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Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

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    #21
    Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

    Originally posted by stj View Post
    there are only 6 caps - replace the 4 smaller ones.

    https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wdr4300

    Flashing via TFTP

    Pressing the WPS/Reset button during powerup makes the bootstrap loader enter the TFTP recovery mode. The procedure can be used to transfer a firmware image:
    assign 192.168.0.66 to your local network interface (the router uses 192.168.0.86)
    publish a firmware image via tftp: cp openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wdr4300-v1-squashfs-factory.bin /srv/tftp/wdr4300v1_tp_recovery.bin
    configure your tftp server
    wait for the firmware transfer (about 20s), firmware flash (about 90s) and subsequent reboot (about 30s)
    I read about the reset button trick but couldn't do it: I'd hold it in, apply power but the router just goes through the sequence I posted in that word document - no difference whatsoever....either I'm doing something wrong or something else is toast. I reckon when you do the reset button thing, the serial monitor should display something like "waiting for file X.bin" (ok, maybe not like that, but the sequence should change to something indicating it's waiting for a bin file via TFPT - that's how I've seen others doing it).
    Wattevah...

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      #22
      Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

      Originally posted by jondoe View Post
      Often the boot sequence can be escaped, that is, you can press a key/combination of keys to escape the process thus allowing you to interact with the bootloader. Or, you can invoke a TFTP boot process, making the device boot from the LAN, allowing it to load up then you can reflash it via it's web interface.

      You could also put OpenWRT on it, see if it functions as expected, then re-flash it back to stock firmware. https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wdr4300 This page also covers TFTP loading.
      That's just it: I CAN'T stop the boot process, not matter what I hit. Tutorials talk about typing TPL and spamming the heck out of it until it stops, but like I said that doesn't work. It's occasionally asking for a password but says invalid login no matter what I try. Can't enter TFPT mode either because the button doesn't seem to do anything: I'd press it then apply power while still holding it, but the serial monitor just displays the same sequence again and keeps on looping...
      Wattevah...

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        #23
        Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

        read all the way down the link i posted - there is a bit about flashing over the serial link.

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          #24
          Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

          Originally posted by stj View Post
          read all the way down the link i posted - there is a bit about flashing over the serial link.
          I did that, but can't get to the autobooting in 1 second part (which is also where I'd have to type that TPL the guy mentions in the video)...perhaps because I need to plug in the serial connector at a certain time ? I noticed it's saying something about plugging it in BEFORE and AFTER a specific event...
          Wattevah...

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            #25
            Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

            I noticed another thing: when it worked the first time around, a successful boot should stop at the last "check success" message in that log I posted, so it's almost up and running, but for some reason now it decides to keep on going past that, saying "Now flash open" and reading and writing for some reason...
            Wattevah...

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              #26
              Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

              Towards the bottom of that page, there IS something mentioned about doing it "the hard way" by removing the SPI chip and programming it, though from what I gather this is useless in my case because that only affects the bootloader and my bootloader is ok, so I can't put the firmware file on that chip....again, just a hunch...
              Wattevah...

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                #27
                Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                not true, you can put the loader and LEDA firmware on it.

                Comment


                  #28
                  Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                  Changing the caps didn't change anything - still goes through the same sequence and ends in "restarting system". I didn't change the small one near the power switch though, because that's for the USB ports and we don't really care about that ATM...looks like I'll have to pull out that chip and write it manually. Hope this works...
                  Wattevah...

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                    #29
                    Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                    Originally posted by stj View Post
                    LEDA firmware
                    Small question, what IS a LEDA ?
                    Wattevah...

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                      #30
                      Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                      Originally posted by Dannyx View Post
                      That's just it: I CAN'T stop the boot process, not matter what I hit. Tutorials talk about typing TPL and spamming the heck out of it until it stops, but like I said that doesn't work. It's occasionally asking for a password but says invalid login no matter what I try. Can't enter TFPT mode either because the button doesn't seem to do anything: I'd press it then apply power while still holding it, but the serial monitor just displays the same sequence again and keeps on looping...

                      Have you tried a differed terminal emulator? I've found that some devices don't like the default settings, or, the software I'm using to talk to them over serial.

                      At this point I'd be suggest to the customer they replace the router and you play with this on your own time

                      Comment


                        #31
                        Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                        Originally posted by jondoe View Post
                        Have you tried a differed terminal emulator? I've found that some devices don't like the default settings, or, the software I'm using to talk to them over serial.

                        At this point I'd be suggest to the customer they replace the router and you play with this on your own time
                        What else would work for this other than putty ? Windows' hyperterminal should do the job, but I don't have an XP machine readily available - I'm on win 7/10 on my machines My guess is that the serial interface is fine since it APPEARS to be working properly...others have said they just get random incoherent gibberish in their serial monitor which would indicate a connection issue, whereas mine works perfectly (again, or so it seems)...
                        Wattevah...

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                          #32
                          Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                          I've had some routers that are fussy, Puttys out-of-the-box default config wouldn't work but I could read serial output, but not interact in anyway.

                          If memory serves me, you can send a BREAK from puttys special commands menu as well as Ctrl-C. If the keyboard version doesn't work but the special menu command does, its a sign that it might not accepting keyboard input correctly.

                          Comment


                            #33
                            Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                            While I'm waiting for my spare SPI chips to arrive, I though I'd already remove the existing one just to see what's on it without actually altering it, so I did that with my programmer and got some random gibberish (which is what hex is actually like, so no surprises there) that didn't seem to be of any particular interest, however, upon searching for WDR4300 flash SPI, I came across this very old forum thread where a chap who seems to know a few things describes how you can modify the bin file so the router accepts it: it involves opening up it in a HEX editor and chopping out some of it, so I downloaded the oldest firmware file from TP-link and opened that up in a hex editor just to see what's SUPPOSED to happen, but couldn't quite follow what those guys talked about to the letter, because my code looked different in the end, so I tried out the NEXT oldest firmware which has the word "boot" in the filename and sure enough this time the end result looked like what it's supposed to: removing the first part of the code, DOES make it start with 10 00 00 FF, which didn't happen with the first firmware (the one without "boot" in it). The Open-WRT page STJ linked to also talks about this briefly towards the middle where it discusses reverting back to a stock firmware.

                            I now have two BIN files ready to try out: the unmodified firmware and the one I hacked from the second-oldest firmware with "boot" in the filename....

                            True, it's not about time or money at this point, it's about messing around and keeping myself entertained
                            Wattevah...

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                              #34
                              Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                              Originally posted by Dannyx View Post
                              it's about messing around and keeping myself entertained

                              The best reason of all!

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                                #35
                                Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                It is for us tech geeks Any sane human being would just chuck most of the stuff we're struggling with straight in the trash
                                Wattevah...

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                                  #36
                                  Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                  LEDA is the newest custom router firmware.
                                  https://lede-project.org/

                                  try these:
                                  https://downloads.lede-project.org/r...fs-factory.bin

                                  https://downloads.lede-project.org/r...fs-factory.bin
                                  Last edited by stj; 10-27-2017, 08:31 AM.

                                  Comment


                                    #37
                                    Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                    So you can't stop the auto boot with "tpl" then enter key, right when it sez auto booting? If you can't make it stop then forget about anything else on the command line. I could make mine stop, then cleared NVRAM and it rebooted with whatever it still had loaded in the recovery. I have to admit, it does take a few tries. Mine didn't do it the first 2 tries either.

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                                      #38
                                      Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                      Originally posted by CapLeaker View Post
                                      So you can't stop the auto boot with "tpl" then enter key, right when it sez auto booting? If you can't make it stop then forget about anything else on the command line. I could make mine stop, then cleared NVRAM and it rebooted with whatever it still had loaded in the recovery. I have to admit, it does take a few tries. Mine didn't do it the first 2 tries either.
                                      I NEVER get the autobooting message. Just what I posted in that word document. Notice there's no point where it ever says that. If I DO try to type anything, I get the prompt "USERNAME" or, depending on when I try to type stuff, I get Incorrect login...I just received two blank SPI chips and will try flashing them that way, see what happens....
                                      Wattevah...

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                                        #39
                                        Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                        The router isn't stuck in a boot loop caused by a bad flash (no kernel panic etc). The router actually boots quite far (literally to the end) and then it shuts down ath0 and ath1 and then it wants to restart the system for some weird reason.
                                        So since nothing is really working ( I just read the whole thread ), you are on the right path to program the SPI off the board and try again. Keep us updated.
                                        One thing: you did try admin/admin, or root/5up etc. as username and passwoord? Cording to a .pdf file I am reading, you are supposed to do a Control C until CFE comes up
                                        Attached Files
                                        Last edited by CapLeaker; 10-30-2017, 07:25 PM.

                                        Comment


                                          #40
                                          Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

                                          Originally posted by CapLeaker View Post
                                          The router isn't stuck in a boot loop caused by a bad flash (no kernel panic etc). The router actually boots quite far (literally to the end) and then it shuts down ath0 and ath1 and then it wants to restart the system for some weird reason.
                                          So since nothing is really working ( I just read the whole thread ), you are on the right path to program the SPI off the board and try again. Keep us updated.
                                          One thing: you did try admin/admin, or root/5up etc. as username and passwoord? Cording to a .pdf file I am reading, you are supposed to do a Control C until CFE comes up
                                          I did try different usernames and passwords off the top of my head but none of them worked: either I fail to type them fast enough and the serial monitor just carries on and breaks apart my typing or they simply don't work. So say I want to try and type USER, often it'd end up looking like US E R because the monitor overrides whatever I begin to type. Same went for TPL - it'd look like TP.......L. Ctrl C doesn't do anything either, though I haven't tried it by right clicking on the window and sending it that way...someone suggested it might not work solely with the keyboard. I'm now in the process of writing an SPI chips. I got two so I don't need to keep wiping the same one and wasting time.
                                          Wattevah...

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