If I remember correctly, you don't stop it using control c.
You stop it by hitting the number you want. _________________ I am far from a guru, I'm barely a novice.
Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 11564 Location: Wherever the wind blows- North America
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 19:41 Post subject:
Malachi wrote:
If I remember correctly, you don't stop it using control c.
You stop it by hitting the number you want.
Yeah...I had tried that already too. no go.
Something just doesn't seem right...but I can't put my finger on the problem. I'll keep digging...but its not a top priority for an old unit that I don't use any longer.
redhawk _________________ The only stupid question....is the unasked one.
Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 15:47 Post subject: Pin out?
@redhawk - I finally got a multimeter and was looking at the pins. How sure are you that the order is that?
+3.3V - Pin 1
R
T
GND - Pin 4
The reason I ask (and again i'm a total n00b at this stuff), is that when I test resistance between metal shielding and each of the 4 pins, it seems like 1/3 are very high (which is expected) but between 2 and 4, 2 seems to have the lowest value.
Visually, pin 2 doesn't seem to have any tracks leading to or from it (as opposed to pin 4 that definitely does have 2 tracks leading away from it).
So my theory is that maybe your problem with issuing a break to the process is because you have ground and RX swapped? Unfortunately the usb2uart that I bought doesn't seem to work (windows doesn't make any noise / alerts when I plug it in) so I need to get a new one sent to me before I can try it myself.
Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 11564 Location: Wherever the wind blows- North America
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 21:10 Post subject: Re: Pin out?
HaCKeRReKCaH wrote:
@redhawk - I finally got a multimeter and was looking at the pins. How sure are you that the order is that?
+3.3V - Pin 1
R
T
GND - Pin 4
The reason I ask (and again i'm a total n00b at this stuff), is that when I test resistance between metal shielding and each of the 4 pins, it seems like 1/3 are very high (which is expected) but between 2 and 4, 2 seems to have the lowest value.
Visually, pin 2 doesn't seem to have any tracks leading to or from it (as opposed to pin 4 that definitely does have 2 tracks leading away from it).
So my theory is that maybe your problem with issuing a break to the process is because you have ground and RX swapped? Unfortunately the usb2uart that I bought doesn't seem to work (windows doesn't make any noise / alerts when I plug it in) so I need to get a new one sent to me before I can try it myself.
Indeed...you are correct....
Pin1 = +3.3V
Pin2 = GND
Pin3 = Tx
Pin4 = Rx
I am able to stop the boot loader by hitting the #2 key...or #4 key for command line. But I still can't reflash this router with firmware. I just keep getting "Got ARP Request" messages...then a bunch of T T T until it times out.
so...I'm further along...but haven't found the solution to recovery yet.
redhawk _________________ The only stupid question....is the unasked one.
Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 11564 Location: Wherever the wind blows- North America
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 14:27 Post subject:
Malachi wrote:
Can you flash it using Kermit? I did that on an atheros based buffalo. Is that an option?
Good question...I think Kermit was an option in the menu. But alas, I don't know anything about Kermit...so it might take some figuring out. Is Kermit a command language? Is it program? I just don't know anything about it....yet.
redhawk _________________ The only stupid question....is the unasked one.
Joined: 03 Jun 2011 Posts: 131 Location: Erie, PA., USA
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 16:47 Post subject:
I, too, have bricked two of these units trying to upgrade the firmware. Any detailed success in un-bricking using a serial cable is much appreciated. I have the serial cable along with tftp2 and PuTTy, if either of those will work. Thanks!
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 0:18 Post subject: That's a really advanced approach!
What he did (removing the chip from the board) requires a hot air reflow workstation and a flash chip programmer. I have the tools to do this, but would use this only as a total last-ditch effort. Even if you have the tools, this is not terribly easy, and it risks cooking the flash chip.
Serial is not really that difficult. I apparently didn't have notifications turned on (or didn't see them) but others have explained the procedure in great detail. It also risks very little, as cooking chips is not possible. Stick with serial where it works.
I learned more about serial recovery then I planned. Got two bricked WHR-300HP2 loaded with WHR-300HP2D DD-WRT firmware. It took some trial and error but now I am comfortable doing it. Thanks for those that gave explanations.
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 21:18 Post subject: Thank You all!
I've been pulling my hair out trying to get this whr-300hp2 switched over to dd-wrt for days now.
After hours of reading - and revisiting this thread more than a few times - I was finally able to get the thing switched over.
The answers were here all along. Thank You to all who contributed.
Things you must do for successful updating.
Before I attempted switching over - I read a ton of postings about which firmware was safe to
upgrade from Buffalo stock firmware to DD-WRT.
Despite my riggor - The router bricked first go. No interface, no ping response, no nothing!
I still don't know how to do it with a GUI interface - So my options were cracking it open and try to
serial connect - or toss the thing out. It cost $50 so tossing it wouldn't be big deal - but I'm
not giving up that easy!
Serial connection to the board. I'm using a $5 usb-serial converter.
The pinout appears earlier in this thread.
Taking the box apart to get at the guts is brutal - you have to pry it apart - it takes force and you will definitely leave marks. (Why Buffalo - why?)
With an active serial connection (I used Putty).
You interupt the bootup and upload the new firmware by selecting "2" during the router boot-up.
You need a tftp server running and connected to one of the router's lan port. Make sure you've disabled the firewall (I spent many frustrating hours missing this stupid simple issue).
You need to edit the firmware with a hex editor to remove the header - delete everything that appears before "27 05 19 56"
Save the file and put it in the tftp directory you will be using.
Aftere you interupt the boot by selecting "2"
Device IP is the router -
Server IP is the PC running the tftp server.
Of course make sure they are both on the same subnet.
Filename is the modified file that is sitting in the tftp server directory.
