ASUS WL-500GX - half-dead???

[Sumix]

Hello,

I have a quite big problem: I flashed my asus wl-500gx with an openwrt firmware. All worked fine. I was working on a simple web administration interface,which wrote some nvram settings (ip, mac address of wan, essid etc.), but after applying some changes and rebooting, I can't access the device no more. I tried to ping the addresses I set to WAN/LAN, but without success, so I wanted to reset the device to default settings or even reflash the firmware, but it seems impossible :( I think there's not any fatal problem - the devices boots up (I can scan the essid "in the air" and I can sniff with tcpdump DHCP requests on the WAN interface), but when I hold the reset button and plug in the power, nothing will happen even after 20 seconds :( Neither asus device discovering utility doesn't find it. PLEASE, could someone help me with this horrible problem? :'( - How is possible to access it, or to reflash the firmware? Thanx really very much in advance to all who could help me.

Sumix

[FilimoniC]

Try to flash this firmaware http://oleg.wl500g.info/wl500g-clear-nvram.trx with Firmware Restoration Tool and AFTER flash any other firmware.

[Sumix]

Thank you for your reply, but there's a problem that I can't put the device into the firmware restoration mode :( After pushing and holding the reset button and plugging in the power connector, nothing happens - the device boots up normally and ignore the restoration mode - the power leds doesn't blink, it's lit all the time and after a few seconds the air led also lights up -> IMHO the device boots up as usual, but with something broken, so it is inaccessible. Neither the recovery utility doesn't see it, because it is impossible to put it in the recovery mode :(

[Randale91]

What version have you used ? Was it Openwrt RC3 ?

[Sumix]

Yes, it was OpenWrt WhiteRussian RC3. Is there a bug or something like that I didn't know about?

[Randale91]

I have not checked the problem itself. I took my second router and flashed
it with RC4. No problems so far.
I send the bricked one to asus support and got a new one.
Sorry, but i do not know if there is a jtag to repair it.
There is a serial header and you can watch boot messages,
but i think it will not help.

Good luck.

[Sumix]

Thanks for the info... So it's bad but I'll try to send it to the asus support and I'll see if they will give me a new one...

[Randale91]

If you are a experienced guy (electronics) and want to try it yourself
(no guarantees) -> look here for the first post:

http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=3220&highlight=pmon


Good luck.

[Sumix]

Thanks once more. I've already read some info about that, but there's a problem that the device isn't mine :( It's my friend's and I worked on it to put there a web administration interface + some features for him (he asked me to do that because he's a local internet provider). So I'm afraid of loosing the warranty 2 times more :( But maybe this is the only one possible thing to do with it to make it work again.

[fusterjj]

I have the same problem on my new WL500GD....have you had any luck getting it working again?

Power LED comes on, Air LED comes on after a few seconds, but I cannot ping it, and holding down the reset button on power-up does nothing.

[Sumix]

Unfortunately, I didn't bring it to life :( I've sent it to the reseller, I hope he'll accept this accident as an argument to send me a new one.