Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 0:10 Post subject: Archer C7 v2 firmware fail
I was on (09-11-2017-r33345) I believe, couldn't update the firmware via the webGUI so I tried to do it manually. (telnet to router ; cd /tmp ; wget ftp://ftp.dd-wrt.com/betas/2017/10-17-2017-r33525/tplink_archer-c7-v2/tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin ; dd if=/dev/mtdblock6 of=/tmp/boot.bin bs=1 count=131072 ; cat tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin >> boot.bin ; mtd -f write boot.bin fullflash ; reboot) That all seemed to execute correctly.
Now the router boots into a "switch only" mode. No wifi signals, though one of the wifi LEDs is on. When I plug a computer and the internet into the LAN plugs, I get internet. (Appropriate LEDs light up and blink with traffic.)
I have downloaded tftpd32 & tftpd64, set my ethernet adapter to 192.168.0.66 and each firmware I download to 'ArcherC7v2_tp_recovery.bin'. I've tried the 32-bit and 64-bit tftpd to upload each firmware in turn, and they have all be uploaded successfully. All bytes sent. However nothing happens. The router just boots back into switch mode.
Does anyone have any software-only solution ideas?
5) open mtdX.bin on your PC with ghex editor/viewer,
search some characteristic string
in my case it was "TP-LINK"
when I found that string
I moved cursor to the first number "01" before "TP-LINK"
(because firmware starts with "01")
and viewer showed the offset equals 20000 in HEX
after converting to DEC I got 131072
so my tplink_tl-wr841ndv8's bootloader size = 131072
Then flash new firmware, this is just the process to get off of 33375.
1. Enable SSHd on your device
2.from Win CLI both files pscp.exe and factory in the same directory than issue this command:
Kudos to Alozaros and epsilon, all I did was combine their posts. _________________ Before asking a question on the forums, update dd-wrt: Where do I download firmware? I suggest reading it all.
QCA Best WiFi Settings
Some dd-wrt wiki pages are up to date, others are not. PM me if you find an old one.
Atheros:
Netgear R7800 x3 - WDS AP / station, gateway, QoS
TP-Link Archer C7 v2 x2 - WDS Station
TP-Link TL-WDR3600 v1 - WDS Station
TP-Link 841nd v8 - NU
D-Link 615 C1/E3/I1 x 7 - 1 WDS station
D-Link 825 B1 - NU
D-Link 862L A1 x2 - WDS Station
Netgear WNDR3700v2 - NU
UBNT loco M2 x2 - airOS
Broadcom
Linksys EA6400 - Gateway, QoS
Asus N66U - AP
Netgear WNDR3700v3 - not used
MediaTek
UBNT EdgeRouter X - switch
copy them all to my pc and started with the largest file. That had the TP-LINK technologies in there (search was case sensitive). And it was also nr6 in my case.
I had the same offset (20000) so i used the exact same numbers you provided.
Ok, I think I know what I did wrong. I followed the instructions here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=311642, however instead of using factory-to-ddwrt-US.bin I used tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin.
further recovery attempts will therefore fail because the header hardware id and version values will no longer match. If this happens, you'll need to try either a serial connection, or building an image with the header values overridden.
Could anyone help me to get a firmware with the correct header? Or is it all just a wash and I have to attach a serial cable and do it through that?
After I tftpd flash a firmware it drops directly into "switch mode" unless it's tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin or tplink_archer-c7-v2.bin. If I use one of those two it reboots twice and then goes into "switch mode".
Also, is anyone familiar with this "switch mode" that my router is in? It acts like a switch and that's it, no wifi no way to access the router. I was hoping to get more info on it.
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:27 Post subject: Switch Mode
It is not a switch mode, it is when the router is acting as a tftp server, not a client like most routers have (d-link, linksys, asus). TP-Link wanted to be different and decided to put a tftp server in there routers. As per the openwrt link above.
If you connect a serial cable (USB-TTL 3.3V), you will see that this is the case.
TP-Link routers are actually really easy to debrick, usually. Just read the openwrt page on them, specifically the tftp recovery section. _________________ Before asking a question on the forums, update dd-wrt: Where do I download firmware? I suggest reading it all.
QCA Best WiFi Settings
Some dd-wrt wiki pages are up to date, others are not. PM me if you find an old one.
Atheros:
Netgear R7800 x3 - WDS AP / station, gateway, QoS
TP-Link Archer C7 v2 x2 - WDS Station
TP-Link TL-WDR3600 v1 - WDS Station
TP-Link 841nd v8 - NU
D-Link 615 C1/E3/I1 x 7 - 1 WDS station
D-Link 825 B1 - NU
D-Link 862L A1 x2 - WDS Station
Netgear WNDR3700v2 - NU
UBNT loco M2 x2 - airOS
Broadcom
Linksys EA6400 - Gateway, QoS
Asus N66U - AP
Netgear WNDR3700v3 - not used
MediaTek
UBNT EdgeRouter X - switch
Joined: 16 Nov 2015 Posts: 6410 Location: UK, London, just across the river..
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 15:32 Post subject:
StaticReturn wrote:
Ok, I think I know what I did wrong. I followed the instructions here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=311642, however instead of using factory-to-ddwrt-US.bin I used tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin.
further recovery attempts will therefore fail because the header hardware id and version values will no longer match. If this happens, you'll need to try either a serial connection, or building an image with the header values overridden.
Could anyone help me to get a firmware with the correct header? Or is it all just a wash and I have to attach a serial cable and do it through that?
After I tftpd flash a firmware it drops directly into "switch mode" unless it's tplink_archer-c7-v2-US.bin or tplink_archer-c7-v2.bin. If I use one of those two it reboots twice and then goes into "switch mode".
Also, is anyone familiar with this "switch mode" that my router is in? It acts like a switch and that's it, no wifi no way to access the router. I was hoping to get more info on it.
switch mode is nothing special every router with power on can work like that, i have bricked DIR 615 ver H2 that works as a switch olny, so very likely your router is bricked or buggy...
to try tftp you might need few tings:
1. recovery file, either stripped or factory file will do must be renamed...
2. sometimes if the Tftp doesn't start you might need a simple switch between router and PC
for serial recovery you need :
1. USB to TTL adaptor with drivers for your OS
2. you 'd need map where to connect this TTL adaptor and what settings
its easy to find
3. in most of the cases you don't need to connect 3.3v wire at all only
GRD, TX and RX notice TX and RX go opposite RX to TX and so on...
4. You need renamed recovery file to what the routers is looking for...
look at serial recovery tp link on youtube _________________ Atheros
TP-Link WR740Nv1 ---DD-WRT 55179 WAP
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 55303 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPN
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear XR500 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoH,Forced DNS,AP Isolation,4VLAN,Ad-Block,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x3VLAN,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 55363 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/SmartDNS/DoH,AD-Block,Firewall,Forced DNS,x3VLAN,VPN
NOT USING 5Ghz ANYWHERE
------------------------------------------------------
Stubby DNS over TLS I DNSCrypt v2 by mac913
I've ordered a "FT232RL FTDI Mini USB to TTL Serial Converter Adapter Module". I've tried a lot of different methods to recover through tftp and none have worked.