Last chance with serial Port? Box died!

[Flippo]

My Box died yesterday after flashing a new openwrt Image. I've flashed it 100 time before an i had no Problems, but now there is no Ready LED flashing any more. I can't ping to it and the recovery tool did not work. I've tried many ways from this Forum to get it back to live, but nothing works.

Is there a way by the serial console to see whats wrong or to clear the nvram an set nvram wait=0? Can i flash the box via the serial console? Is there an JTAG Port? And what is this in the middle of the PCB-upperside(look at this...), a Batterie? Can it be a way to hard reset?

Can anybody help me?

Flippo

[arigy]

It seems I've experienced the same problem as you described. In your case, what was the resolution? Or the problem is still unsolved?

[velovite]

And what is this in the middle of the PCB-upperside(look at this...), a Batterie? Can it be a way to hard reset?

Yes, it's definitely a battery. It can't hurt too much removing it for a while. On the other hand, I doubt it will do any good: Normally these kind of battery is only used to power the clock when the router is off, so that it doesn't loose time. NVram is really non-volatile.

good luck!
VV

[kfurge]

Is there a way by the serial console to see whats wrong or to clear the nvram an set nvram wait=0?

The serial console gives you the ability to stay in the bootloader. Once there, you can clear the nvram and do lots of other things like tftp in a kernel to reflash and rescue the box. I'd highly recommend installing one if your experimenting with openwrt. The only true way to really know the health of the box is to watch the console output.

- K.C.

[back2basic]

I had exectly the same problem until a couple minutes ago.
A miracle happend with my old (Dead) router.

It was completely dead I had no hope what so ever that it would come allive. I installed myself the serial console and tought maybe I can see it boot since the power supply isn't dead but when I installed the serial nothing happend on my box makes me wanne think it is complete dead , Just before I decided to smash it with a hammer and watch it bounce I pushed the ez-button and the reset button and the 2 on the front ( had done over 2000 times but no response from the box)
Suddenly
THE READY LIGHT STARTED FLASHING after it was dead for over a month
(flashed the original asus trx and it booted)

makes me wanne think this box is undestoyeble

So I hope you get you're box to live again

I also saw the battery on the back and yeah I jenkt it out a couple of times but I don't think it makes a difference

So now I got myself 2 nice wl700ge routers WooT

[Flippo]

Hi,
I was in holiday so i had no time till now.

I removed the PCB out of the Box. When i switsh on the current the LEDs for Power, Lan 1-4 and Wan are flashing one time for very short moment. The LED for WLAN and IDE are not flashing. I removed the Batterie on the upperside. Nothing hapend.

For the Console...
... i will order an MAX232CPE this week.
... i have found an circuit diagram, whitch make the same as the MAX232, in an DVD-Player-flashing-forum in France.
look at this...
Is it possible to use this instead of an MAX232?

[kfurge]

I'd recommend using a USB to RS232 converter from ftdichip.com. They make a number of chips and cable assemblies that are relatively inexpensive, easy to find, and very handy to have. I'm using the 3.3v version. Here's a link.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Eva...L-232R-3V3.htm

I used an 1/8" phono jack for mine and mounted it by the orange ez-setup button on the back.

- K.C.

[Flippo]

You used this?

http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/ftdichip

You are right i will order it to. Its the easiest way instead of the homebrew one.

[kfurge]

Yes. This one is what I bought:

http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/s...dCategoryID=47

But, I ended up making a clone of this one by the time I was finished:

http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/s...dCategoryID=47

I'd recommend buying the phono jack version.

- K.C.

[kfurge]

Is it possible to use this instead of an MAX232?

I looked at the circuit. It's possible it'll work for you, but I wouldn't recommend it. The circuit uses passive pull-ups when the transistors turn off which makes the maximum speed a function of the cable's capacitance.

I wouldn't trust that circuit to reliably communicate at 115k baud with a cable of any significant length.

- K.C.

[Flippo]

My TTL-232R-3V3 cable arrived today.

On the board we have Pin 1 left empty, and then TX, RX, GRND

Have i connect the black wire (1) from the 6 pin header to Ground pin 4 on the board; the yellow (5) from the 6 pin header to TX pin 2 on the board and the orange (4) from the 6 pin header to RX pin 3 on the board?


Flippo

[iczfirz]

Did you try press the reset key for 20sec? This make my 700ge pingable.

[Flippo]

I tried everything with the reset and izsetup button i have read in this forum. Nothing worked. So i think the serial Console is my last option.

Flippo

[Flippo]

Ive connected the Cabel and boot up Knoppix 5.1. Dmesg showed me the cabel as /dev/ttyUSB0 then i startet minicom and set it up. After Power on the Router nothing happend. I tried different connection settings but nothing worked.

My mesurements with my multimeter are:
pin 4 to pin 1 = 3,3V is right
pin 4 to pin 2 = 3,3V must be TX and will be ok
pin 4 to pin 3 = 3,3V is RX and has to be 0V???

Flippo