[platypus]

I have a linksys E900 which I bought to use with dd-wrt. Initially I flashed the firmware recommended in the router database - version 21061 - this was successful, both the mini and the big versions. However, this firmware is almost 5 years old and that is not safe enough, so I decided to flash the latest version of the firmware I could find, so I went from:

dd-wrt.v24-21061_NEWD-2_K2.6_big-nv64k.bin

to

dd-wrt.v24-35767_NEWD-2_K2.6_big-nv64k.bin

from the correct folder. Note that the only difference is the version build number.

The admin upgrade page indicated a successful flash and the router lights are working exactly as they should do.

I was aware that the newer version might not be fully compatible, but assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that a simple 30,30,30 reset followed by a reflash of the original firmware would sort that out - it doesn't.

The reason it doesn't is that it is now impossible to communicate with the router in any way at all.

What I have tried so far:

2 different computers (windows and linux)
3 different operating systems
4 different browsers
2 different ethernet cables
ping
tftp
So many 30,30,30 resets that my biro nib will no longer write.
Power resets
Different ip address ranges in case it magically changed its admin page address
Shouting loudly at it

At no time can I ever communicate with the router admin page (192.168.1.1) and therefore can proceed no further.

So is there some process I have missed? Or is my router just toast?

Things you might want to know:

Yes, I am connected directly from the router to the pc with an ethernet cable
Yes, I have switched off wifi
Yes, I have switched off firewall
Yes, I have reset the computers ip to the correct range (192.168.1.2)
Yes, during the flash process I did observe the correct waiting times between actions.
Yes, I have read the peacock thread.

None of that helps.

I must say that I regard dismantling and attacking the router with a soldering iron as a step too far for me.

TIA for any advice.