WNR3500L bricked? Is there any hope.

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I_O_ERROR
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WNR3500L bricked? Is there any hope.

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

This is all my fault, I know: I flashed my 3500l with a tomatousb fw, but did not change the fileextension to bin. As a result, the router does not boot anymore. Power LED lights up as it would normaly do, so does the corresponding ethernet port indicator LEDs when a cable is connected.

I can ping it for about 2 to 4 seconds after a hard reset (guess thats because CFE is giving the ping response, right?).

I already tried to tftp a new firmware, even with binding the routers MAC to eth0 (on OS X):

sudo arp -s 192.168.1.1 00:70:A4:C3:56:T5 ifscope en0

tftp 192.168.1.1

>tftp binary

>tftp trace

>tftp put firmwarenamehere

This all failed.

 

So my I ask: Is ther hope? Would it be my last chance to get a USB TTF adapter an debrick it over the serial console?

Thanks in advance,

Thomas

 

I_O_ERROR
I_O_ERROR's picture
Yep. I already considered

Yep. I already considered this. Just wanted to know, if there?s anything else I can try before buying a ttl cable (it seems like those cables aren't available here in germany).

[edit]: found this one on ebay 

tolga9009
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Hi! I don't know, if there is

Hi! I don't know, if there is any hope without a USB-TTF cable, but if you really need it, get a Nokia CA-42 datacable for under ~5$ from eBay and follow this guide to identify the wires: http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2009/10/04/diy-usb-to-serial-cable-for-3/ That cable from FTDI is poorly available worldwide and completely overpriced. And that Nokia CA-42 cable is available in every country at a low price. I also got one laying around; even soldered an audio-jack connector, but never had to use it (lucky me ;)).

I_O_ERROR
I_O_ERROR's picture
so, tonight's the night. TTL

so, tonight's the night. TTL adapter arrived. Will report soon.

Peter Redmer
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Good luck! The guide should

Good luck! The guide should work like a charm. I've done it many times--the USB-TTL cable is really a lifesaver.

I_O_ERROR
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Worked like a charm. These 3

Worked like a charm. These 3 Euro USB TTL converter I got from eBay are a fair deal.

Peter Redmer
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Nice. Glad to hear it worked

Nice. Glad to hear it worked well!

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
Is this the right and easiest

Is this the right and easiest cable to buy for debricking my router? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/new-PL2303-USB-RS232-TTL-Converter-Adapter-Mod...

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
Not much movement in this

Not much movement in this thread. I keep trying. Much appreciated if I could have a conform on the above adapter so I can go ahead.

I also tried connect my bricked router to my Mac. I see that I get an IP 169.254.225.4 from the router. When I try to SSH to that IP it's recognized, but asks for a password, and non of the "normal" passwords works. But I didn't think I could get connected at all.

buddee
buddee's picture
Not sure if that would work,

Not sure if that would work, because they don't have enough description details.

The level shifting 3.3v TTL adapter is must, you can't connect router straight to standard RS232 serial interface. And i don't know if that one has level shifting to 3.3v because they don't say..

The cheapest cables i know that work pretty well are CA-42 cables, they go for about 3-5$ a piece on e-bay. But you'll need a multimeter to find out whats what on it.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Serial_Recovery

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
Thanks buddee,Could you

Thanks buddee,Could you recommend a cable on ebay, on which the wiring is known?
Thanks!

Ps. As my router still has warranty, could I just send it to Netgear, or will the notice that I caused the bricking? Ds.

buddee
buddee's picture
You should be able to RMA it

You should be able to RMA it if you do not feel like de-bricking it via serial cable. Which would be much easier, as far as e-bay and choosing a proper adapter, just go to their site and search...

3.3v TTL adapter

You should get alot of returns, most of which will be shipping from hong kong, so it will take a while to get there, unless of course you live close to hong kong. One that i have bookmarked is..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-TTL-5V-3-3V-TTL-STC-STM32-Download-Downlo...

Which would work as far as i can tell, like i said, i use ca-42 cables...which are connectors for nokia phones, i cut the phone end off and use it, but i have a multi-meter, so i know whats what on the wire idents. Also another good cable is the FTDI 3.3v cable that is shown in the de-bricking guide.

http://www.myopenrouter.com/article/13859/How-To-Debrick-Your-NETGEAR-WN...

Its probably the best cable i have ever seen, but it is expensive in my eyes because its around 20-25$ and there are much cheaper adapters that work just fine for serial connections to a router.

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
I just bought the 3.3v TTL

I just bought the 3.3v TTL adapter you linked to. It was only $6.69 including freight, so there is not too much too loose :)

I have a multimeter, so I will start studying when I get it.

buddee
buddee's picture
You won't need the multi

You won't need the multi-meter for that adapter, it already says what is what on the bottom of the chip. No guess work involved. :)

Main thing with that adapter is to make sure you have the jumper pins set to 3.3v instead of 5v, which again is explained on the bottom of the chip.

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
Thanks for the clarification.

Thanks for the clarification. I ordered the adapter and I'm looking forward to receive it and see if I'm able to derbric the router from Mac with the OS X tutorial.

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
As I live in Cyprus (Europe)

As I live in Cyprus (Europe) I guess this would be the same if it works: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-TTL-UART-6PIN-CP2102-Module-Serial-Con...

But I already ordered mine as buddee suggestion. No big deal as long as it works, and I will be able to do the rest.

Brandon C
Brandon C's picture
grimreaper1014 said: I was

grimreaper1014 said: I was just trying to figure out if it was the right one. I might order one myself just to have it on hand. ...

It looks to me like it will work. You might want to look at the driver info and download to make sure that it will work on your computer.

asheikh
asheikh's picture
Just a simple suggestion that

Just a simple suggestion that worked for me and I had the same issue as the OP:

Press and hold the reset button and power on the router. Keep the reset button pressed for about 2 mins then let go. For me, it took another couple of minutes (2-3) before the power light suddenly turned from amber to green and the rest of the lights powered on :)

I was in the middle of my search to find the appropriate cable and came across this simple tip on the forums. Hope it helps some of you!

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
Thanks for the tip a sheikh.

Thanks for the tip a sheikh. Unforetenetly I did not have the same luck as you. And I'm still waiting for my USB to TTL cable from Hong Kong :S

I_O_ERROR
I_O_ERROR's picture
@Matsaki

@Matsaki

I can confirm that this cable will work, though we had some trouble getting it play nicely,
but I don't exactly remember what it was (I'll have to ask a friend of mine, he did all the heavy lifting).

Matsaki
Matsaki's picture
So today I got my TTL cable

So today I got my TTL cable (finally). I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I'm not completely sure how to wire/connect the cable between the Mac and the router?

The tutorial for debricking using Mac seems clear enough so I hope it will run smoothly once I manage to et connected.

Installed X11, Macports and Minicom. Does the TTL cable also need a driver?? Can't see the adapter plugged in.

nicolasdiogo
nicolasdiogo's picture
the troible in de-bricking

the troible in de-bricking rthis route is that you may need tolder bits to the board

instead of adding this feature Netgear decided to save some minor expenses on a model aimed for tweak and experimentation