E3000 bricked?

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kamaradski
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Joined: 02 Feb 2012
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 13:30    Post subject: E3000 bricked? Reply with quote
Hi all,

It's my turn to have most likely turned a working router into a expensive decorative ornament ... Sad

Please someone help to confirm if there is anything left to do before finding a replacement or contacting a debricking service.

What happened:
- failed to upload first the new trailing FW before uploading the new Eko mega.

What is happening now:
- Blinking power light
- Computers don't reqognize even when a LAN cable is inserted (windows: "not connected" message)

What i tryed so far:
- 30/30/30 reset: result, not any other LED will blink.
- off/on/5sec reset: result nothing
- tryed to manually set a ip in the 192.168.0.x range and ping the router in order to make a tftp connection. Result: never got a single ping reply.

So unless there is something i over looked, i think i did everything i could do from home right ?

Very grateful for any input, before i take the next step of sending the router off.

KR
kamaradski


Last edited by kamaradski on Mon Feb 20, 2012 13:49; edited 1 time in total
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barryware
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Joined: 26 Jan 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 13:35    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've never gotten this to work but you may have better luck. I would flash the factory firmware, then install dd-wrt again:

joelkatz wrote:
Unless you messed with the CFE, you can't brick an E3000 with bad firmware to the point where it needs JTAG or even serial.

Just configure your machine to 192.168.1.11 (or anything inside 192.168.1.0/24 other than 192.168.1.1). Then disconnect all Ethernet cables from the E3000. Turn it on, wait one second until all lights flash, then hold the reset button down for four seconds. Release reset, connect your computer to a LAN Ethernet port on the router, and TFTP your new firmware to 192.168.1.1 in binary mode. You won't be able to ping it, but it will still take the firmware in recovery mode.

Be patient, it will take it a few minutes to burn the firmware and reboot. It should come back up on 192.168.1.1 with the firmware you pushed all by itself.

Note that you may have problems with some builds being accepted by the router. But you can always push an E3000 factory firmware build to the router, reboot, and then install DD-WRT from the GUI.

You may need to do a 30-30-30 after pushing new firmware to clear the NVRAM. I think it does it automatically, but I'm not sure.

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kamaradski
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Joined: 02 Feb 2012
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 15:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks barryware for the quick reply.

Unfortunately the procedure as described by joelkatz is not working for me, i think my error is a level too deep.

Though i didn't mess with the CFE i starting to fear the worst.

- The power light is immediately blinking on boot up, and i don't have ANY other LED flash, not on reboot, and also not when doing the 30/30/30

- Windows doesn't recognize that any cable is connected. (like there is no current on the cable) this goes for the LAN and the WAN ports.

-tftp always ends in a time-out.

- I also tried this slightly different approach without success: http://www.lancelhoff.com/how-to-fix-a-bricked-linksys-router/

Any suggestions on how to proceed ?

KR
kamaradski
barryware
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Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 13049
Location: Behind The Reset Button

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 15:49    Post subject: Reply with quote
serial console..

if you get no output via the console, then you will need to enable jtag on the pcb, and erase nvram with jtag.. then serial will work.

I have fixed more than a few of these (as well as 610_v2's converted). I do not know why or the exact circumstances that lead to serial not working until nvram is erased. It run about 50/50..

Might have something to do with the build that was on, and then the build that was flashed on top.. dunno.

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kamaradski
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Joined: 02 Feb 2012
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 17:04    Post subject: Reply with quote
That means i will have to figure out if someone in Europe is willing to do this for me, for a reasonable price, as i do not have the means to do that myself here.

Thanks for the confirmation and help Smile

KR
kamaradski
Murrkf
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Posts: 12675

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 17:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
joelkatz wrote:
Unless you messed with the CFE, you can't brick an E3000 with bad firmware to the point where it needs JTAG or even serial.


Shocked
Does this mean that joelkatz is WRONG!?!? Razz

(P.S. -Serial is easy. Just get a ca42 cable. Cheap. See the serial recovery wiki article.)

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kamaradski
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 02 Feb 2012
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 17:37    Post subject: Reply with quote
Easy, maybe, ...

LEt me give the serial recovery a go, i just ordered a cable for 7USD from hongkong, will take some time to arrive.

Good thing i still kept my old 3com equipment, though i now seriously realize how important dd-wrt became to me over the last 1.5 years. Until my e3000 is fixed my network is seriously crippled Sad

cheers guy's !!
kamaradski
wats6831
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Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Posts: 205

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:12    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just got a router in this same situation. You have any luck?

I'm not getting any ping reply. If it doesn't time out it says destination unreachable.

I've tried behind a switch every method I could find. Tried continuous ping using TFTP2.

The strange thing is that it will boot with a solid power light and bring up the wireless. I was even able to get to the change password page but then the wireless radio just died and the light went out when I tried to change the password. I think i'm forcing it into recovery mode properly (all lights are solid including the WPS but power light blinks) and there is activity on the LAN light but no ping.

Other times it just boots with a blinking power light and nothing else.

Any ideas or is this a serial only recovery?
Murrkf
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Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Posts: 12675

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:42    Post subject: Reply with quote
wats6831 wrote:
I just got a router in this same situation. You have any luck?

I'm not getting any ping reply. If it doesn't time out it says destination unreachable.

I've tried behind a switch every method I could find. Tried continuous ping using TFTP2.

The strange thing is that it will boot with a solid power light and bring up the wireless. I was even able to get to the change password page but then the wireless radio just died and the light went out when I tried to change the password. I think i'm forcing it into recovery mode properly (all lights are solid including the WPS but power light blinks) and there is activity on the LAN light but no ping.

Other times it just boots with a blinking power light and nothing else.

Any ideas or is this a serial only recovery?


I bet it's hardware failure...including possibly power supply failure. Peacock, note 6 is complete and sequential.

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illiac4
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Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Posts: 123

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:20    Post subject: Reply with quote
barryware: Can you post how to do jtag on E3000 to reset CFE. My CFE is constantly resetting/rebooting when i look at the boot process over serial cable.
barryware
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Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 13049
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:38    Post subject: Reply with quote
illiac4 wrote:
barryware: Can you post how to do jtag on E3000 to reset CFE. My CFE is constantly resetting/rebooting when i look at the boot process over serial cable.


if you have serial, you can fix it.. unless it has suffered a hardware failure.

summary:

stop the boot
erase nvram
flash the stock linksys firmware via tftp

from another thread:

barryware wrote:
it is a combination of both..

you issue commands via serial.. data transfer happens via the lan connection to your pc..flash the firmware via tftp using your pc connected to the router via lan cable. (static ip on your pc.. 192.168.1.10, mask 255.255.255.0) there is no dhcp server running so you must set a static ip on your pc.

power up the router.. stop the boot via serial console by banging ctrl-c as you power it up (you will have less than 1/2 a second to stop the boot.. start banging ctrl-c as you power up the router).

you will be at the cfe prompt: cfe>

get your tftp utility ready to launch on the pc.. Flash the stock firmware for your device.

at the cfe prompt.. first type "nvram erase" [enter] (no quotes.. [enter] means press the enter key Wink )

you will be back at the cfe prompt after nvram is erased.. this only takes a couple of seconds..

now type at the cfe prompt:

flash -ctheader : flash1.trx [enter] (note the space before & after the colon)

immediately launch your tftp utility.. then firmware will flash.. this part takes some time.. leave everything alone till you are back at the cfe prompt.. then power cycle the router..

it will boot three times.

then install dd-wrt again if you choose.

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wats6831
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Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Posts: 205

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 14:29    Post subject: Reply with quote
Murrkf wrote:


I bet it's hardware failure...including possibly power supply failure. Peacock, note 6 is complete and sequential.


last night i exhausted all options in Note 6 and then some more except for serial and JTAG.

It's possible the hardware is bad. I just discovered that the router has been opened and the person I got it from tried to short pins 8 and 9 on the inside.

Based on it's behavior (wireless radio suddenly dying, power cycling when lan cable plugged in) I bet you're probably right.

Do you think it's still worth trying serial in case the CFE is damaged but the harware is good?

My other question is I'm not getting any ping TTL response. I'm only getting request timed out and a few Replys of destination unreachable. That implies I'm not on the same subnet as the router? Am I doing it wrong or something? What else would it be besides 255.255.255.0? Thanks.

Thanks Murrkf
Murrkf
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Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Posts: 12675

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 15:30    Post subject: Reply with quote
Serial can be done for less than 5.00. It is worth it to try, even just to get the equipment and learn for next time. See the serial recovery wiki.

Pin shorting is bad. Very bad. Look at them under magnification and you might see reparable damage.

Ttl responses vary on OS. Win XP is most reliable for this sort of thing, IMO.

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I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
wats6831
DD-WRT User


Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Posts: 205

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 16:26    Post subject: Reply with quote
I found my CA-42 cable at the bottom of my cable box so I will cut it and strip it and give it a try. I'll see if I can see anything on the pins.

I know that someone said that you should be able to recover the router via TFTP even if it doesn't respond to ping but I do not see how that is possible and it isn't working so far. I don't get why it's saying host unreachable if I'm on the same subnet, wouldn't it just say timeout?
illiac4
DD-WRT User


Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Posts: 123

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 18:50    Post subject: Reply with quote
barryware wrote:
illiac4 wrote:
barryware: Can you post how to do jtag on E3000 to reset CFE. My CFE is constantly resetting/rebooting when i look at the boot process over serial cable.


if you have serial, you can fix it.. unless it has suffered a hardware failure.

summary:

stop the boot
erase nvram
flash the stock linksys firmware via tftp

from another thread:

barryware wrote:
it is a combination of both..

you issue commands via serial.. data transfer happens via the lan connection to your pc..flash the firmware via tftp using your pc connected to the router via lan cable. (static ip on your pc.. 192.168.1.10, mask 255.255.255.0) there is no dhcp server running so you must set a static ip on your pc.

power up the router.. stop the boot via serial console by banging ctrl-c as you power it up (you will have less than 1/2 a second to stop the boot.. start banging ctrl-c as you power up the router).

you will be at the cfe prompt: cfe>

get your tftp utility ready to launch on the pc.. Flash the stock firmware for your device.

at the cfe prompt.. first type "nvram erase" [enter] (no quotes.. [enter] means press the enter key Wink )

you will be back at the cfe prompt after nvram is erased.. this only takes a couple of seconds..

now type at the cfe prompt:

flash -ctheader : flash1.trx [enter] (note the space before & after the colon)

immediately launch your tftp utility.. then firmware will flash.. this part takes some time.. leave everything alone till you are back at the cfe prompt.. then power cycle the router..

it will boot three times.

then install dd-wrt again if you choose.



Well this will not work because the cfe is defect. I can not get to cfe> because the cfe is constantly resetting/rebooting. So the jtag is the only option to flash CFE and this is what I need. The serial will not help me.
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