Why Firmware Upgrades Are Important and How to Perform Them

This guide will highlight the importance of firmware upgrades and the different ways they can be applied. Firmware upgrades help improve the functionality of new features while eliminating bugs and providing a better end-user experience. Knowing how to apply these upgrades without interrupting a customer's day-to-day workflow can help to avoid future problems or complaints. 

Why are firmware upgrades important?

Firmware upgrades help improve new features while also fixing known bugs and issues. The goal is to improve the end-user experience and functionality of existing features.  

What are the different types of firmware upgrades? 

In the Vilo app, you have the option to turn on automatic firmware upgrades or you can manually perform an upgrade. In the ISP Web Portal, you can perform the aforementioned features as well as schedule future firmware upgrades. 

Using your best judgment, you can manually upgrade the firmware upon new releases. We suggest giving your end-users a warning or alert if possible, to avoid possible interruptions to daily work. Reminder: the indicator light will turn red while the update is being applied and the network will not be functional during this time. 

If you prefer upgrades to be applied automatically, you can turn on automatic firmware upgrades. The routers will automatically upgrade to the latest firmware between 2-5 AM local time Tuesday through Thursday, depending on our network load. This will ensure that your Vilos are always operating at peak performance.

If you prefer to schedule a specific date once the latest update has been released, you can schedule future upgrades in the ISP Web Portal. You can only schedule as far as 5 days into the future. Once the upgrade has been applied, you will need to manually enable this feature again. 

How do I perform a firmware upgrade?

Vilo App

Upgrade Firmware:

When a firmware update is available a pop-up will appear when you open the Vilo app. You can manually upgrade the firmware two ways in the Vilo app:

• Select the Vilo network -> Open System Dashboard -> Tap on Firmware (you will see an update is available if you are not up to date)
• Select the Vilo network -> Open Settings -> Tap on Firmware Upgrade

Resource: How to perform firmware upgrades in the Vilo app.

Automatic Firmware Upgrade:

If you turn on the automatic firmware upgrade feature, you will not need to manually upgrade firmware after every new release:

• Select the Vilo network -> Open Settings -> Tap on Firmware Upgrade -> Toggle the switch for Automatic Firmware Upgrade

Resource: How to enable automatic firmware upgrades in the Vilo app.

ISP Web Portal

In the ISP Web Portal, all of the different types of firmware upgrades can be found in one location:

• From the WiFi Networks page, select the Vilo network -> Select the Firmware Upgrades page -> From here you can manually upgrade the firmware, turn on automatic upgrades or schedule a future upgrade. 

Upgrade Firmware

Automatic Firmware Upgrades vs Schedule Future Upgrades 

With more in-depth knowledge of the different ways in which a firmware upgrade can be applied, you can make strategic decisions on how to best keep your customers up to date. Using these features will help ensure that your customer's devices are operating optimally while preventing interruptions to their work.