Unlocking a Sky Netgear DG834GT

Has anyone unlocked one of these successfully following the instructions in http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/skyDG834GT_flash.htm ?

I tried to do it on my XP Desktop, as recommended, and it kept failing with "Cannot get system info correctly. Run RmDrv and try again", which I tried.

Funny thing was that in the list of Adapter Cards it presents for selection it offers "HP EN1207D-TX PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet Adapter" yet in my XP's Device Manager it is called "Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection". Both have entries in the Registry.

So I tried on my Vista Laptop, where the Ethernet card is identified the same in both places, but that also failed in same way.

I also tried various versions of the generic Netgear firmware in case it doesn't work with the latest.

I am only trying this out of interest as I happened to acquire one of these Sky routers, which is identified as a DG834GT in its Router Status.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Has anyone unlocked one of these successfully following the instructions in http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/skyDG834GT_flash.htm ?

Yep!

I used an old laptop running Windows XP.

Don't suppose you noticed any discrepancy between the Network Card as seen by Device Manager and Netgear Recovery Tool, or were they the same?

It was a couple of years back so it's all a bit hazy! All I can remember is following the instructions and getting it working.

Have you looked on Kitz's site for more help?

Success! It was easy in the end; just had to know what to do.

I managed it on my Vista laptop by setting Compatibility Mode to Win XP SP2, which I'd overlooked previously

Dunno why it didn't run on my XP Desktop. I guess it may be to do with the discrepancy in the Description of the Network Adapter.

Odd. May have been a firewall problem? I always had to disable my firewall when trying to flash Netgears.

Are you going to add a rider to this thread now?

Done!

On XP, you need to install this
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/839013

Is this requirement documented anywhere?

On another suggestion, I updated my Intel Networking driver and the Netgear Recovery Tool can now see both Descriptions of my Network Adapter, tho' I haven't yet tried to flash the DG834GT.

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-router/5709-how-u...

I wouldn't call that a documented requirement. It is only a suggestion and, anyway, there is no confirmation it works. Who are these guys anyway?

It looks risky installing something meant for an entirely diff purpose where no network exists. Bound to confuse the PC.

Was also mentioned by someone independantly on the BE forums earlier this week, before you first posted

I've seen it mentioned on other forums too

I bought my GT unlocked

In reply to a post by nredwood:

I bought my GT unlocked

So did I, if you mean it was a pukka Netgear.

This is just an academic exercise on a Sky one I found knocking round my daughter's place and for a spare

Mine was ex-Sky GT bought off EBay