unbrick linksys e1200 and e900, ssh access not working

Post new topic   Reply to topic    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Broadcom SoC based Hardware
Author Message
thomashunter
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 04 Aug 2021
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 21:56    Post subject: unbrick linksys e1200 and e900, ssh access not working Reply with quote
I followed the wiki to flash e1200.

The wiki seems to have some conflicting information and says NOT TO USE THE DATABASE EVER WITH LOTS OF EXPLANATION MARKS!!!!! but it says nothing about where to actually find the build. So I looked at ftp.dd-wrt.com and because of the way the files are sorted I used filezilla to search the server for the newest build with the e1200 in the file name.

It flashed just fine but every time I connect via browser it gets disconnected in under 1 minute and will not connect again unless I restart the router. I can see that the version is okay but it seems unstable. I'm not able to flash it to anything else because it just crashes.

If I restart the router and want to connect with ssh the connection always times out.

I thought the router was broken so I got linksys e900 and got the firmware the same way by searching for the newest one on the ftp and it has exactly the same behavior.

I found dd-wrt.v24-47117_NEWD-2_K3.x_mega-e900.bin. I needed the mega or big build.

some screenshots:
https://ibb.co/fptCSCP
https://ibb.co/LN63g9C

Is there a way how to unbrick those 2 routers? What did I do wrong?

I'm looking for a cheap router that can handle the big or mega ddwrt build. Any suggestions welcome Smile

btw I've got 1 more e1200 to play with. They are dirt cheap. How do I flash it without breaking that one too?
Sponsor
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 3:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
Apparently, you read some new wikis that I can't seem to find. It gives you initial flash instructions and tells you where to find firmware files for upgrading. These can be de-bricked by TFTP - if they are truly bricked. Now, is the E1200 a v1 or v2? The v1 is only 4MB flash and will only run mini K2.6 builds.

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E900

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E1200

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E1200v2

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Recover_from_a_bad_flash

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Tftp_flash

https://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=137928

I think these all also have Management Mode to recover as well:

https://www.linksys.com/sg/support-article?articleNum=140001

_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
thomashunter
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 04 Aug 2021
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is version 2 with 8MB flash. So I followed https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E1200v2

I don't know if it is bricked or not because I can access the web gui as shown in screenshots but in 20 - 30 seconds it crashes and I can't access it unless I restart the router. This doesn't give me enough time to flash anything else on it.

But I'm nor even sure what I did wrong. I flashed the build that had the model number in name as I said in the first post.
tedm
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 554

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 14:34    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm very familiar with the e900 and e1500s and other e routers.

The ones you have the power adapters are garbage. If you look on the back of the router the power requirements are 12v 500ma. in reality that Broadcom SOC chip takes closer to 1A

What I have observed happening with these is that the power adapters that came with them BARELY supply adequate current. Over time the ability of the adapter to do this gets lower. When you flash the router the flashing process takes extra current and the adapter cannot hold up so it crashes during an attempt to flash. Another thing that happens is when dd-wrt is on there it appears to cause the CPU to draw more current so once more the adapter cannot meet the demands and the voltage drops and then the router crashes.

Get some nice 12v 2A ac adapters and you will be fine
MysticGold04
DD-WRT User


Joined: 20 Apr 2018
Posts: 174
Location: Somewhere remote

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 14:57    Post subject: Reply with quote
tedm wrote:


The ones you have the power adapters are garbage. If you look on the back of the router the power requirements are 12v 500ma. in reality that Broadcom SOC chip takes closer to 1A



This, but are you also resetting after you flash by holding the reset button for at least 20 seconds afterwards? I've gone back and forth between stock, FreshTomato and DDWRT without issues on the e1200v2 that I have.

_________________
ASUS RT-AC3100 AP Merlin 386.12_4
ASUS RT-AC68U Media Bridge/Merlin 386.12_4 (x2)
ASUS RT-AC68U AP r54604
ASUS RT-AC68U Gateway/AP r54604
Edgerouter-4, v2.0.9-hotfix7
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 15:56    Post subject: Reply with quote
I still don't know how I bludgeon through with a power adapter from a Ubitquiti ER-III (12v 1a) on all the E-series devices I've had hands on without issue. If this is over wired ethernet, as it should be, I don't see a reason for the issue unless your browser isn't in private mode without extensions or add-ons loaded browsing separate from your internet traffic. The only other thing that could be at fault is if the caps on the SoC board are failing. The E4200 v1 standard power supply is 12v 2a; All of the E-series Broadcom-powered devices have either the BCM5357, BCM5358, BCM4717, or BCM4718 MIPS processor clocked anywhere from 300 to 500 MHz. Since we don't know what client machine is being used or browser, there's only so much we can blindly guesstimate to be the issue.
_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
tedm
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 554

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 16:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
The e1200 and e900 came with 12v _500ma_ adapters. I think the e1500 was the same. I still have one of those adapters in my junk box.

I think power issues are a lot more common once the manufacturers switched to wall warts that use switching power converters. The older ones with the transformers seemed to not only last a bit longer and be more reliable (as long as you draw less than their max rated amperage) but were a lot more resistant to spikes.

Just the other day I had a Ktec 12v 2.5a adapter powering one of my Netgear AC1450's pull this garbage. I telnetted into the router and typed "reboot" and it never came back. Turning it off and on and it was fine. I then tried it again and same issue. I even tried rebooting it from the web interface. Same issue.

Replacing the power supply with an Apple-branded supply from an old power book fixed the problem. Reboots just fine now. The old supply had been running the router for a year just fine. No doubt it will still run one of the lighter duty MIPS routers just fine, too.

As parts age in these wall warts they get out of spec. Some routers can handle it the others can't. Almost ALWAYS it looks like a software issue but it's not. Linksys has chosen poor component vendors before, this isn't the first time.
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 17:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
tedm wrote:
Replacing the power supply with an Apple-branded supply from an old power book fixed the problem. Reboots just fine now.
So, you're juicing your 12VDC router with (up to) 24.5VDC? I have an old G4 PowerBook sitting in my closet right now. MagSafe/MagSafe2 adapters are 14.5-20VDC for newer Intel MacBooks.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201700

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201182

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagSafe_(Mac)

I also found an antique PowerBook on the internet... 24VDC on the label...

https://imgur.com/a/YqrJl

_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
thomashunter
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 04 Aug 2021
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 18:16    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting idea about the insufficient power. Sounds unlikely but worth to try. So I bought a 3A power supply and tried that.

With 12V same thing. It goes off in less than a minute and won't come back up unless I reboot it.

Then I tried to give it 12.2 V and same behavior.
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 19:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would definitely suggest at a minimum a normal reset which is ~10 seconds with the router booted up. You can also do a hard reset, if you feel necessary; 30 seconds with router booted up, unplug router and continue holding reset button for 30 seconds, plug router back in and continue holding reset button for 30 seconds and release.

Telnet and ssh will not work until you have logged into the webUI the first time and changed the password; the top text box is username, and the bottom two are password - you have to enter it twice to change it before clicking "change password". You have to enable ssh under "Services" for it to work.

I always recommend not accessing the webUI in the same browser process you are surfing the 'net with, and not over wi-fi unless you have to (which with the LAN ports quirk on these two, you have to initially, if I recall right). Firefox ESR portable and Pale Moon Portable are my go-to browsers.

_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
thomashunter
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 04 Aug 2021
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 1:47    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did hard reset it several times. After each time I changed the default username and password when it asked. I did try to access the gui with chrome and internet explorer and ssh into it from Ubuntu on WSL.

I'm now proclaiming this router e1200 dead and will be returning it together with the e900. I'm still curious what's wrong with it but I won't be fiddling with these anymore.

I'm posting a new question in General asking about recommendations for a budget router that would like ddwrt.

Thank you for your help and feel free recommend a new router Very Happy
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 2:49    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ok, first off, you don't need to change the webUI username (you just ask for problems there, IMHO); secondly, telnet and ssh username is *always* root. Sounds like you shot yourself in the foot and want to give up. Also, I really wish you *hadn't* opened a thread about what router to buy. *READ THE STICKIES*
_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
tedm
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 554

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 5:01    Post subject: Reply with quote
kernel-panic69 wrote:
So, you're juicing your 12VDC router with (up to) 24.5VDC?

Maybe it's not from a powerbook then. All I know is it's all white with that Apple logo on it and it says 12v 2.5A or 3.3A on it. And it fits the power plug and it's the correct polarity.
thomashunter wrote:

I'm now proclaiming this router e1200 dead and will be returning it together with the e900. I'm still curious what's wrong with it but I won't be fiddling with these anymore.

There are a couple other things that can happen to old routers besides the power adapter going out and a bad electrolytic cap. You can get a bad block in the flash and in the nvram. However the kernel boot in dd-wrt checks for this and locks those out. You can also get a bad bit in memory. And the router can also overheat and damage the processor.

As for a bad flash yes that's possible to. Although I have an e1200 right here in my box of routers. Which firmware load version and which size were you using?
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14102
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:59    Post subject: Reply with quote
tedm wrote:
kernel-panic69 wrote:
So, you're juicing your 12VDC router with (up to) 24.5VDC?


Maybe it's not from a powerbook then. All I know is it's all white with that Apple logo on it and it says 12v 2.5A or 3.3A on it. And it fits the power plug and it's the correct polarity.

Must be an old A1202 or similar, and that is only a 1.8A power adapter. But picture proof would be great.

_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
Display posts from previous:    Page 1 of 1
Post new topic   Reply to topic    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Broadcom SoC based Hardware All times are GMT

Navigation

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum