Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:16 Post subject: Linksys WRT54GL v1.1 bricked and nothing seems to work...
Hi!
I'm new to this forum and I really would use some help.I manage successfully flash DD-WRT to my Linksys WRT54GL router. After that I started to play with the NVRAM values and finally bricked my router... Now, when I turn on the power of the router, it just blinks the power led and all the lan port leds are on. Router don't aswer to pings. I did extensive search on this forum and find out that it means CFE is not working properly. After reading some more I come to conclusion that JTAG is way to. I both one from here: www.diygadget.com. I got my cable, downloaded EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.8 software and set up connection between my PC and router. First I used the following command to check that my connection worked:
Then I tried to erase the NVRAM and see if the problem was there
wrt54g -erase:nvram /noemw
Nothing, router still in same state.Then I decided to erase whole flash, flash new CFE in and after that use TFTP to install new firmware. I made the CFE using SkyNet RepairKit 1.3 (and also tried one of the Lonewolf site: lonewolf.hacker-nin.com/wrt/cfe/) and used following commands:
Everything went just fine. Didn't get any error messages and wrt54g printed out that CFE.BIN flashed OK. I rebooted my router and...nothing! The router is just in the same state: power led in blinking and lan leds are on. I figured out that there may have been some problem in the flashing even though I didn't get any error messages, so I made I backup from the CFE that I just flashed:
wrt54g -backup:cfe /noemw
then I compared the original and the backup: they are identical! So I know that my flashing is working just fine. After that I did some more reading and came a cross information that Linksys have chanced the flashchip from Intel to Samsung. I started to wonder that could it be that the CFE's that I used aren't compatible with the samsung chip? Or does it matter at all?
If someone has the same router with same chip (samsung) could backup their CFE and send it to me (jukka.laattala_(at)_gmail.com), so I could compare that there is no difference between that and the ones I have tested.
Does anyone have any more ideas that I could try?
Should I get serial cable? Could I get more information out off it?
Here's some informatio of the router:
Linksys WRT54GL v.1.1 (bought from Finland,so propably EU model)
S/N:CL7B1FC48XXX
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 2087 Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:47 Post subject:
Did you verify after an erase of wholeflash that it was erased ? I'm wondering, because I am having a problem with another chip that has a samsung ID on it. _________________ Want JTAG support - Donate a router
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Yes, I did a wholeflash backup and it's all FFFFFFFFFFF, so I assume it is empty....
Tornado wrote:
Did you verify after an erase of wholeflash that it was erased ? I'm wondering, because I am having a problem with another chip that has a samsung ID on it.
And which of the tips do you meen, number 2? Have you read what I have already tried? And anyway, short circuit the chip is not a good idea. That way I can fry my router permanently. The problem is that I can flash the chip woth CFE but still it wont work.
More info, after flashing the new CFE and rebooting the router I checked the NVRAM settings...and they are all FFFFFFF... shouldn't the CFE write new NVRAM settings on boot if there isn't any?
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 2087 Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 13:12 Post subject:
Yes, it should if, the cfe loads...It may not be loading. I would not try the pin shorting either. The first time the cfe comes up it looks to see if the embedded NVRAM varibles have be wriiten or alread exsist, if not it writes them and reboots. And yes a serial console could help tell us what the problem is, but only if the CFE loads. _________________ Want JTAG support - Donate a router
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Thanks for the info! I though my self that was the case....so the CFE isn't working...or at least I think that is the problem here. Does anyone have working WRT54GL v.1.1 EU model and JTAG cable? I would really appreciate if that person could backup their CFE and NVRAM and send them to me to jukka.laattala_(at)_gmail.com. Maybe I could debrick my router with those. At least I could compare if the CFE differens from that I made with Skynet repair kit.
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 2087 Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 15:13 Post subject:
What troubles me, is that you say it is properly writing the CFE, can you send it to me so I can look at it ? The original not from skynet _________________ Want JTAG support - Donate a router
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What troubles me, is that you say it is properly writing the CFE, can you send it to me so I can look at it ? The original not from skynet
Well, actually no. I propably didn't explain my self clearly enough. When I said "then I compared the original and the backup" I meant that I compared the CFE made by Skynet and the that same CFE after I had flashed it and then backuped it.
I don't have the real original CFE from my router because I (yes, stupid of me) erased the whole flash before making backup... That's why I'm asking for anyone who has the same router to send me his CFE and NVRAM settings...
Thanks for the CFE.BIN but....no luck! First I compared it with the one I got from lonewolf site and they are identical execpt the mac number. So, in this point I allready thought that it won't work I tried anyway. I chanced my routers mac number in the cfe and flashed it...and nothing. Power led still blinking and lan leds on...
What about, if the cfe is ok, but the NVRAM settings in it aren't? Could it be that the samsung chip might need different setting than intel or some another chip and the cfe that are found on the net aren't for samsung chip?
I wrote an email to technical support and asked about this situation...no help. They could say anything. I even asked them to send me CFE.BIN but aswer was that they don't have that file as a seperate file and offered only the firmware. Finally, they told me that if I needed CFE I should download the source code from Linksys server and build it my self...
Tornado, thanks anyway for the file.
ps. could you get me also your NWRAM.BIN? I could then try itor at least compare the settings in it and the ones in the CFE...
That's why I'm asking for anyone who has the same router to send me his CFE and NVRAM settings...