I tried easy ways to bring it back to life but with no success yet. It does not respond to ping.
Now I can either crack it open (void warranty) and try to short-circuit pins, JTAG, etc. or just RMA it to Linksys as it is right now and get a replacement.
If I do RMA, I do not know which model they are going to send me back. From reading the forum I understand that it is not always true that later version is better. Some cannot be flashed with dd-wrt for example.
What is the common wisdom here: debrick or rma? If rma, which particular h/w versions I should try to avoid or try to get if I give up my current WRT54GS V2.
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 980 Location: Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 16:15 Post subject:
That's one of the best models -- don't send it back !
Just try the pin-shorting trick - it only takes a few minutes.
I've done this dozens of times
here's some tips --
1) I always set my computer's IP to static - it won't be able to pull a dhcp assignment from the brick.
2) I use a hub between the pc and the router to avoid delays in the pc's ethernet initializing -- If you can't do that, set the ethernet port to 10Mb/HDX so it doesn't waste precious nanoseconds auto-negotiating with the wrt port.
3) I keep continuous pings to 192.168.1.1 running in one window, and have the tftp transfer all queued up to start in another, and I focus on this tftp window.
4) I tape one side of my wire to the flat top of the antenna port so I can hit the pins on the flash chip with the other end using one hand while I power up with the other hand.
5) I move my "power hand" to the keyboard. As soon as I see the first ping response from the wrt with the TTL=100, I start the tftp
I sometimes have to repeat 4) & 5) to get the timing just right, but I've always been successfull. _________________ linksys GSv2, Gv4, Gv2, GLv1, G-TM, Buffalo wbr2, whr, whr-hp, whr-g125, wli-tx4-g54hp, Moto wr850gp, Alix.3C2
Agreed... I bricked my new v4 the first few minutes I had it. I hunted through the store shevles and found the only v4 left in a sea of v5's so there was no way I was sending it back. After a few minutes I calmed down, cracked it open, shorted the pins and it has been working fine ever since. It isn't that hard if you follow the directions as you should.
I have successfully debricked my wrt54gv4 using the step listed in the link. Nothing worked for me until I shorted the pins on the flash chip and it then went into diag mode, applied my firmware and all is well.
btw, RMA'ing devices due to applying a 3rd party firmware or moding the thing only pushes manufactures to lock down their devices. It’s like adding a supercharger to your car and complaining to Ford when it blows up for an exchange. I change my wrt54g’s knowing that if I screw it up, I either fix it or buy a new one rather than ruining it for everyone else.
