From: Paul on
37or38 wrote:
> "TheCroW" <news(a)nospam3dart4u.com> wrote in message
> news:13fkb3mmbvpcrdc(a)news-ams.supernews.com...
>>> I've had my Asus MB for almost a year now?
>>> Their servers are Never "up"
>>>
>>> Any secrets to using this program ?
>>>
>> Same here, that Asus update program is totally useless. And don't bother
>> mailing about it, you will not get any answer. At best you can go to the
>> Asus site ... that is, when it runs cause also the Asus site is not very
>> usefull connection wise :-(. But when it is, go do a search for your
>> hardware and check for any updates there.
>>
>> Menno
> I think you are the only one in this thread that understood my comment was
> about the program, ASUS Update, (which lists the servers it's trying to
> contact) !
> Wonder why they still offer the program itself for download when it has
> nothing to talk to ?
>
>

OK, let's play your way.

I've just installed the latest version of Asus Update. See if you are
using the same version I am.

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/utils/
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/utils/AsusUpdt_V71102.zip

Tool defaults to ftp.asus.com.tw (which is the site I just used to
download the latest Asus Update from).

Using a packet sniffer, this is what I found.

Asus Update consults this file:

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/Asus/Path.idx

Then it downloads this one:

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/Asus/mb/Platform.idx

And I presume, based on the contents of Platform.idx, it should be
going here next, and it does.

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4/p4.idx

My board is P4C800-E and the next file it should fetch is here:

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4/p4c800-e.idx

It never attempts to download p4c800-e.idx. It seems to get stuck in
a loop, trying to deal with the fact that it is already in the
correct directory (P4), to be able to download that .idx file.

It stays in a loop, abusing the ftp.asus.com.tw server with mode changes,
and gets no further. An error message or sorts (an incorrect error message
at that) appears in the Asus Update window.

ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4 ( <--- stays stuck here )

I downloaded the files in question manually, and this is a portion of the
p4c800-e.idx file it should be downloading for my motherboard. This is supposed
to be a list of available BIOS, and their location. The location string seems
to be correct,and if I wanted, I could go to
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw\pub\ASUS\mb\sock478\P4C800E-DX\p4ced16.zip and get it.

*******
<product> P4C800-E

<version> 1016
<release-date> 03/04/2004
<path> \pub\ASUS\mb\sock478\P4C800E-DX\p4ced16.zip
<description>
P4C800-E Deluxe BIOS 1016
1. Fix Prescott Locked CPU cannot run at highest frequency.
2. Updata Intel RAID BIOS v3.54.
3. Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website at:
http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx
4. Fix Logitech QuickCam cannot be used under Win98.
<~description>
<~version>
<~product>
*******

Another interesting detail, is the p4c800-e.idx file for my motherboard
is not up to date. The BIOS files actually go up to 1023, yet the .idx
doesn't list anything later than 1016.

So, you can report to Asus Tech Support, that their Asus Update tool is not
capable of finishing the protocol with the "server", but in fact all servers
in the list, did do their best to respond. All three servers in the list
worked, and supported the interaction with Asus Update. It is not
the "server is down", but the "Asus Update program is dumb" !

Which is why we would recommend a more manual approach to updating your
BIOS, such as downloading the necessary file yourself. At least until
that tool can be fixed yet again. call up Asus Tech Support and tell them.

The packet sniffer I use is called Ethereal.

Paul
From: Bill on
In article <46fb032a$0$47158$892e7fe2(a)authen.yellow.readfreenews.net>,
37or38(a)phoney.com says...
>
> "TheCroW" <news(a)nospam3dart4u.com> wrote in message
> news:13fkb3mmbvpcrdc(a)news-ams.supernews.com...
> >> I've had my Asus MB for almost a year now?
> >> Their servers are Never "up"
> >>
> >> Any secrets to using this program ?
> >>
> >
> > Same here, that Asus update program is totally useless. And don't bother
> > mailing about it, you will not get any answer. At best you can go to the
> > Asus site ... that is, when it runs cause also the Asus site is not very
> > usefull connection wise :-(. But when it is, go do a search for your
> > hardware and check for any updates there.
> >
> > Menno
> I think you are the only one in this thread that understood my comment was
> about the program, ASUS Update, (which lists the servers it's trying to
> contact) !
> Wonder why they still offer the program itself for download when it has
> nothing to talk to ?
>
>

The servers must be up. I just used Asus Update V7.10.03 to download
and install P5B-VM-ASUS-0901.ROM.

Bill
From: newsgrp on
my experience with it is not so good. more reliable to use manual download

may be time of day? I tend to use in the evening (MST)
"Percival P. Cassidy" <nobody(a)notmyISP.net> wrote in message
news:1QsKi.10$Ue7.4(a)newsfe12.lga...
> On 09/25/07 10:02 pm 37or38 wrote:
>
>> I've had my Asus MB for almost a year now?
>> Their servers are Never "up"
>>
>> Any secrets to using this program ?
>
> Occasionally it's down but usually OK -- in my experience.
>
> Perce


From: John on

"Paul" <nospam(a)needed.com> wrote in message news:fdf6r5$hm2$1(a)aioe.org...
> 37or38 wrote:
>> "TheCroW" <news(a)nospam3dart4u.com> wrote in message
>> news:13fkb3mmbvpcrdc(a)news-ams.supernews.com...
>>>> I've had my Asus MB for almost a year now?
>>>> Their servers are Never "up"
>>>>
>>>> Any secrets to using this program ?
>>>>
>>> Same here, that Asus update program is totally useless. And don't bother
>>> mailing about it, you will not get any answer. At best you can go to the
>>> Asus site ... that is, when it runs cause also the Asus site is not very
>>> usefull connection wise :-(. But when it is, go do a search for your
>>> hardware and check for any updates there.
>>>
>>> Menno
>> I think you are the only one in this thread that understood my comment
>> was about the program, ASUS Update, (which lists the servers it's trying
>> to contact) !
>> Wonder why they still offer the program itself for download when it has
>> nothing to talk to ?
>>
>>
>
> OK, let's play your way.
>
> I've just installed the latest version of Asus Update. See if you are
> using the same version I am.
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/utils/
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/utils/AsusUpdt_V71102.zip
>
> Tool defaults to ftp.asus.com.tw (which is the site I just used to
> download the latest Asus Update from).
>
> Using a packet sniffer, this is what I found.
>
> Asus Update consults this file:
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/Asus/Path.idx
>
> Then it downloads this one:
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/Asus/mb/Platform.idx
>
> And I presume, based on the contents of Platform.idx, it should be
> going here next, and it does.
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4/p4.idx
>
> My board is P4C800-E and the next file it should fetch is here:
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4/p4c800-e.idx
>
> It never attempts to download p4c800-e.idx. It seems to get stuck in
> a loop, trying to deal with the fact that it is already in the
> correct directory (P4), to be able to download that .idx file.
>
> It stays in a loop, abusing the ftp.asus.com.tw server with mode changes,
> and gets no further. An error message or sorts (an incorrect error message
> at that) appears in the Asus Update window.
>
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/mb/idx/p4 ( <--- stays stuck here )
>
> I downloaded the files in question manually, and this is a portion of the
> p4c800-e.idx file it should be downloading for my motherboard. This is
> supposed
> to be a list of available BIOS, and their location. The location string
> seems
> to be correct,and if I wanted, I could go to
> ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw\pub\ASUS\mb\sock478\P4C800E-DX\p4ced16.zip and get
> it.
>
> *******
> <product> P4C800-E
>
> <version> 1016
> <release-date> 03/04/2004
> <path> \pub\ASUS\mb\sock478\P4C800E-DX\p4ced16.zip
> <description>
> P4C800-E Deluxe BIOS 1016
> 1. Fix Prescott Locked CPU cannot run at highest frequency.
> 2. Updata Intel RAID BIOS v3.54.
> 3. Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website at:
>
> http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx
> 4. Fix Logitech QuickCam cannot be used under Win98.
> <~description>
> <~version>
> <~product>
> *******
>
> Another interesting detail, is the p4c800-e.idx file for my motherboard
> is not up to date. The BIOS files actually go up to 1023, yet the .idx
> doesn't list anything later than 1016.
>
> So, you can report to Asus Tech Support, that their Asus Update tool is
> not
> capable of finishing the protocol with the "server", but in fact all
> servers
> in the list, did do their best to respond. All three servers in the list
> worked, and supported the interaction with Asus Update. It is not
> the "server is down", but the "Asus Update program is dumb" !
>
> Which is why we would recommend a more manual approach to updating your
> BIOS, such as downloading the necessary file yourself. At least until
> that tool can be fixed yet again. call up Asus Tech Support and tell them.
>
> The packet sniffer I use is called Ethereal.
>
> Paul

Great post!

John