Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 22:59 Post subject: Linksys WRT1200AC V2 semi-bricked
Hello everyone,
I have a Linksys WRT1200AC V2 and I can't login into it nor flash to reset it. The router lights up, boots up and I can get to the login prompt of it. I did try to switch the partitions and I believe DD WRT is flashed on both, and on both partitions the login information is lost, SSH is disabled I believe (receive connection refused on both) and I believe the reset button doesn't do anything either (Not 100% sure on this). I bought 2 different model USB to serial cables and tried to follow the below guides. I bought 2 because I thought maybe one was broken. I've tried Windows and Ubuntu with Putty and Screen and neither show anything on either cable. I don't see any output on either machine/cable/software. I also cut into one of the crappier cables because the connections to the pins were wobbly but still no output on Putty or Screen.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14246 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 0:38 Post subject:
I use a pitch adapter cable to connect to this style of serial connector on Linksys. If your serial client is set correctly, your cable TX lead goes to router RX pin and your cable RX lead goes to your router TX pin.
If ssh isn't answering, check telnet. Does the DD-WRT web interface come up when you use a browser? Is the router serving IP addresses at all? Default IP of router is 192.168.1.1. _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
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Hello! The DD-WRT web interface doesn't come up, but when I go to 192.168.1.1 with my web browser, I just get a prompt for a username/password. When I cancel the prompt, it says...
"401 Unauthorized
Authorization required. please note that the default username is "root" in all newer releases"
It does assign IP addresses. I've tried the reset button while it was off, on, 30 seconds, a minute...
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14246 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:25 Post subject:
And it is still prompting for a user/pass (that you don't know the password for, I presume). Could be on a build that the reset button was broken. Normal reset is around 10 seconds push of the button with the router powered up. If it's not resetting, you're going to have to flash via serial. I don't recall if there is a way to reset nvram via u-boot/serial, but if it's not in the stickies in this forum, check the OpenWRT wiki:
Thank you for the suggestions! I have tried holding the reset button and WPS button (together and each separately) for 10 seconds but unfortunately, that doesn't work either. I'm curious, is that a way to not show serial output? Could malware do that?
*Edit*
Also, I've read that you should test your USB to serial cable. Is there a guide for that...?
Joined: 04 Aug 2018 Posts: 1447 Location: Appalachian mountains, USA
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 19:28 Post subject:
As someone pointed out above, the password prompt you are seeing is NOT asking you to remember your password. It is asking you to create a new password. Make up something and confirm it. Use "root" (no quotes) as the username. _________________ 2x Netgear XR500 and 3x Linksys WRT1900ACSv2 on 53544: VLANs, VAPs, NAS, station mode, OpenVPN client (AirVPN), wireguard server (AirVPN port forward) and clients (AzireVPN, AirVPN, private), 3 DNSCrypt providers via VPN.