How can a wl500gp brick ?
Hello,
There's one thing I was wondering: it was how can one brick a router ? You can always come to either the recovery mode (started before the firmware is even loaded) or the bootloader (serial line+tftp) because the bootloader can't be overwritten in an upgrade ?
If no, can you explain me.
Thanks
Jean
Weird brick - anyone with a solution?
I've two pieces of Wl500gP - A couple of times before they went uresponsible changing som nvram settings and then I had success debricking grounding pin9. This time I upgraded the firmware (dd-wrt), restored factory defaults and tried to restore some backup'ed settings.
Both routers went dead and the one I got back in business using pin9 trick.
The other one is still troubling me, descriped below.
The router is able to enter recoverymode holding down restore button. Then the router is pingable at 192.168.1.1, but uploading firmware with the restoraion tool or TFTP is really slow and always times out before ever finishing.
Then I've tried grounding pin 10, 12 16 and 17. The last two makes the router enter recovery mode and then speeds are great and the router accepts a new firmware. Tried several different builds, both dd-wrt and olegs firmware and so on.
When TFTPing the new image the router never gets back in business, but using restoration tool the router always boot, but only until poweroff or reboot. So until changing settings etc. the router is accessible trough http/telnet and wireless is working.
Is my bootloader broken? - Anyone ever experienced something like this? - I've also tried olegs files
wl500g-clear-nvram.trx and wl500g-recover.trx and from telnet "mtd erase nvram" (after grounding pin16) - But always the is router only is accessible right after flashing from restoration tool and only until it's rebooted.
Really weird. Anyone knows how to solve this. I have tried attaching a serial cable (old phone usb2serial cable with pl2303) for further diagnosing, but I can't get this to work. Only crappy output in hyperterminal.
Any help would be appreciated. Also posted a similar thread at the dd-wrt forum, but no answers.
SOS! SOs!sos! Bricked new wl500gp. Help\advice needed
Based on discussions and abilities bought WL500gP with the idea to have small always running linux box.
Via standard ASUS firmware interface flashed
http://downloads.openwrt.org/whiterussian-jffs2-4MB.trx
.
later on, via recovery mode I upload (flash)
http://downloads.openwrt.org/whiteru...-jffs2-8MB.trx
After this, router stopped responding(no ping).
I put him in recovery mode by reset button again and start upload standard firmware.
Via usage of Firmware restoration tool ((c) by ASUS)
I start uploading WL500gp_1.9.7.2_TW.trx/
Upload stops near 30% and breaks up, router does not respond to ping or web requests.
I read about pin9 hack and break all warranty seals.
pin9 hack. Recovery mode again, flash image transfer
vVia usage of Firmware restoration tool ((c) by ASUS) breaks up midway.
We, together with Mr.Evtushenko soilder in com port on the router board. Using FT232B (http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm) we get router console with CFE prompt by pressing Ctrl-c on boot
We read http://wl500g.info/archive/index.php/t-8935.html
nvram erase, Waiting 10 minutes. No output/
We reboot with reset pushed down and watch console --
tftp server: Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
We give him standard asus flash image
tftp -i 192.168.1.1 WL500gp_1.9.7.2_TW.trx
i:
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
Failed.: Timeout occured
Reading :: TFTP Server.
TFTP_BLKLEN!!
Done. 7974912 bytes read
Download of 0x79b000 bytes completed
Write kernel and filesystem binary to FLASH (0xbfc40000)
flash device 'flash1.trx'
parseflag = 0, the copysize is 7974912
Programming...
after cfe_writeblk, the copysize is 7974912, amtcopy=7974912
done. 7974912 bytes written
Waited 10 minutes, tea\coffee\smoke. router does nothing.
We reboot him and -- BRICKED -- no output on console, no ping, no web interface.
Is it possible to revive this router?
Thanks for reading on, will be grateful on any info on the subject//
Maxim