Ok dont get confused as i did as to what version you have, Your firmware version is not an indicator of which version of the router you have, if on the back it just says dg834g then you have a version 1 device, dont get confused by your firmware being say v3.01.29 or something thats just the version of the firmware and is independent of the model. This all gets very confusing the way Netgear does it, in reality V1’s have black aerials as an indicator, im upgrading to the DG834N hopefully there arent quintiple near identical versions of that ? Basically any hardware differentiation over time and they should change the product name such that it is recognisable, when sold they should be referred to as say a DG834GV3 or DG834GV4 etc and not collectively titled DG834G and then its left to the consumer to torture the seller to work out which version theyre selling. This could be done by an application of a sticker at the end of product title on the box etc. Netgears methodology couldnt get more confusing! could it ?

In reality I worked this all out a year or two ago, but in reality a year or so later is just enough time to have forgotten this crud, so I have to waste more of precious life re-discovering this arcane version firmware bullshit.

best browser for firmware upgrading routers is often internet explorer.

And internet explorer is the only cruddy browser that will inform you if you try to use the wrong firmware that you cant use it etc on a DG834G, as safari just spins indefinately for me with the wrong firmware and its very easy to mis-select firmware for the DG834G as the number of version is so crazy. In General I think often its better to firmware upgrade using internet explorer as most routers web interfaces are often so presumptiously PC orientated and Archaic often.

NB ALSO ALWAYS UPGRADE SUCH DEVICES BY A QUALITY ETHERNET CABLE, WIRELESS MAY WORK BUT ITS NOT WORTH THE RISK WHEN IT COMES TO BRICKING YOUR ROUTER INVESTMENT.

this netgear link helps a little but not much, four of the versions are visually indistinguishable.

NB WATCHOUT EVEN WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD THE LATEST FIRMWARE FOR THE DG834G V1 IN THE UK MARKET AFTER HAVING DRILLED DOWN FOR IT IT MAY COME WITH A NAME WHICH INDICATES ITS FOR A DIFFERENT MODEL NUMBER ! ie the latest version of firmware for my V1 DG834G has the filename DG834GV2_V3.01.38.img, ie V2’s and V1’s probably share the same latest firmware file which is labeled for the V2 filename wise just to confuse V1 owners even more, it is the kind of noise in the signal which is irritating in life and indicative of cludgery everywhere. Also make sure you get the right firmware for you region or you may damage your router.

PROCESS :

1. go to the correct region site for your device from the manufacturers main web page
2. establish your model version on back of router.
3. download the most functional firmware version, for your region and model number, the latest may have bugs > more bloody research (who can be bothered by this point ! go for the latest and retrograde if all is buggy as hell)
4. make sure its unzipped etc in a format the router will accept
5. Always place the router upgrade file on your main hard disk root and upload from there, ive had trouble uploading the firmware from a usb disk before.
6. load up slow old ie and go through router upgrade procedure

you may well get no feedback that anything is happening, or even an upgrade failure error for no apparent reason, but hey thats they joy of being aware of firmware and trying to execute them on devices, just more complexity and bullshit to deal with involving computers to burn more of your life away. These things really should have two firmwares and an offer to safely autoupgrade themselves to the latest stable version. and not rely on this mucking about.

Also bear in mind if your product is more than 2 years old, the manufacturer will have stopped updating it or giving a shit about it many moons ago, CANON scanners drivers a painfull reminder of the swindling nature of lack of driver maintenance and simple operating system updates robbing you of expensively paid for equipment, which now has almost become no more functional than a boulder in your technological garden.