Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

I think your case was a bad case. Usually something like that is cleared up by clearing the NVRAM. However you couldn't log into the command line. The other weird thing is that it didn't crash and went to a boot loop. It booted almost to the end then rebooted.
I would have handled the case exact the same way. Good job Dannyx

Thank you. Yes, it was a strange case since nobody talked about it, but by putting together various "pockets" of information from here and there I was able to get it going just as I was ready to call it quits

[CapLeaker]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

I think your case was a bad case. Usually something like that is cleared up by clearing the NVRAM. However you couldn't log into the command line. The other weird thing is that it didn't crash and went to a boot loop. It booted almost to the end then rebooted.
I would have handled the case exact the same way. Good job Dannyx

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

So just in case someone has this same issue, try replacing the SPI chip entirely - could solve the issue. Haven't seen this issue/solution anywhere else

[jondoe]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

Nice

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

Just to satisfy my curiosity: When you programmed the new SPI flash IC with the looped firmware and you stuck that back into the router, did it boot with configuration that was used before, or did it revert back to a factory default? I think it must have reverted back to factory default in order to work again.

It would've defaulted to the factory setting anyway, because I couldn't access the setup page during the looping phase so I had no way to change anything. Still working BTW

[CapLeaker]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

Router's now working again: I programmed what I had backed up from the original chip (the one that looped) onto one of the chips I used to mess around with and amazingly this time it stopped at "check success" and stayed there. WLAN also went up and I was able to connect and do everything I needed, so all in all it's now working and the problem is solved. Hopefully it doesn't bug out again this time just as I'm proclaiming my victory...perhaps the original chip was busted or on its way out ? :|

Just out of curiosity and to learn some more, how were you going to hack the firmware to program the MAC address ? I'm curious about the process

Just to satisfy my curiosity: When you programmed the new SPI flash IC with the looped firmware and you stuck that back into the router, did it boot with configuration that was used before, or did it revert back to a factory default? I think it must have reverted back to factory default in order to work again.

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

random bullshit?? - you just cant speak hex you biggot!

No of course I can't, that's why I was asking....no insults pls :P

[stj]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

random bullshit?? - you just cant speak hex you biggot!

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

i was going to load the original into a hex editor and search for the mac,
then look at the area it was found in and compare it to the replacement.
then potentially copy that block of data over.

it's probably at the end, or the start just after the bootloader, so it does not get erased when people do firmware upgrades.


anyway, now you can test LEDA

Doesn't a hex editor just display random bullsh!t ? How can you tell where the MAC is ? Ok, it's not random per-se, since it does signify something precise, it's just not user friendly

[stj]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

i was going to load the original into a hex editor and search for the mac,
then look at the area it was found in and compare it to the replacement.
then potentially copy that block of data over.

it's probably at the end, or the start just after the bootloader, so it does not get erased when people do firmware upgrades.


anyway, now you can test LEDA

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

Router's now working again: I programmed what I had backed up from the original chip (the one that looped) onto one of the chips I used to mess around with and amazingly this time it stopped at "check success" and stayed there. WLAN also went up and I was able to connect and do everything I needed, so all in all it's now working and the problem is solved. Hopefully it doesn't bug out again this time just as I'm proclaiming my victory...perhaps the original chip was busted or on its way out ? :|

Just out of curiosity and to learn some more, how were you going to hack the firmware to program the MAC address ? I'm curious about the process

[stj]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

post the original dump and the almost working one.
and the mac from the sticker on the base.

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

did you copy the config block with the mac address in it from the original chip??

How would one find such thing ? Like I said, it's probably a dumb question, but I haven't really done this before The original chip is intact and I have even backed up what was on it when it was in that looping state. Now, no matter which firmware I try, it either does nothing or has no wireless. You're right, it makes perfect sense, something is definitely missing, but at least I FEEL I'm getting close

[stj]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

did you copy the config block with the mac address in it from the original chip??

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

UPDATE3: this is the most progress I've made so far: I can now access the router's interface......which would be just fine and dandy except now the bloody wireless is not working

What I did was this: we've already established that the firmware files without BOOT in their name don't work (modified or not), so I grabbed the second-oldest firmware (130617 HERE), removed the TP-link header in a hex editor as always and flashed that to the chip directly....as usual, text started pouring into PUTTY's serial monitor so something was working but after a few seconds it appeared to get stuck at "Read from 0X20000 to 0X20120: OK" (notice there's a big gap in the timecode at that point) and I was just about ready to switch it off when all of a sudden it poured some more text before finally stopping at "INFO1567: Bind to br0 check success"...it was at this moment I thought of plugging in a network cable just to see what happens and my laptop was given an IP and default gateway and accessing that gateway took me to the login page of the router.

I logged in, did the initial setup but the wireless lights don't come on no matter what I try (yes, the switch is on at the back). Since this was now the second to newest firmware, I even tried upgrading to the latest firmware on that TP LINK page (albeit being for USA only) and it worked, but still no wireless. Another thing I noticed is that the status light blinks continuously now. Something tells me the wireless adapter is not initializing during that hang period, since nothing in the serial monitor hints that the wireless module is coming up (see the log). SO CLOSE ! DAMN IT !

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

UPDATE2: second firmware doesn't work at all: I get absolutely no input in the serial monitor. I mean it makes sense and I was expecting this, since the HEX looks nothing like the original one that came off the first chip (the one that keeps rebooting) or even the second one that I tried (the one which has the word "boot" in it). Should I try one of these even WITH the header in place ? I doubt it will work....

[Dannyx]

Re: Bricked TpLink WDR4300 router advice and question

UPDATE1: first firmware I tried flashing was the modified one. I say modified because I grabbed the latest one from TP LINK and removed the TP link header like many sources suggest. It worked to a degree, in that it uploaded to the chip correctly and the router started up, displayed some stuff but got stuck at Connect server failed - see the log.

I'll now try the second, older firmware, though I have to modify this one as well, because it too contains the TP LINK header and I reckon I can't flash it like that - I need to remove that first part up to the 200th block. At least that's what I've read and what I tried now.

[Dannyx]

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

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.

[CapLeaker]

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

[Dannyx]

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.

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....