As originally posted by Michael Codanti on the PTP list, the firmware updates to the Apple Airport, Lucent/Orinoco RG-1000, and Lucent/Orinoco AP-500 are all interchangeable. I have tested this now (2/3 I don't have a AP-500), and it was successful. This was all done using the FreeBase software.

Tested:

Hardware - Apple Airport Base Station

  1. Upgraded to: Apple Airport 1.2 Firmware
  2. Upgraded to: Lucent/Orinoco AP-500 Firmware
  3. Upgraded to: Apple Airport 1.3 Firmware

Hardware - Lucent/Orinoco RG-1000

  1. Upgraded to: Apple Airport 1.3 Firmware

This means that you can take a Apple AirPort, or Lucent/Orinoco RG-1000, or Lucent/Orinoco AP-500, and upgrade it to the functionality of any of the three since the firmware is all interchangeable.

I can now change my AP recommendation that has NAT and DHCP to include the RG-1000 since you can update it to the functionality of the Apple Airport, my previous recommendation. I highly recommend updating the RG-1000 firmware to the Apple Airport Firmware, or AP-500 firmware (if you don't need NAT & DHCP) as the RG-1000 firmware is a pain to work with and doesn't support setting all the options that way you might want. Buying the RG-1000 instead of the Apple Airport saves you $70.

Note: Nate Carlson is now maintaining an archive of firmware for various AccessPoints which might be useful.

From MichaelCodanti's post:

Features:

RG-1000, and AirPort

AP-500

(Note: Prices are from CDW)

The legality of firmware swapping is questionable at best, and hopefully will not be needed once Agere releases their Summer update for the RG-1000.

-- TerrySchmidt

Also note that you can now download Orinoco's AccessPoint software and use it to configure your RG-1000, having MANY more options, including the ability to change the AP name and run as a full public access point.

I purchased the Compaq WL310 home office gateway and upgraded it to the Orinoco RG-1000 rom, then downloaded the AP-1000 software and upgraded to that included rom.

-- Dan Kelly

Q: Is there a magic site with all of the firmwares around?

A: Found a site (http://www.aciri.org/fenner/airport/) that lists the Airport v1.3, v1.3.1, and v2.0 firmware.

A1: This site is pretty magic: http://vilos.com/rg1000/ -PatrickSullivan

-- RichardLangis

Q: Rumor has it you can upgrade the RG-1000 to the AP-1000. Does this make it functionaly the same as purchasing an AP?

A: This rumor is false, the AP-1000 is totally different hardware, and the firmware will not work on an RG-1000, RG-1100, AP-500, or Graphite AirPort (v1)

Q: What advantages does (did) the Airport firmware have over the RG-1000?

A: The ability to turn off WEP. The ability to specify your ESSID (this was originally why the RG-1000 didn't get the Wi-Fi Compliance certification, because you couldn't specify the complete ESSID, thus prohibiting proper roaming).

Update: As of a a while ago I think the current RG-1000 firmware is better then the current AirPort firmware. The main differences that I know of:

--MichaelCodanti

Jan 2002. Successfully tested RG-1000 with AP-500 firmware using JavaConfigurator. Upgraded to AP-1000 firmware and it killed the Ethernet port. Restored RG to original firmware using the Restore Firmware Configuration procedure outlined on Rg1000Comments page. -- BrianBarrera

2002-07-27 I tried uploading apple 2.0.2 (graphite update 3.84) firmware obtained from Bill Fenner's site into my RG-1100 using FreeBase and it fixes the closed wireless network bug that is present in all ORiNOCO firmware revs up to 3.95 (it still broadcasts beacons, but with blank SSID) - the AP is really invisible to NetStumbler now. The downside is AP Manager no longer works with it, so Freebase must be used to configure it, and I don't know if it supports WEP Plus. Although I haven't tried it, the Apple f/w is supposed to support MAC filtering, which is not supported at all with RG-1x firmware.

I also successfully loaded the latest AP-500 firmware - ap05395.bin on it, which effectively turns it into an AP-500 bridge. w/ this firmware, you lose NAT but you gain RADIUS and 802.1x support, as well as a lot more configurability of the bridging functions. I think the MAC filtering should work as well, because the AP-500 is supposed to support it, but I haven't tested it (I've been told by ORiNOCO support that the RG-1x f/w doesn't support MAC filtering).

-- lincomatic@hotmail.com

09-27-02

Looking for a little help with a "dead" rg 1000. About three months ago I effectively changed it to an ap 500 in order to be able to change the essid. Though in the process I lost the ability to communicate with it either by rg manager or ap manager - don't know how or what I managed to do. This evening I decided to go for a fresh start, performed a forced reload and loaded ap05395.bin onto it. Now I am worse off. The only way I can interact at all with the rg is via cross over cable and ap manager. In a wireless setting clients see it but are unable to connect.

With cross over cable: when using ap manager I am not able to make any changes. The rg shows up when I first open ap manager, but I can not get into it. I also tried using rg manager and freebase, with similar results. freebase actually acts as if I have the wrong password "public". rg manager doesn't recognize the id/ssid

I can pull this data using ap manager, but nothing else.

Orinoco RG1-x00 XXXXXX is new Describption: rg1000 v3.95 sn 00ut31261054 ip: 153.69.254.254 Mac: 0061df7a4ef

thanks in advance for any help getting this thing back up and running.

eric bb5999@yahoo.com

update - I now have the rg working as an access point I guess the forced reload did some good, xxxxx as an encryption code.

I am still locked out of making any changes, ap manager, rg manager, freebase I can't get in to make changes. Ultimately I would like to use this ap as a bridge, but for now I am glad it is working as an ap.

eric


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