Walkthrough guide for Installing and Setting Up the D-Link "DIR-619L" Wireless Router for Telekom Malaysia "UniFi" Broadband Services

The DIR-619L wireless router purchased from Malaysia (South East Asia Region)

Important Note !!! >>> This walk through is mainly applicable to Unifi and Maxis Fibre users. For other Service Providers, it is recommended that you consult from them first before configuring your router. This is mainly due to the configuration method I will be covering in this walkthrough, which could differ from other service providers.

This post will only go through on the necessary steps of installing and setting up the "DIR-619L"
D-Link router. Reason for this post is due to the fact that there are very little guides on setting up this particular router model as it is considerably new in the SEA market, from the time this post was published.

We will not be covering on any technical specifications and features for this router, however you may download and refer it from here.

Things to prepare for this installation:
i. Desktop /Laptop (For configuring the Router)
ii. New Router ("DIR-619L")
iii. "Unifi" PPPoE Username and Password (*If you have already forgotten it, follow the steps below. Otherwise you may skip straight to the "Important Tips" Section)

For Point no.3 you will have to call TM Hotline, if you are using a :

House Line ►dial "100" or  Mobile Phone ► dial "1 300 888 123" 

Be prepared to verify yourself to TM (Telekom Malaysia), to obtain the username and password for your Unifi account. Their usual security question would require you to provide them with the Unifi Subscribers IC number or their address of subscription. Upon successfully answering the security questions, the TM staff will provide you with your UniFi username and password. Write it on a piece of paper just in cases you forget about it. 

Important Tips :

The Router that I have purchased is from the SEA(South East Asia) market, meaning that any firmware you download from d-link's support page other than the SEA support pages will not work for your router devices. Due to the various types of ISP's (Internet Service Providers) which are running on different configuration setups that the end user will have to setup themselves in the event of replacing a faulty router or upgrading them. The walk through that I am about to show you will be / might be similar to those from their respective Service Provider Technicians. 

Scenario :

I am from Malaysia, and I have subscribed for a "Unifi" 5 Mbps Internet Line. I am looking to upgrade the router which was provided by my ISP (Previous Model: "DIR-619") to the "DIR-619L". Because the DIR-619L offers better WiFi Receptivity and because my old router is almost 5 years old, so I thought it was high time for an upgrade ☺.

Installation Steps:

Remove all the components and Parts that are provided in the Router Box. Ensure that you have all of the following items as shown here.

X1 wireless router

X1 power adapter

X1 Lan cable

X3 modular antenna 

First things first, ensure that no one is using the WiFi before proceeding with the upgrade installations. Just ask your family members or friends at your house, on whether they are using the WiFi services.

Once that is done, go ahead and power down your old router before removing any wiring from behind the Router. For the old model  ("DIR-619") there are no toggle buttons to power up and power down the wireless router device, you can just pull out the power plug which is located at the back of the router.

Reinsert the wiring into the new Router as follows. Do not panic if you are unable to find the red, and blue color ports on the new router devices, such as the one on your old router, the "DIR-619" (provided Router by TM). It is a good practice for me to always place my IPTV cable to the LAN port which is labeled as "1". So that it will be easier to remember, for the configuration of the IPTV to be done in the later stages of this walk through.

Physical cable layout for the new router. 

Cable "1" (LAN) is connected to any other PC or a switch if you have more PC to connect to the network.
Cable "2" (LAN) provides IPTV services aka Hypp TV as provided to all Unifi subscribers.
Cable "3" (WAN) brings in the internet connection from the ISP.
Cable "4" (Power) is your routers power supply.

For Configuring using Wired Connection (Recommended):

Before powering on your Router, ensure that a network cable is connected to your laptop/desktop. Upon Powering on the device, give the new router at least 1-2 minutes to completely boot up before accessing it.

For Configuring using Wireless Connection:

By default the router will broadcast a default factory wireless SSID. In case if you are not too sure what an SSID stands for, refer here. Connect to the SSID using the provided SSID and Password. Each router will be provided a different SSID and password. You can refer to it on the Router device itself, as shown in the picture right below here.

The default SSID and password that the router will broadcast straight out of the box. Used for configuring the Router wirelessly, you may change its properties later on. 

*Note that each SSID / Password paper can/may vary between all routers. 

To Access the Router, you will need an internet browser. In the Internet Browser, type in the default IP Address of the router which is "192.168.0.1" on the address bar.

You have to key in the default wireless IP address over here.

The default factory IP address for this router is "192.168.0.1"

You will later then be prompted for a username and password. The default factory setting values for the username and password are as follows:

Username : admin

Password : 

*Password by default is kept as blank.

Router Firmware Check :

Upon successfully logging into the router, ensure that your firmware and hardware version are as follows, before proceeding with the following steps.

This is important because as mentioned earlier, routers which are purchased from other regions apart from SEA, may not work with the following configurations which we are about to go through in the later parts of this walk through.

My router Hardware Version and Firmware Version are as follows :
(Normally found at the upper right part of the web page.)

Hardware Version : B2 Firmware Version : 2.05SG

If your device does not come with the same hardware / firmware version, perform the following checks:

a. Verify the purchase origin of the router. Make sure that it is from the SEA region. If it is not purchased from the SEA region, I can recommend that you follow steps 4 onward and give the configuration a shot. However there would be no guarantee that you can establish connection with your ISP, as I have encountered similar problems under these circumstances before.

b. Visit the Singapore D-Link support page, as all of the SEA router models firmware will be available for download in here.  If you are unable to find the same firmware version as mine, you can attempt the download of the latest available firmware by selecting the firmware which was released on a later date. After that, you may try out step 1 and also give the configuration a shot. However there would also be no guarantee that you can establish connection with your ISP, as I have encountered similar problems with these circumstances before.

c. Once you have downloaded the Firmware package keep it onto a directory where you can remember easily. For Example, I always like to keep my file on the Desktop Directory.

1. Login to the new router and follow these steps accordingly.

*Note, ensure that your router is being accessed via a network cable and NOT via wireless. As this is not recommended by D-Link for any firmware flashing process. As this is most probably not the most reliable way to do the flashing/firmware upgrading process. To confirm this, go to your network settings and verify the connection as shown below here. Also the diagram below will illustrate how the connection between your laptop and router will be like.

Physical connection of Laptop to Wireless Router via LAN cable.
Source taken from http://www.linksys.com/ca/support-article?articleNum=132275

2. Once the Router's firmware has been successfully updated, your previous configurations might be overwritten to the default configurations (factory settings). This will not be a concern for a new router device. 

*However for those who have previously configured the router. It will be good to take note of the important configurations that you have previously set into your router, Such as "LAN", "Wireless Settings", "DDNS", etc. So as to not forget what you have previously configured.

Installation Steps: (Continued)

3. You should be able to setup the following, once you have completed step number no.5.

Upon successfully logging into the router, you would come to a wizard page which look similar to this, ignore the wizard and enter the "Advanced" Setting.

Upon entering the advanced option you will be presented this menu, first enter the setup tab (on top), followed by the Internet connection options (on the left side)

Ensure your internet connection is set to "PPPoE (Username / Password)" and insert the credentials you have obtained from TM. 

To enable IP TV services, just change the LAN PORT 1 to IPTV, this settings can be found right after the PPPoE credentials entry options.

Wireless SSID and password configurations can be set under the "Setup" tab and "wireless connection" option.

SSID is the name of your wireless network, users and guest may discover them while scanning within your WiFi proximity. Where as Network Key is the assigned password required to access that WiFi network. 

Do not forget to save your settings once configuring them. (Save setting button is at the bottom of the page)

4. Upon Completion of setting up the router. The router will attempt its connection to the ISP network. Normally it would take roughly about 5 - 10 Minutes before you will be able to successfully have an internet connection for your house network. 

5. To test the connection, ensure you are connected to the router via the assigned or your custom SSID , and open a web browser by browsing a web page of your choice. You should be able to access that web page afterwards.

For a more advance method of testing internet connectivity using Windows OS, you may continue to Point No. 6.

6. If you are using the windows operating system of 7 or later, you can hit the "Start Key" and key in "cmd" followed by hitting the enter button. This would bring you to the command prompt of the operating system. 

Typing in "cmd" into the start menu of Windows 8.1, to access the command prompt.

You can verify internet connectivity by typing in the following command "ping google.com" and pressing the "Enter" button. You should be able to see ping responses such as the following.

Note, that the information in the red circle indicates that there is a reply from the web servers. If you see other messages such as "Request Timed Out", "Destination Host is Unreachable", it means that you are unable to connect to the internet. But i can assure you, if you follow the walk through accordingly chances are that your router will be configured correctly. 

Which means that you have successfully established connection to the internet, and that you have configured your DIR-619L Wireless Router correctly. 

How to upgrade firmware for the CISCO ASA 5510 Firewall Series using TFTP (on a Windows PC)

As always, you always must prepare a prerequisite list of the items that you need to initiate and accomplish this upgrade.

1. Prerequisite List

a. PC
b. PuTTY Software >>> You can download "PuTTY" from here.
c. Serial to USB Converter
d. Serial Cable
e.  ASA 5510 Firewall
f. ASA firmware file
g. 3CDaemon (TFTP Client) >>> You can download "3CDaemon" from here.
(It may be an old software, but it gets the job done. )
h. Ethernet Cable (Cat 5)

* Note, ASA Firmware file can only be downloaded via a portal for CISCO customers or distributors. It is advisable to get a copy from them if you do not have access to these accounts.

2. Upgrade Path

To upgrade this particular CISCO device. (ASA 5510) there is normally an upgrade path to follow in sequence.

The upgrade path would mean that in order to upgrade the CISCO device to the latest possible firmware, it would have to be upgraded sequentially to a firmware not newer than the latest one before being able to upgrade to the latest one.

A simple illustration of this upgrade path would be as such:


Example:

Current Firmware : Version 1
Latest Firmware available : Version 10 
Prerequisite Firmware to install before Latest Firmware : Version 5 

Version 1 >>>upgrade to>>>> Version 5 >>>>upgrade to>>>>> Version 10 

Upgrade Path for the CISCO ASA 5510 Series Firewall, Cisco Systems, Inc.

To identify the current version/image the CISCO ASA Firewall is running, connect to the Firewall via console port using the "PuTTY" software and login to the device. Should you require detailed assistance on how to do so, do check out this post I made earlier, via here.

Also since we are attempting a TFTP transaction check with the person who has configured the firewall on the port and network address it is currently using. For my case, I will be connecting my PC NIC with the ASA Firewall Management Interface (interface Management 0/0), using a CAT5 Cable.

Once you have access to the device from the console port, you should be able to see the hostname of the device.

Type in this command "Show Version".

Upon typing in the "Show Version "command, be sure to check the Version and RAM capacity of your Firewall Device before proceeding (both items status which are accessible via the "Show Version" command). Certain upgrade's will not be able to be conducted due to RAM limitation of your CISCO Firewall. To check for the RAM requirement before the firmware upgrade, you can refer it here. 

Once you have verified the version of the image it is running and the amount of RAM your firewall has, ensure you have the ".bin" firmware files stored in your PC's local storage prior to the upgrade of the Firewall.

3. TFTP Firmware Image to CISCO ASA 5510

To initiate the upgrading process, we will have to set up a TFTP server on our local computer. Followed by transferring the files into the ASA Firewall itself  (Usually, the default storage location for the file would be "disk0:/")

Once that is done, we have to configure the boot sequence to boot to the newly transferred firmware. 

To do so we will use the "3CDaemon" software. 

Upon Successfully Installing the "3CDaemon" software you will be able to see the following files in the installation folder.

Proceed by double clicking on the "3CDaemon" Application file.

The Interface for the "3CDaemon" TFTP Client Software.

Open the Configure TFTP Server located at the top left section of the window

The Configure TFTP Server Option

Under the TFTP Configuration tab, click the button that is circled in red to specify the directory for the TFTP upload and download files.

Before hand, you should create a new file and insert the Files that you want to TFTP to and from the directory. Once that is set, press OK to return to the TFTP start window.

To send files through and forth the TFTP client, you will need to ensure that your Firewall management port belongs with the same network as your PC's NIC.

You must also connect an ethernet cable from the management port of the ASA Firewall to your PC NIC port.

If the ASA Firewall has been pre-configured with IP Address (management port) before hand

To verify this, you would need to access your Firewall using the same method as performed earlier. Followed by inserting this command "Show Interface Management 0/0", or you may type in 
"Show Interface xxx", where xxx is the port which was assigned previously by the person who has configured the ASA Firewall.

For this example I am going to assume that I have collected information of the network address that belongs for the port Management 0/0, which is under the network address of 192.168.1.1/24 from the person who has configured the device before this. That means we have to assign our NIC card to be within that network range in order to have a successful TFTP transaction. 


If the ASA Firewall is brand new and you want to assign an IP address on the management port

This means that the management port would not have an IP assigned to it, and we have to assign one to it. To assign an IP to the management port (default interface name > management 0/0), first enter enable mode > configuration terminal mode. Once that is done you have to enter the management 0/0 interface. Once you are in the interface, you may then assign the IP address you want for that port. After the assignment is complete insert the "no shutdown" command to turn on the port, as all ports on all CISCO devices are usually switched off by default due to security concerns.

Lets break it down to the exact commands:

"enable"
"configuration terminal"
"interface Management 0/0"
"ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0"
(you may assign the same IP as mine, but it all depends on how you have planned out on assigning your IP's on your firewall ports)
"no shutdown"
"write memory" or "copy running-config startup-config"

Assigning Static IP to PC NIC Port.

Here are the Instructions on how to assign the network address of your NIC to be from the same network as the Managament 0/0 port of the firewall.

Accessing the Control Panel from the Start Menu (Windows 8.1)

Click on the "Network and Internet" Option

Followed by clicking on the Network and Sharing Center

Then click on "Change adapter settings"

Right Click on the Ethernet Section, and click on the Properties Option

Click for the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" item and click on its properties.

Press the radio button for the "Use the following IP address" and assign the IP address accordingly.

To summaries those steps , you will first need to enter control panel > network and internet > network and sharing center > change adapter settings > right click on Ethernet and enter its properties > (TCP/IPV4) and click on its properties > click on the radio button which says "use the following IP address : " and key in the following values to the provided text boxes.


For this example, I have configured my PC's NIC as:

IP Address: 192.168.2.219
*(Ensure that this static IP address is unassigned, to avoid IP conflict within the same network.)

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway: <Blank>

followed by pressing on the "OK" button.

Note * Once that is done, ensure that your WiFi adapter and PC's local firewall settings are disabled. To avoid any interruptions on the TFTP transfer later on.

When your NIC is configured correctly the Server would be broadcasting by the IP address that we have assigned.

Close up view of the TFTP Server broadcasting message

Once that is done, ensure that the firmware that will undergo the TFTP transaction is within the TFTP server directory as included earlier in the walkthrough.

Now return to your ASA Firewall console (make sure to connect & login beforehand) and insert this command to initiate the TFTP transaction. For this example I will be copying the firmware 
"asa847-k8.bin" file.

"copy tftp://192.168.2.212/asa847-k8.bin disk0:/asa847-k8.bin"

be sure to TFTP all intended upgrade images into disk0:/ before proceeding. 

Lets break down what this command comprises of :

"192.168.2.212" is the TFTP server destination, where the file is currently located at.

The first "asa847-k8.bin" from the left, is the file name of the firmware file that is in the TFTP server directory that the user would want to transfer to the ASA Firewall.

"disk0:/" is the local file directory located within the ASA Firewall storage, it is also the default file directory for the ASA Firewall. Normally most of the TFTP transaction would be designated to that directory.

The second "asa847-k8.bin" from the left, is the name of the file that would be saved as into "disk0:/", it is a common practice to rename the file as the same name as it to avoid any confusion or any misleading information in the future.

Upon completion of the TFTP transfer, you can verify it by checking the ASA File directory. 
To do so justs enter this command.

"dir"

The above diagram illustrates what the directory of the firewall will look like, all files that has undergone the TFTP transaction should be seen here. If you are not able to find them here, it could mean that the file could have been corrupted, refer back to the Cisco download page to verify the correct file size.

4. Upgrading Firmware on ASA Firewall 

Once you have verified that your file is in the directory as listed above. Proceed to configure the boot sequence of the firmware images. The command is as follows:

"boot system disk0:/asa847-k8.bin"  > new firmware

"boot system disk0:/asa707-k8.bin" > current firmware

(For each upgrade step , be sure that both of these commands are inserted. Where the top portion represents the upgraded firmware, and where the bottom portion represents the current/old firmware.)

Lets also break down what this command comprises of :

The two lines indicate the boot priority of the 2 image files. Where the top line is the 1st image to boot, whereas the bottom line is the 2nd image to boot (Will only boot if ASA Firewall is not able to boot the first image).

Once that is done, perform a configuration save followed by a reboot to finish off the upgrade process.

Type in the following command to do so:

"write memory" > if this does not work you may also try  the "copy running -config startup config"
* this command is to save your configuration so that your firewall will not loose its configuration in the event it power's down.

"reload" > reboots the ASA Firewall

Once the reboot is completed, verify the firmware image/version by typing in the "show version" command.

Repeat step 4 to complete the upgrade of the intended / latest firmware version for the ASA Firewall.
*Note, if the upgrade is successful and you do not encounter any abnormality to the CISCO ASA device, you may repeat the boot sequence command for the current / new Firmware image to complete the upgrade sequence.

How to connect to any Cisco Product. Switch, Router, Firewal using PuTTY (on a Windows PC)

First things first, here are the list of items you would need to do so.

1. PC  (You can use a desktop or a laptop, but for this guide I will be using my personal laptop, but either one would suffice for this task.)

2. USB to serial Converter

Picture of the Converter taken from the top.

Serial side of the converter (To be connected to the Serial Cable)

USB side of the converter (To be connected to the PC)

3. Serial Cables.

A picture of what a Serial Cable would look like, with its head/connectors.

The picture on top is showing a serial connector, whereas the bottom picture is showing a RJ45 head (Commonly known as Ethernet Head)

4. PuTTY (Serial connection Software)

The "PuTTY" Software Logo

You can download the PuTTY software from here.

Once you have downloaded, installed and run the "PuTTY" software, you should be able to see something like this.

This is the "PuTTY" interface

Next, ensure that you have your USB to Serial Converter inserted into any USB port on your computer. The driver would take about 1- 3 minutes to install by itself.

The following step would require you to identify your COM Port number once the driver has been installed.

You have to first enter the "Device Manager" of your computer, to do so hit the "Start / Windows Button" and search "Device manager", from there you should be able to identify the COM Port number of your USB.

Please note that not all COM port numbers will be assigned the same for all PC devices. For instance, I could be assigned COM3 , whereas your PC could have been assigned COM7.

Another thing which I have noticed as well is that, each USB individual Port for your own device will each have a unique COM Port number. So it is always good to double check on your device manager before proceeding.

Once you have successfully identified your COM Port number, you will have to ensure that the physical connection are set and ready. Ensure the connection between your PC and the Cisco product has been established, as shown here.

Overall Connection between your PC and the Cisco Device

Physical Connection of the USB - PC Side

On the Cisco Device, lookout for the Port which is labeled as "Console" such as this one.

Physical Connection of the RJ45 - Cisco Device Side 

Once the physical connection has been made, you can return back to the Putty Software and follow these instructions to access your Cisco Device.

When the program first starts, you will see a window like this.

Click on the radio button that says Serial and you would be able to see the following interface and options.

Be sure to key in the correct COM Port number (for this example I have used COM3, because that is my correct COM port) and click on Open to establish the Serial connection.

Reminder: If you do not get the COM Port Number right, you will be unable to access the Cisco Device and will receive the following error message.

Error message on incorrect COM port number. 

A Successful Connection should look something like this.

PuTTY Console screen upon successfully connecting the COM port to the Cisco device.

If you are able to see this screen, congratulation ! this means that you have successfully establish Console connection to the Cisco Device, or that you have successfully configured the COM port and it is ready to connect to a Cisco Device.