Bricked WA801ND

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mongoled
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 14:45    Post subject: Bricked WA801ND Reply with quote
Hi!

Hope someone can help me.

I successfully flashed my TL-WA801ND with tplink_tl-wr841ndv8 from the link

http://dd-wrt.com/site/support/other-downloads?path=others%2Feko%2FBrainSlayer-V24-preSP2%2F2013%2F07-24-2013-r22118%2Ftplink_tl-wr841ndv8%2F

First I flashed with the factory-to-ddwrt.bin file using the web interface (I had to modify the header first as was getting 18005 error message).

Then I flashed with the tl-wr841nd-webflash.bin file again through the web interface.

After playing around with the setup I wanted to flash back to the original firmware.

So I used these instructions

Quote:
For those who may want to go back to TP-Link on WR841 v8 without webrevert file, here is the solution (I've just tested it succesfully on my own WR841n V8 ):

1. Download WinSCP and Putty (if you are using Windows machine).
2. Enable SSH and Telnet on DD-wrt.
3. Connect PC with router with LAN cable.
4. Download orig firmware from TP-LINK, extract and change name for more convinient for example: tplink.bin
5. Connect with WinSCP with SCP file protocol to router.
6. Transfer tplink.bin from PC to /tmp directory on router.
7. Close WinSCP, run Putty and connect to router with Telnet type connection.
8. While logged on router type the following command

mtd -r write /tmp/tplink.bin linux

and hit enter.


But was greeted with a message

Quote:
Erasing mtd failed: linux


I then found this thread after I had the error message

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=161581&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=255

Telling me abt the changes TP-Link had made and that my AP was now toast

Sad

Here is the output from U-Boot

Quote:
U-Boot 1.1.4 (Jan 21 2013 - 19:03:42)

U-boot AP123


DRAM: 32 MB
id read 0x100000ff
Flash: 4 MB
Using default environment

In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
Net: ag934x_enet_initialize...
wasp reset mask:c03300
WASP ----> S27 PHY
file: ag934x.c,line: 179==: set LAN&WAN SWAP. --debug by HouXB
GMAC: cfg1 0x5 cfg2 0x7114
eth0: ba:be:fa:ce:08:41
s27 reg init
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_CONTROL 4: 0x1000
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_SPEC_STAUS 4: 0x10
eth0 up
WASP ----> S27 PHY
file: ag934x.c,line: 179==: set LAN&WAN SWAP. --debug by HouXB
GMAC: cfg1 0xf cfg2 0x7214
eth1: ba:be:fa:ce:08:41
s27 reg init lan
ATHRS27: resetting s27
ATHRS27: s27 reset done
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_CONTROL 0: 0x1000
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_SPEC_STAUS 0: 0x10
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_CONTROL 1: 0x1000
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_SPEC_STAUS 1: 0x10
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_CONTROL 2: 0x1000
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_SPEC_STAUS 2: 0x10
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_CONTROL 3: 0x1000
athrs27_phy_setup ATHR_PHY_SPEC_STAUS 3: 0x10
eth1 up
eth0, eth1
Autobooting in 1 seconds
## Booting image at 9f020000 ...
Uncompressing Kernel Image ... Too big uncompressed streamLZMA ERROR 1 - must RESET board to recover


and the output from printenv

Quote:
wasp> printenv
bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200 root=31:02 rootfstype=squashfs init=/sbin/init mtdparts=ath-nor0:128k(u-boot),1024k(kernel),2816k(rootfs),64k(config),64k(art)
bootcmd=bootm 0x9f020000
bootdelay=1
baudrate=115200
ethaddr=0xba:0xbe:0xfa:0xce:0x08:0x41
ipaddr=192.168.1.111
serverip=192.168.1.100
dir=
bc=ap123
lu=tftp 0x81000000 ${dir}u-boot.bin&&erase 0x9f000000 +$filesize;cp.b $fileaddr 0x9f000000 $filesize
lf=tftp 0x81000000 ${dir}${bc}-squashfs&&erase 0x9f120000 +$filesize;cp.b $fileaddr 0x9f120000 $filesize
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
ethact=eth0

Environment size: 565/65532 bytes


I have tried to upload a new flash via tftp but with no success, it seems I am not connected to the device OK, no firewalls are turned on.

I set static IP address on PC LAN adapter as 192.168.1.100, 255.255.255.0.

Plugged straight ethernet cable from PC LAN adapter to the ethernet port on the WA801ND.

Ive done these procedures from Windows 7 64bit and Windows XP 32bit.

Output below.......

Quote:
wasp> tftpboot wrt.bin
enet1 port0 up
dup 1 speed 1000
*** Warning: no boot file name; using '6F01A8C0.img'
Using eth1 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.100; our IP address is 192.168.1.111
Filename '6F01A8C0.img'.
Load address: 0x0
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T
Retry count exceeded; starting again
eth0 link down

Abort


Can anybody provide me with some assistance ?

Thanks
Sponsor
mongoled
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK, looking at the wiki here for the wa901nd

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wa901nd

It says

Quote:
The ethernet port is not enabled in the boot loader. Because of that, TFTP cannot be used to transfer the firmware.


Seeing I am using a wa801nd, its probably the reason I cannot use tftp to flash.

So

1/ Is there a way to activate the ethernet port ?
2/ If not, is there a way to activate the wireless ?

Thanks
mongoled
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:26    Post subject: Reply with quote
Something to add that may help someone help me!

Before I bricked the router I mentioned this

Quote:
4. Download orig firmware from TP-LINK, extract and change name for more convinient for example: tplink.bin
5. Connect with WinSCP with SCP file protocol to router.
6. Transfer tplink.bin from PC to /tmp directory on router.


Well, would this file stil be at this location?

The directory structure on the WA801ND was a little different, it was /tmp/root rather than just /tmp.

What commands can I give to see if this file is still there ?
mongoled
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 10:36    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, from the lack of any sort of response from the community and the tens of hours I have invested in learning.

It seems that the only way I am going to be able to unbrick the AP is by doing a hot BIOS flash.

I have chopped up an old notebook motherboard which contains the pads I require to use as the 'base' for the BIOS chip to sit on.

I already have another boxed WA801ND that I can remove the BIOS chip, connect it to my BIOS chip 'base', boot, remove BIOS chip, attach bricked BIOS chip, then hot flash via the web interface.

Sounds like a good idea ??

Very Happy
mongoled
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 16:50    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well here is the mod done, tested and ready for action.

Will wait till tomorrow to see if anyone will assist me.

If not will open the other WA801ND remove the BIOS chip and hotflash

Shocked



rhaulh
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Aug 2016
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 19:22    Post subject: Easy way Reply with quote
Last night i bricked my wa801nd when trying to revert from dd-wrt to factory firmware. I tried for about 5 hours to flash the firmware but i was unable to ping the router, i did everything as suggested in multiple forums but i have no luck. So I decided to buy the usb to ttl cable to flash it later.

This morning i downloaded this program "tftpd32.452", i decompressed it and put the stock firmware into the folder, i set the lan adapters ip to 192.168.0.66 and then i did this:

The wa801nd must be power off, then power on until all lights blinking the push the reset button for 5 seconds, only power led and the secure led indicator will be on for a couple seconds. The program will detect your router at ip 192.168.0.86 and a port (may vary) and will start uploading the firmware after that the wa801nd will reboot and it will be alive!!! And i only expend like 5 minutes. Sometimes you just need to relax a lil bit and try again later, lol.

NOTE: It's important to see the program, sometimes it changes the "server interfaces" to "software loopback". If it does, check the log viewer. I realized that my firmware's name was wrong, but the log showed the specified filename requested by the wa801nd, just rename to the right one and restart the process. You will be able to program with out usb to ttl cable.

NOTE 2: My devices bricked after following the ssh method to revert to stock.

I could brick my device again in science porpuses to make a video of the process!
scorpion11
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 16 Aug 2018
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 7:25    Post subject: tplink ap 801 v 1 revert problem! Reply with quote
i triny to revert from dd-wrt to factory firmware using the winscp to copy image of dd-wrt to factory firmware in temp
and then using putty to recovr using this command(mtd -r linux -r write/tmp/wa801nd-v1.bin linux)
but when he finish the led of power and system in AP is flashing without stable , led for lan off

can you help me to solve this problem ? Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad
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