Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:19 Post subject: TL-WR1043ND: Does the BIN image mirror the nvram image?
I have a couple of TP-Link TL-WR1043ND routers that I managed to brick up by accidentally rebooting them before the "save config" could finish. I'd like to unbrick them by removing the nvram chip with my rework station, reprogram it with my programmer, then resolder it back onto the PCB.
To make this work, I thought I'd use the factory-to-ddwrt BIN file, assuming it would reinitialize the impure section where all of the configuration data are stored. But when I loaded it into the programmer and examined it, the first 100 bytes or so didn't look like any sort of bootstrap loader.
So, to unbrick the routers, must I first remove the nvram from a working router, read it with the programmer and store it away (as a master backup), and then reprogram the two bricked-up nvrams to get those routers working?