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Thread: Flashed too large openwrt image, completely bricked wl700ge

  1. #1

    Unhappy Flashed too large openwrt image, completely bricked wl700ge

    Ok, so it started with me wrongly trying to tftp the latest openwrt which is too big. Now I have a large expensive brick on my hands. I have the serial connection, and can get into the CFE but I get no network.

    Ok, so I found my old cell phone serial adapter, and instead of removing the board from the router like they did at http://www.freesa.org/WL-700gE/ , I used some sewing needles to connect to the ground, rx, and tx. They didn't mention what ports were what, but the first one closest to the mounting hole is ground, and the tx,rx (see attached image) are in the same order as on the Fonera router. Worked perfectly using minicom on /dev/ttyUSB0 115200 8n1. Here is the output when I plug the router in, with the last two lines repeating.

    PHP Code:
    CFE version 1.0.37 for BCM947XX (32bit,SP,LE)
    Build Date: �| 12�� 29 20:36:58 CST 2005 (root@localhost.localdomain)
    Copyright (C2000,2001,2002,2003 Broadcom Corporation.

    Initializing Arena
    Initializing Devices
    .
    rndis0Broadcom USB RNDIS Network Adapter (P-t-P)
    CPU type 0x29006264MHz
    Total memory
    67108864 KBytes

    Total memory used by CFE
    :  0x80800000 0x8089BA00 (637440)
    Initialized Data:          0x80831B70 0x80834250 (9952)
    BSS Area:                  0x80834250 0x80835A00 (6064)
    Local Heap:                0x80835A00 0x80899A00 (409600)
    Stack Area:                0x80899A00 0x8089BA00 (8192)
    Text (codesegment:       0x80800000 0x80831B70 (203632)
    Boot area (physical):      0x0089C000 0x008DC000
    Relocation Factor
    :         I:00000000 D:00000000

    Device eth0
    :  hwaddr 12-34-56-78-90ipaddr 192.168.1.1mask 255.255.255.0
            gateway not set
    nameserver not set
    Null Rescue Flag
    .                                                               
    Null Restore Flag.                                                             
    I/O error                                                                       
    Hello
    !! Enter Rescue Mode: (Check error)                                       
                                                                                   
    Reading :: TFTP Server.                                                         
    Failed.: Timeout occured 



    Then when holding the ezsetup to get into rescue mode, it is the same except the following with the last two lines repeating.
    PHP Code:
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    10 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                   
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    9 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    8 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    7 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    6 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    5 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    4 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    3 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    2 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    1 seconds to Rescue mode...                                                     
    Null Rescue Flag.                                                               
    Hello!! Enter Rescue Mode: (by Force)                                           
                                                                                   
    Reading :: TFTP Server.                                                         
    Failed.: Timeout occured 
    Also, when I hold the ezsetup button for 1 flash of blue ready light, then release to rebuild, I get the following:
    http://paste.ubuntu.com/79968/
    Did
    nvram boot_wait=on
    nvram commit


    Now the status is boot_wait=1
    but still can not tftp into the device.

    I think it may have to do with the fact that the CFE is NOT loading the following, as this seems to be present in a working router, but not present in mine:

    et0: Broadcom BCM47xx 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller 3.90.23.0

    Also, looking at the flash command, it seems that I should be able to flash from a USB memory stick(thumbdrive)as I appear to have no network at all. Has anyone done this before?

    CFE> help flash

    SUMMARY

    Update a flash memory device

    USAGE

    flash [options] filename [flashdevice]

    Copies data from a source file name or device to a flash memory device.
    The source device can be a disk file (FAT filesystem), a remote file
    (TFTP) or a flash device. The destination device may be a flash or eeprom.
    If the destination device is your boot flash (usually flash0), the flash
    command will restart the firmware after the flash update is complete

    OPTIONS

    -noerase Don't erase flash before writing
    -offset=* Begin programming at this offset in the flash device
    -size=* Size of source device when programming from flash to flash
    -noheader Override header verification, flash binary without checking


    Any Ideas?
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by wl700geWill; 04-12-2008 at 19:02. Reason: add image of my temporary wl700ge serial connection

  2. #2

    Yes I'm going to reply to myself :-)

    After many, many, many tries with erasing nvram, and letting it sit, and rebooting everything multiple times, it finally gave me:


    Initializing Arena
    Initializing Devices.
    et0: Broadcom BCM47xx 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller 3.90.23.0
    rndis0: Broadcom USB RNDIS Network Adapter (P-t-P)
    CPU type 0x29006: 264MHz
    Total memory: 67108864 KBytes

    So I quickly flashed the WL700gE_1.0.4.2_flash.trx file using tftp while the network was up and I have a working router again following
    http://wl700g.homelinux.net/drupal/?q=node/54

    My assumption would be that it had to do with something in nvram being corrupt, and taking multiple erases for it to be gone. I honestly don't know, but it is working now.

    Here is the new successful flashing output:
    PHP Code:
    CFE version 1.0.37 for BCM947XX (32bit,SP,LE)
    Build Date: �| 12륤� 29 20:36:58 CST 2005 (root@localhost.localdomain)
    Copyright (C2000,2001,2002,2003 Broadcom Corporation.

    Initializing Arena
    Initializing Devices
    .
    et0Broadcom BCM47xx 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller 3.90.23.0
    rndis0
    Broadcom USB RNDIS Network Adapter (P-t-P)
    CPU type 0x29006264MHz
    Total memory
    67108864 KBytes

    Total memory used by CFE
    :  0x80800000 0x8089BA00 (637440)
    Initialized Data:          0x80831B70 0x80834250 (9952)
    BSS Area:                  0x80834250 0x80835A00 (6064)
    Local Heap:                0x80835A00 0x80899A00 (409600)
    Stack Area:                0x80899A00 0x8089BA00 (8192)
    Text (codesegment:       0x80800000 0x80831B70 (203632)
    Boot area (physical):      0x0089C000 0x008DC000
    Relocation Factor
    :         I:00000000 D:00000000

    Device eth0
    :  hwaddr 12-34-56-78-90ipaddr 192.168.1.1mask 255.255.255.0
            gateway not set
    nameserver not set
    Null Rescue Flag
    .
    Null Restore Flag.
    I/O error
    Hello
    !! Enter Rescue Mode: (Check error)

    Reading :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    TFTP_BLKLEN!!
    Done1683456 bytes read
    Download of 0x19b000 bytes completed
    Write kernel 
    and filesystem binary to FLASH (0xbfc40000)
    flash device 'flash1.trx'
    Programming...
    done1683456 bytes written 

    And I followed that with the second flash using the asus firmware recovery tool.
    Last edited by wl700geWill; 04-12-2008 at 18:57. Reason: clarity

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    190
    our nice little white box has only a flash of 2mb therefor the standaard openwrt8.09rc1 won't boot on our box....

    I still in the progress of creating a image for 8.09 http://wl700g.homelinux.net/drupal/node/221
    but the 7.09 just runs fine http://wl700g.homelinux.net/drupal/node/145

    Openwrt or Custom Firmware on asus? - http://wl700ge.hezik.nl/ - Http://wl700g.homelinux.net

    My ASUS collection: WL500gp(80GB usb-hdd - Running OpenWrt Kamikaze 7.09) | WL700gE(250GB - Running OpenWrt Kamikaze 8.09rc1)

  4. #4
    I found that out the hard way :-) Just glad it's not bricked anymore. I noticed on there the idea about putting the kernel on a USB drive, that would be awesome in many ways.

  5. #5

    same problem

    Quote Originally Posted by wl700geWill View Post
    After many, many, many tries with erasing nvram, and letting it sit, and rebooting everything multiple times, it finally gave me:


    Initializing Arena
    Initializing Devices.
    et0: Broadcom BCM47xx 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller 3.90.23.0
    rndis0: Broadcom USB RNDIS Network Adapter (P-t-P)
    CPU type 0x29006: 264MHz
    Total memory: 67108864 KBytes

    So I quickly flashed the WL700gE_1.0.4.2_flash.trx file using tftp while the network was up and I have a working router again following
    http://wl700g.homelinux.net/drupal/?q=node/54

    My assumption would be that it had to do with something in nvram being corrupt, and taking multiple erases for it to be gone. I honestly don't know, but it is working now.

    Here is the new successful flashing output:
    PHP Code:
    CFE version 1.0.37 for BCM947XX (32bit,SP,LE)
    Build Date: �| 12륤� 29 20:36:58 CST 2005 (root@localhost.localdomain)
    Copyright (C2000,2001,2002,2003 Broadcom Corporation.

    Initializing Arena
    Initializing Devices
    .
    et0Broadcom BCM47xx 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller 3.90.23.0
    rndis0
    Broadcom USB RNDIS Network Adapter (P-t-P)
    CPU type 0x29006264MHz
    Total memory
    67108864 KBytes

    Total memory used by CFE
    :  0x80800000 0x8089BA00 (637440)
    Initialized Data:          0x80831B70 0x80834250 (9952)
    BSS Area:                  0x80834250 0x80835A00 (6064)
    Local Heap:                0x80835A00 0x80899A00 (409600)
    Stack Area:                0x80899A00 0x8089BA00 (8192)
    Text (codesegment:       0x80800000 0x80831B70 (203632)
    Boot area (physical):      0x0089C000 0x008DC000
    Relocation Factor
    :         I:00000000 D:00000000

    Device eth0
    :  hwaddr 12-34-56-78-90ipaddr 192.168.1.1mask 255.255.255.0
            gateway not set
    nameserver not set
    Null Rescue Flag
    .
    Null Restore Flag.
    I/O error
    Hello
    !! Enter Rescue Mode: (Check error)

    Reading :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    Failed.: Timeout occured
    Reading 
    :: TFTP Server.
    TFTP_BLKLEN!!
    Done1683456 bytes read
    Download of 0x19b000 bytes completed
    Write kernel 
    and filesystem binary to FLASH (0xbfc40000)
    flash device 'flash1.trx'
    Programming...
    done1683456 bytes written 

    And I followed that with the second flash using the asus firmware recovery tool.
    excuseme for my bad english language, but I'm italian.

    I have the same problem but I don't know how make a cable for tftp firmware. the cable is serial or USB ?
    I have an old phone cable USB (i think what ther'is an abpter usb>rs-232) but how i do for find the gnd-tx-rx ?

    thanks for your help

    Regards

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by moleno View Post
    excuseme for my bad english language, but I'm italian.

    I have the same problem but I don't know how make a cable for tftp firmware. the cable is serial or USB ?
    I have an old phone cable USB (i think what ther'is an abpter usb>rs-232) but how i do for find the gnd-tx-rx ?

    thanks for your help

    Regards
    TFTP is done over ethernet, just a standard ethernet cable connected to a switch, I did set a static IP to my computer instead of using DHCP.
    My serial adapter is USB and you can use trial and error to find the correct wires. Mine was pretty obvious because of the colors.

    Best Regards,
    Will

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