Microsoft MN-700 Manual

Contents
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Installation
• 3 Upgrading Firmware
• 4 Resetting Defaults
5 Reset Button
•
• 6 Hardware Notes
♦ 6.1 Firmware
Restoration Mode
♦ 6.2 Asus Firmware
Restoration Utility
♦ 6.3 NVRAM
Protection
• 7 External Links
Introduction
The Microsoft MN-700 is essentially a rebadged Asus WL500G WRT. Out-of-the-box it runs a WinCE based
firmware with a crippled bootloader that does not support Linux based firmwares (like DD-WRT). To run
DD-WRT, a new bootloader must be installed through a hardware hack (until someone comes up with a
WinCE killer like the vxworks killer for the Linksys WRT54G v5). The following links provide details
regarding this hack:
♦ Jozerworx version of LiamM's hack
♦ LiamM.com
♦ Microsoft MN700 Hack Project AsusForums
TechIMO.com version of LiamM's hack
♦
For those who are wondering, the MN-500 has completely different hardware than the MN-700, so the
instructions provided by the links above work for the MN-700 but not the MN-500. To date, it does not appear
a similar hack for the MN-500 has been discovered yet.
Installation
Note: Support for the MN-700 was officially added after the release of DD-WRT v.23 SP2. Therefore v.23
SP2 and eariler are not supported on the MN-700. Please use build SVN 3953 (link below) or higher. Earlier
builds will brick the router, you will have to clear NVRAM through JTAG (recovery mode will NOT work).
A compatible build (SVN 3953) of DD-WRT is available here.
1. Follow one (or a combination) of the hardware hack guides listed in the Introduction section above to
get the WL500G Stock Firmware, Oleg's Custom Firmware, or OpenWRT installed and running on
the MN-700.
2. Download a compatible version of DD-WRT here (SVN 3953).
3. Put the WRT in hardware restoration mode (hold down the reset button while powering on the WRT
and wait until the the power light steadily alternates between green and amber).
Contents
MN-700
1