@Coach-D 

Update:  it's true, this very valuable feature (at least to me) is taken away.  I opened a support ticket, and they confirmed it.

They suggested, as someone did above, to do a manual update to an earlier level of firmware.  I'm working on that now.  The update they gave me failed with "invalid file type."  Then they said I needed to do the update with an ethernet cable, but none of my laptops have an ethernet port.  I've asked them what other options there are to do the update, and if the "invalid file type" error is really due to the fact that I tried to do the update wirelessly, and not with an ethernet cable.  I'm waiting for their response; that's where I'm at right now.

I'm very disappointed at a product removing a feature mid-stream like this.  Appalled might be a better word for it, and I am also a software developer and like many of the previous posters on this thread, I share the incredulity.

As for what update it was that triggered all this, that remains a mystery.  I did not do an explicit update of the firmware anywhere close to the time this happened.  I did do some Microsoft updates, but it appears now that that shouldn't have been what's behind it.  Did the F/W update get pushed automatically?  Maybe.  And is it possible the problem did actually happen to both computers at the same time and I just didn't notice?  I suppose that is possible as well.  I can't easily retrace those steps now.

Thank you to everyone for their helpful comments!  When there is an ultimate resolution ("if" there is), I will post it.

@Coach-D 

You should NOT have to do this but you could get an USB to Ethernet plug so you can back level the firmware. They are not expensive and you may find other uses.

Or maybe even borrow one or a PC with Ethernet.

Coach-D wrote

@Coach-D 

 

Update:  it's true, this very valuable feature (at least to me) is taken away.  I opened a support ticket, and they confirmed it.

 

They suggested, as someone did above, to do a manual update to an earlier level of firmware.  I'm working on that now.  The update they gave me failed with "invalid file type." 

@Coach-D 

That Error message indicates the file extension is WRONG, has nothing to do with a cable.

Usuall error is on your part, router's vary in the naming of the file for r/w. Some use extensions like '.CHK' or '.BIN'. However, most if not all are ZIP'ed up for a smaller d/w. It is up to the end user to unzip the file and then point the browser page to where that file is. I'm pretty sure you've not done that the file you pointed the browser to has an extension of '.ZIP'.

Since you were 'sent' the file, you couldn't have known and didn't get it from the Support D/L page and see this instruction, " Use decompression software such as WinZIP or WinRAR to extract the file you download before the upgrade. "

As for the cable, it is usually best to do it wired. Why? Because wireless if it got some interence and did drop a bit, you could have a problem then like booting the router. Doesn't happen often, but it can.

Matter of fact, there are other caveats on the firmware d/l page:

Coach-D wrote

 

As for what update it was that triggered all this, that remains a mystery.  I did not do an explicit update of the firmware anywhere close to the time this happened.  I did do some Microsoft updates, but it appears now that that shouldn't have been what's behind it.  Did the F/W update get pushed automatically?  Maybe.  And is it possible the problem did actually happen to both computers at the same time and I just didn't notice?  I suppose that is possible as well.  I can't easily retrace those steps now.

 

 

@Coach-D 

This is what your F/W update page should look like:

There is NO AUTOMATIC update feature I can find on the Emulator here? Very few Router's I've had other than some Netgear Routers have that feature. No Microsoft upgrade will change the contents of the Router Firmware either. Can break a function workability, but not remove it from the firmware.

So, either you or someone else in your home or had access to the Router did the upgrade I'd think?

@ArcherC8 ,

Thank you, I thought of that.  I'll wait to see Support's reply first....

@IrvSp 

They sent me a link to a zip file.

I unzipped it, then saved the update as a .bin.  (I think there was also a readme file and a GNU license in the package.)

When the update process asked for a file name, I plugged in that .bin file.

IrvSp wrote

 

Coach-D wrote

 

As for what update it was that triggered all this, that remains a mystery.  I did not do an explicit update of the firmware anywhere close to the time this happened.  I did do some Microsoft updates, but it appears now that that shouldn't have been what's behind it.  Did the F/W update get pushed automatically?  Maybe.  And is it possible the problem did actually happen to both computers at the same time and I just didn't notice?  I suppose that is possible as well.  I can't easily retrace those steps now.

There is NO AUTOMATIC update feature I can find on the Emulator here? Very few Router's I've had other than some Netgear Routers have that feature. No Microsoft upgrade will change the contents of the Router Firmware either. Can break a function workability, but not remove it from the firmware.

 

So, either you or someone else in your home or had access to the Router did the upgrade I'd think?

@IrvSp 

No one but me could have done the upgrade, and I did not do one.  I did do one afterward, in an attempt to fix the problem after it occurred.  But not before.

A Microsoft update breaking function--that was my assumption from the beginning.  Only after pursuing the issue did anyone say the reason it doesn't work is because it isn't a supported feature anymore.  If I can successfully downgrade the FW and it starts working again, I'll have to reevaluate what led to the problem and what I remember about it.

If it doesn't work, then I'm back to my Microsoft hypothesis.

IrvSp wrote

 

Coach-D wrote

  The update they gave me failed with "invalid file type." 

@Coach-D 

 

That Error message indicates the file extension is WRONG, has nothing to do with a cable.

 

Usuall error is on your part, router's vary in the naming of the file for r/w. Some use extensions like '.CHK' or '.BIN'. However, most if not all are ZIP'ed up for a smaller d/w. It is up to the end user to unzip the file and then point the browser page to where that file is. I'm pretty sure you've not done that the file you pointed the browser to has an extension of '.ZIP'.

 

Since you were 'sent' the file, you couldn't have known and didn't get it from the Support D/L page and see this instruction, " Use decompression software such as WinZIP or WinRAR to extract the file you download before the upgrade. "

@IrvSp ,

Some more thoughts on invalid file type.  As I already said, I unzipped the files and properly used the .bin file for the manual update.

I was able to borrow a laptop with an ethernet port, but I got the same problem, so wired vs wireless has nothing to do with it.

So I tried using a different version of the firmware.  The website downloads page offers three firmware levels for downloading.  I tried two of them, I think, or one of them plus the one they sent me plus one mentioned by a poster on this thread (which may have also come from the website).  Anyway, THEY ALL say "invalid file type."

Now I noticed something else.  A couple of times, when trying to browse my way to the .bin file I wanted to use, the process tried to suck in the folder instead of the .bin and when that happened it said Invalid file type instantly, before I even tried to use it.  That's fine, it is invalid.  The "real" Invalid file type error that is impacting me appears only once I have hit the upgrade button and said Yes I am sure.  It puts the progress bar on the screen but after a few seconds fails with Invalid file type.

To me this means it's not the extension that's bad, it's something about the contents of the file itself that it is choking on.

For this I can think of two possibilities, but these are certainly not the only two.

1. I am in the USA, and maybe the update has regional restrictions and they are being detected.  I actually asked support about this already, but they said it should not cause a problem.  (The .bin file name has EU as part of the name.)  I still think this could be the issue.  Anyone know anything about this, and what (if anything) I can do about it?

2. Even though I am extracting and unzipping the file, maybe the particular tool being used on my computers is somehow not the same as the required ones, and therefore it unzips to a corrupted file?  Is there a way to validate (or at least sanity-check) the .bin file based on its size, or a way to view it and look for a certain human-readable string at the beginning or the end of the file?

@Coach-D 

If you are in the US are you going to https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/archer-a7/#Firmware

I took one of them (Archer A7(US)_V5_201029) and clicked on it and downloaded it to my Apple iMac. I got a zip file and when I clicked on it it created a folder. I opened the folder and got three files. A .bin and two .pdf files.

The .bin file was prefixed a7v5_us-up-ver1-0-16-P1....

Coach-D wrote

 

1. I am in the USA, and maybe the update has regional restrictions and they are being detected.  I actually asked support about this already, but they said it should not cause a problem.  (The .bin file name has EU as part of the name.)  I still think this could be the issue.  Anyone know anything about this, and what (if anything) I can do about it?

 

2. Even though I am extracting and unzipping the file, maybe the particular tool being used on my computers is somehow not the same as the required ones, and therefore it unzips to a corrupted file?  Is there a way to validate (or at least sanity-check) the .bin file based on its size, or a way to view it and look for a certain human-readable string at the beginning or the end of the file?

@Coach-D 

The error can also come from the WRONG file for your router is trying to be d/l'ed into the router.

One sure fire way is to LOOK at the web page I posted above. Actually any web page in the GUI. For instance, this is what I see on my A20:

Now that shows my F/W version and my H/W version.

Next go to the DOWNLOAD page for your router, the A7. This is what you listed on the first entry in this thread,

============

============

The D/L page, https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/archer-a7/#Firmware

You have 3 choices:

If these ARE correct, you then now have installed the FIRST one on top.

Again, verify against the router page.

Now in some cases, the F/W will not allow back-leveling, that is installing an older  version over a newer on. So, get the first one above and try installing it, replacements of the current version usually works.

Another thing to try, RESET the router. That is using the button on the back that is hidden. Press and hold this button until the Power LED binks to reset the router to its factory default settings. Then try again, something might be messed up in the f/w stopping the install. NOTE: this should wipe out all settings. DO NOT use a backup copy of settings to reinstall them, it might introduce the problem back. Make note of your changes first and then enter them manually.

Oddly enough, Googling "tp-link router a7 invalid file type" brings up a lot of hits, but mostly loading 3rd party f/w?

Wonder if you have the proper version of the router, an EU or US one? Should say on the LABEL on the bottom.