Skip to content
Docs

Firmware Updates

The RC500 supports multiple firmware update methods for different deployment scenarios.

Current Firmware Version

Section titled “Current Firmware Version”

View the current firmware version:

  • Web UI: System → Firmware
  • MDM Portal: Device detail page
  • SSH: cat /etc/openwrt_version or check the VERSION file

Update Methods

Section titled “Update Methods”

1. Local Web UI Upload

Section titled “1. Local Web UI Upload”

For single-device updates when you have physical or network access:

  1. Navigate to System → Firmware
  2. Download the firmware .bin file to your computer
  3. Click Upload Firmware
  4. Select the .bin file
  5. Review the firmware details (version, checksum)
  6. Click Flash
  7. Wait 2-3 minutes for the update to complete

2. URL-Based Flash

Section titled “2. URL-Based Flash”

Flash directly from a firmware URL:

  1. Navigate to System → Firmware
  2. Enter the firmware download URL
  3. Click Download & Flash
  4. The device downloads, verifies, and applies the firmware

3. OTA via MDM Platform

Section titled “3. OTA via MDM Platform”

For fleet-wide updates managed from the cloud:

  1. Upload firmware to the MDM platform
  2. Create a firmware deployment targeting specific devices or groups
  3. The platform sends firmware URLs to devices via MQTT
  4. Devices download, verify, and apply updates autonomously
  5. Monitor rollout progress in the platform dashboard

See OTA Firmware Updates for detailed MDM-based update workflows.

4. SSH/CLI Sysupgrade

Section titled “4. SSH/CLI Sysupgrade”

For advanced users with SSH access:

Terminal window
# Download firmware
cd /tmp
wget https://releases.telisky.com/rc500/firmware-v1.52.1.bin


# Verify checksum
sha256sum firmware-v1.52.1.bin


# Flash (preserving config)
sysupgrade firmware-v1.52.1.bin


# Flash (factory reset)
sysupgrade -n firmware-v1.52.1.bin

Firmware Update Process

Section titled “Firmware Update Process”

Regardless of method, the update follows this sequence:

  1. Download — Firmware binary transferred to device /tmp
  2. Verify — SHA256 checksum validation
  3. Prepare — Configuration backup (if preserving settings)
  4. Flash — Write firmware to NAND storage
  5. Reboot — Automatic reboot into new firmware
  6. Report — Device reports new version to MDM platform

Total update time: 2-4 minutes (varies by connection speed).

Configuration Preservation

Section titled “Configuration Preservation”

By default, firmware updates preserve device configuration:

  • Network settings (WAN, LAN, WiFi)
  • MDM credentials and connection
  • VPN configurations
  • User passwords

Factory Reset During Update

Section titled “Factory Reset During Update”

To flash firmware with a clean configuration:

  • Web UI: Check “Do not preserve settings” before flashing
  • CLI: Use sysupgrade -n flag
  • MDM: Select “Factory reset after update” in deployment options

Modem Firmware

Section titled “Modem Firmware”

The cellular modem has its own firmware, updated separately:

  • View modem firmware version: Network → Cellular → Status
  • Modem updates use the Quectel QFirehose protocol
  • Updates are initiated from the MDM platform
  • Modem firmware is device-model-specific

Rollback

Section titled “Rollback”

If an update causes issues:

  • The previous firmware is not automatically retained (no dual-partition)
  • Flash the previous version using any of the update methods above
  • MDM platform maintains firmware version history for easy rollback deployment

Release Notes

Section titled “Release Notes”

Firmware releases follow semantic versioning: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

  • Major: Breaking changes to configuration format or MDM protocol
  • Minor: New features, backward-compatible
  • Patch: Bug fixes and security updates

Check the Telisky releases page for detailed release notes.