You will need a serial connection in order to flash this. USB TTL cables are cheap. If you don't want to wait weeks for shipping from China, this one is available via Prime at $7: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QT7LQ88
To open the router, you'll need to remove the rubber feet on the bottom to expose 3 screws. Then, you'll need to remove the circular sticker up top (it's a very sturdy piece of plastic and can be removed easily without damage). Underneath is another 3 screws.
Then you can separate the case and find the serial connection between the two LEDs: * ***
Connect the green wire to the first one, the black to the 3rd (in between the cluster of 3), and the white to the rightmost one. Unless you have a high wattage iron, you may have difficulty with the ground (black) one. Feel free to use any ground if necessary. The red wire does not need to be attached.
Use 115200/8/N/1, and keep trying ctrl+c on powerup. You should land at CFE> if successful.
Now, issue: flash -noheader : flash1.trx
Timing is critical and you may need to try a few times to get it. Set your ip static to 192.168.1.2/255.255.255.0 and tftp your firmware of choice.
So far, I've only tried shibby's tomato, and everything seems to work well except for 5ghz.
edit: flashed the stock dlink a1 firmware and still no 5ghz. I downloaded the openrg firmware (.rms file) but don't know how to flash this. Any tips would be appreciated.
Been a while. Router is closed back up, but I didn't have any issues. By via a db9, I'm assuming you mean you have a max232 in the middle?
In other news:
To update about the 5ghz though, I ended up using someone's nvram dump from a non-optimum revA and everything works great (again, I've been on shibby tomato though)
You will need a serial connection in order to flash this. USB TTL cables are cheap. If you don't want to wait weeks for shipping from China, this one is available via Prime at $7: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QT7LQ88
To open the router, you'll need to remove the rubber feet on the bottom to expose 3 screws. Then, you'll need to remove the circular sticker up top (it's a very sturdy piece of plastic and can be removed easily without damage). Underneath is another 3 screws.
Then you can separate the case and find the serial connection between the two LEDs: * ***
Connect the green wire to the first one, the black to the 3rd (in between the cluster of 3), and the white to the rightmost one. Unless you have a high wattage iron, you may have difficulty with the ground (black) one. Feel free to use any ground if necessary. The red wire does not need to be attached.
Use 115200/8/N/1, and keep trying ctrl+c on powerup. You should land at CFE> if successful.
Now, issue: flash -noheader : flash1.trx
Timing is critical and you may need to try a few times to get it. Set your ip static to 192.168.1.2/255.255.255.0 and tftp your firmware of choice.
So far, I've only tried shibby's tomato, and everything seems to work well except for 5ghz.
edit: flashed the stock dlink a1 firmware and still no 5ghz. I downloaded the openrg firmware (.rms file) but don't know how to flash this. Any tips would be appreciated.
Hi ziddey,
First off thanks for all the great information that you have provided so far. I am going to undertake this project myself and I am going to use your info as a guide. But I have a couple of questions for you that hopefully you can answer for me.
1. Clarify the connection to the serial - JP1 receives the Green, and White goes to R7?
2.The flash command - does that flash the router with the stock firmware that is already stored on the board?
3. If I just wanted to have stock firmware and not DDR-WRT, can I just download the latest firmware off of Dlink and flash that through TFTP?
4. Any chance you can upload or send a link for the nvram you used for your flashing?
Connect the green wire to the first one, the black to the 3rd (in between the cluster of 3), and the white to the rightmost one. Unless you have a high wattage iron, you may have difficulty with the ground (black) one. Feel free to use any ground if necessary. The red wire does not need to be attached.