Installing International Firmware on German Fritzbox 7530

[sandrodjay]

Dear all
I am currently struggling to install the international firmware (7.12) on the German Fritzbox 7530. The old solution of changing the firmware_version from avm to avme in the ADAM2 bootloader seems not to work anymore with new boxes: after the reboot, the box set itself back to avm, causing the box to go in an "infinite loop" until an avm firmware is installed again. I believe that somehow the avm code is "hardcoded" somewhere else in the bootloader - does anyone know a solution for this?

In the meanwhile I can share with you the only other method which is working to install the avme firmware on an avm 7530 box. The only downside is that the GUI/Recover will not work for the reason above, thus once you install the firmware with the method below you should always follow this procedure.
The method below was originally posted by GEDIA in this forum: https://whrl.pl/Rff7m3 so I thank him for finding the initial solution. I currently used this method since 4months and the box works flawlessly. Plus, if anything goes wrong, the avm firmware can always be install back with the recovery tool.

Next the instructions:

(1) To start you need Linux. If you have Windows, you can do the following:

• You can use the Oracle VirtualBox with Freetz Linux – the guide is here: https://freetz.github.io/wiki/help/howtos/common/newbie.en.html . You should follow the "2b.) for Windows users we recommend to install VirtualBox and to run Freetz-Linux as virtual machine" [the links are all in the post - I personally followed them with no issues]
• Once you do that, you can follow the guide above until you reach the line svn checkout http://svn.freetz.org/branches/freetz-stable-2.0 – this one does not work, as Freetz has been moved from SVN to GIT … so from here, you can start to run the code from Gedia (which I updated to work with Fritzbox!OS 7.1x)

(2) Once you have Freetz Linux installed, you can do the following (thanks @gedia):
cd ~
mkdir avm
cd avm
git clone https://github.com/Freetz/freetz.git
git clone https://github.com/PeterPawn/YourFritz.git
cd freetz
make menuconfig

--- you will be presented with an ncurses configuration interface, similar to the one used by the linux kernel. make the following adjustments:
Level of user competence -> expert
Hardware type: 7530
Firmware language: en-international
Firmware version: FRITZ!OS 07.1x
Firmware packaging (fwmod) options ---> Enable Create in-memory image file
Exit and save changes

--- continue the process in shell console:
make tools
wget http://ftp.avm.de/fritzbox/fritzbox-7530/other/fritz.os/FRITZ.Box_7530-07.12.image
./fwmod -u -d unpack ./FRITZ.Box_7530-07.12.image
nano unpack/original/filesystem/etc/init.d/rc.conf

--- search for the section titled: OEM Ermitteln
the last line of this section reads: export OEM
change this line to: export OEM="avme"
save and exit

--- continue the process in shell console:
./fwmod -p -d unpack ./FRITZ.Box_7530-07.12.image
This will create an image file under ~/avm/freetz/unpack/ with a filename in the following format: 7530_07.12.en_date_time.image.in-memory. From now on, this filename will be referenced as "IMAGE_FILE" in these instructions
cd ~/avm/YourFritz/eva_tools/
cp ~/avm/freetz/unpack/IMAGE_FILE ./

-- The following steps assume the following is true:
Your linux host's ethernet interface is connected with the Fritzbox with an ethernet cable
Your linux host's ethernet interface is configured with IP: 192.168.178.2 [in the emulator, you need to use BRIDGED mode with the device you are using to connect via cable to the Fritzbox and set the manual IP in windows to 192.168.178.2] - failing to do so will result in the eva_to_memory to do not work. The IP must be 192.168.178.2 independently from your Router configuration!
The fritzbox itself is configured with the default IP: 192.168.178.1 [in the emulator, as per above, you need to set this in the gateway address of the manual IP setup of the network device)

-- The following will upload the image to the box:
Disconnect the Fritzbox from mains power
Prepare to run this command: /bin/bash eva_to_memory IMAGE_FILE 192.168.178.1 0
Re-plug the Fritzbox and run the command after 2 or 3 seconds .. if it does not work, you can quickly press CTRL+C, up arrow, and retry the command again .. however, if you are not fast enough you should repeat the sequence, ie unplug the fritzbox, prepare the command, plug the fritzbox and re-run it
=> if it goes, you will see an AVM Writing mode which will confirm all is good … if this is the case, just let the box continue to run until it will be accessible via your browser ..

That's it – enjoy your 7.12 Fritzbox!OS international version on your German FritzBox

However, any suggestions to make avme permanent are really welcome!

 

[Grisu_]

Vielleicht erübrigt sich dein Begehr mit der nächsten 7.19, wenn die 7530 dann so wie andere Boxen auch mit avm bereits internat. Unterstützung erhält (siehe 7590/7490 Threads).

 

[NDiIPP]

However, any suggestions to make avme permanent are really welcome!

Editing the Config-Area of the Bootloader or editing/replace the complete Bootloader. But this is not recommended.

Otherwise: The linked (and here copied) instruction of Gedia is outdated. You can use Freetz in "no-freetz-mode", its much easier. In addition, you also do not need to check out the YourFritz tools, as they are already included in Freetz.

 

[PeterPawn]

It's nice to read, that solutions from this board are discussed and re-used, too, in other regions of the world.

But what's the reason to publish the same solution twice? It's present here already and - as far as I remember - in either language (German or English), too.

Didn't you recognize, that this board was the original source of a big part from the description by @gedia? As you should have seen, there's a link from @gedia's description to this board already and if you read the post behind this link, you'll find the discussion, even in English.

If you want to provide people from the Whirlpool forums some really good news, you could share the fact, that AVM ceases to distinguish between the additional languages and German (D/A/CH), as both versions are supported now in current beta series (for 7490 and 7590 it's a new feature, the 6490/6590 models had support for both versions in the past already).

So you could add the assumption "to the rumors", that even the 7530 model would get a next firmware version containing both 'brandings' and where this (earlier) differentiation is only a remark for the historicans anymore.

At least for the installation process, because a different behavior in some aspects, based on the 'branding', is still present and is even in the interest of users from foreign countries - e.g. for handling phone numbers in a correct manner.

No-one did got a beta version for the 7530 model yet (as far as it's known to this board) ... therefore it's only an assumption, as mentioned.

But one with a tall possibility in my opinion, because there's no space-related problem in this model and the manufacturer could save the efforts to publish two different versions - as it has evolved for the 7490 and 7590 models during this beta series.

 

[sandrodjay]

It's nice to read, that solutions from this board are discussed and re-used, too, in other regions of the world.

But what's the reason to publish the same solution twice? It's present here already and - as far as I remember - in either language (German or English), too.

Didn't you recognize, that this board was the original source of a big part from the description by @gedia? As you should have seen, there's a link from @gedia's description to this board already and if you read the post behind this link, you'll find the discussion, even in English.

If you want to provide people from the Whirlpool forums some really good news, you could share the fact, that AVM ceases to distinguish between the additional languages and German (D/A/CH), as both versions are supported now in current beta series (for 7490 and 7590 it's a new feature, the 6490/6590 models had support for both versions in the past already).

So you could add the assumption "to the rumors", that even the 7530 model would get a next firmware version containing both 'brandings' and where this (earlier) differentiation is only a remark for the historicans anymore.

At least for the installation process, because a different behavior in some aspects, based on the 'branding', is still present and is even in the interest of users from foreign countries - e.g. for handling phone numbers in a correct manner.

No-one did got a beta version for the 7530 model yet (as far as it's known to this board) ... therefore it's only an assumption, as mentioned.

But one with a tall possibility in my opinion, because there's no space-related problem in this model and the manufacturer could save the efforts to publish two different versions - as it has evolved for the 7490 and 7590 models during this beta series.

Hi - yes, I was aware that most of the discussion happened here, however the solution was not posted here .. and from the fragments available on this site, it was difficult to understand what to do! eventually, this is the only working solution for 7530, so I thought it was worth to spread the voice - otherwise Google was sending you always to outdated posts which lead to no solution ...
In addition, I asked several time on other forums if there was a "permanent" solution to the issue but nobody replied .. whilst here, on the contrary, I already received some answers, which is great!

So coming back to your replies:
@PeterPawn and @Grisu_ : great to hear that finally AVM is looking to merge the international and German version - I really do not get why they were keeping it separated! Looking forward then to see if the rumor is true ..
@NDiIPP : what exactly the "no-freetz" mode does? Because I understand that the solution of Gedia simply compile the tools to be able to extract the original image, change the avme parameter and flash it back via eva_to_memory (with the trailing 0 parameter for memory reason) .. actually, you do not install Freetz at all ..

Many thanks!

 

[NDiIPP]

eventually, this is the only working solution for 7530,

Sorry, but the posted and linked solution is neither the only, nor the simplest working way. Also for the 7530.

what exactly the "no-freetz" mode does?

Simplified: Relieves you of a lot of work. The necessary settings are (only) made via menuconfig.

• Checking out of YourFritz as described is also obsolete. The required tools are already a part of freetz.
• "make tools" is not necessary as this is already done automatically when you use the "no-freetz mode" (this is a part of the regular make-Process).
• Manual editing of the "rc.conf" (with nano) is not necessary, as is easily adjusted using "menuconfig".
• "fwmod" is also not used manually (this is also a part of the regular make-Process).

About 70-90% of the instructions linked by you are therfore obsolete, if you use the (simpler) no-freetz mode.

.. actually, you do not install Freetz at all ..

Freetz is not installed if you use the "no-freetz mode"! The name of this mode says it all.

 

[PeterPawn]

OK, I was a little bit imprecisely with my question ... the 'core' is the deliberation, that two instances of the same description are hard to maintain, if things are a-changing (and not only times are doing this, ask a well-known singer/songwriter).

It would have been sufficient to create one single description and link to it from other places ... this new thing called "Internet" (using HTTP, what is "HyperText Transfer Protocol" and as its first part says, this is based on linked information) is "really hot shit" nowadays and may save a lot of work.

 

[sandrodjay]

Vielleicht erübrigt sich dein Begehr mit der nächsten 7.19, wenn die 7530 dann so wie andere Boxen auch mit avm bereits internat. Unterstützung erhält (siehe 7590/7490 Threads).

@Grisu_ you were right just today the beta 7.19 firmware came out for the 7530 (https://en.avm.de/fileadmin/user_upload/DE/Labor/Download/fritzbox-7530-labor-76431.zip) and it is working like a charm, all languages, no need to change anything, flashable directly from the GUI

Great!

 

[Grisu_]

A pleasure I could help you with this short answer!

 

[007pcservice]

Dear Sirs,
Please tell me the way to put international firmware to a German FritzBox 7530 AX? I want to use it in Greece with Cosmote. I have put international firmware 7.31 but I can not find regional settings!!! As you can see at the photo attached.

 

[kleinkariert]

Since version 7.29/7.31 there is no more special international firmware. FRITZ.Box_7530_AX-07.31.image from both folders are identical.
The regional settings are
- (user interface) language: Dutch, German, English, French, Italian, Polish, Spanish
- time zone: change to manual settings
- telefony location information: your area code

 

[B612]

Since version 7.29/7.31 there is no more special international firmware.

Das ging schon mit der 7.19/7.20 los.

- telefony location information: your area code

Das fehlt aber in seinem Bild.

 

[kleinkariert]

Das ist auch korrekt, weil diese Einstellung auch nur bei der Telefonie notwendig wird.

 

[B612]

Die 7530AX hat doch aber Telefonie. Also müsste die Einstellung doch vorhanden sein.

 

[kleinkariert]

Sie ist vorhanden (wie bereits engl. verlinkt) unter Telefonie - Eigene Rufnummern - Anschlusseinstellungen - Standortangaben und nicht unter "Region und Sprache".

 

[B612]

und nicht unter "Region und Sprache".

Dort war es aber mal. Heißt ja deshalb "Region und Sprache". Fehlt das nur bei der 7530AX so?

 

[kleinkariert]

Anscheinend alles etwas durcheinander.