x500 to reboot the x500 in the very rare case that it doesn’t come back online automatically. In such a case, wait at least 20 minutes and then reboot the x500.

How do I upgrade my x500's firmware?

Support for remote firmware upgrade/downgrade

Support for this feature was added on the x500 in firmware 3.1. If your x500 is running an older firmware version, don't hesitate to contact us. We can manually upgrade your firmware remotely.

Follow the steps below to upgrade your x500’s firmware.

  • Go to the Fleet Manager app, which is accessible from the Apps menu in the top right corner if you are currently in a different X4 Remote app.
  • Open the main menu, go to Devices, and select the concerning device.
  • Go to Info and click [Manage] next to firmware version.
  • Select a firmware version and click on [Start upgrade].

Upgrade started
The firmware upgrade process will now start and usually takes 5 minutes. For more information, please read "What do I need to know before upgrading?".

Troubleshooting - What if my x500 doesn't come back online?

In rare cases, it might happen that your x500 doesn’t come back online. There are two common reasons for your x500 to not come back online. Please check first if there is a USB drive with a configuration file inserted in your x500. If this is the case, this is the likely cause of the issue. Otherwise, the x500 likely can’t retrieve its upgrade file.

  • There was an USB with a old configuration file inserted
  • The x500 can’t retrieve its upgrade file

There was an USB drive with a old configuration file inserted

When a usb drive with on old configuration file is still inserted in the x500, the router will try to register according to that configuration file. This means that the firmware upgrade won’t succeed and the router doesn’t come back online. Please follow the steps below to retrieve your x500:

  • Go to the Fleet Manager, which is also accessible via the Apps menu in the top right corner if you are currently in a different X4 Remote app.
  • Open the main menu , go to Devices, and select the concerning device.
  • Go to More and enable “Recover upon next registration“.
  • Return to the main menu and select Tools, now click on [Start configuration] for the Router config-file.
  • Set-up and download the configuration file as desired.
  • Insert the USB-drive in the x500 and restart the x500 by disabling and re-establishing its power supply. 

The x500 can't retrieve its upgrade file

Sometimes the x500 can’t retrieve its upgrade file, this may be because the file is blocked at the firewall or because the x500 has poor internet reception. If your x500 has been offline for over 20 minutes you can restart your x500. If it comes back online with the old firmware version, the x500 was unable to retrieve its upgrade file. 

Please review your firewall settings to check if your firewall isn’t blocking any of the x500’s outbound connection to X4 Remote. If you allow the x500 access through MAC-address based exceptions, please check to see if the MAC-address is correct.

If your firewall isn’t blocking the communication, it’s possible the internet connection is unstable or has poor reception. Try to connect your x500 to a different network and try to upgrade your firmware again.

Still having trouble getting your router online?
If your x500 still doesn't come online, please contact your local Lenze service. We are happy to help with any further troubleshooting.

 

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