[Heinzek]

Check IP. Default router IP is 192.168.0.1 Tftp must have 192.168.0.x

[Aboshi]

I was using 192.168.0.x but if to u ifconfig in CFE it says the router address is 192.168.1.1

[Heinzek]

try enter command
nvram erase
and try again.

I erase my nvram and IP change to 192.168.1.1. Try downloading using command:
load -tftp 192.168.1.66:filename
and this is works.

[Aboshi]

@Heinzek

THANK YOU!

Im all fixed up

I was finely able to get 12.bin flashed over. After that went through I typed go and it booted but again with the rftest error. Than I rememberd you posted mtd3.bin also and after flashing that it worked perfectly!
I rebooted the router and flashed the latest firmware from tp-link without issue

Now just let me know your paypal address so I can send you some beer $

Again Thanks!



***Solved***

For the rest of you get yourself USB-UART they are dirt cheap on ebay I used this one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/131559693250?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)
and some male/female pins if you want to perm install with head hanging out or just use a header or wire, it doesnt matter.

Here is a link to the files @Heinzek was kind enough to post, I have also put in a mini tutorial to help you along so you dont have to read through the entire thread.

Working Links:
http://www.mirrorupload.net/file/1YUCXYGZ/#!CFE-FIX.zip

[Heinzek]

Super. Im glad your success.

[Norbi]

[Aboshi]

@Norbi
check the new link, I didnt realize that other mirror uploaded posted that trash site.

[Norbi]

So there are no chances for a web-revert to be created?

[Aboshi]

Not any time in the near future.../
Spend less than $10 and use hardware.
Plus its nice to have a usb-serial laying around if you even need one.

[reroute]

Can somebody please confirm if I bricked my router?

Steps I performed:
- Successfully flashed and configured 07-09-2015-r27506
- Tried to configure WDS to connect with my old router and triggered a reboot via admin-tab in GUI

Router does not boot anymore:
- First all LEDs light hup
- Then the power LED lights up shortly
- Then the power LED and the 2.4 GHz WiFi LED light up, but the latter (WiFi) only for a fraction of a second
- Only the power LED remains active (except from the red indicator for a missing WAN connection)

What I tried to fix:
- 30/30/30 hard reset
- Check IP connection for TFTP-method:
-- Wired connection with static IPs on client (192.168.1.11 and also 192.168.0.11) to try to ping the router (ping –t 192.168.1.1)
-- Reply from 192.168.1.11: Destination host unreachable. (All the time, not even in management mode.)
-- The ethernet status of the LAN connection reveals that not a single packet has been received

Is JTAG my last chance to recover the router? Has anybody tried it with a C9 before?

It seems that DD-WRT for the C9 is still buggy as the flashing itself went fine but I somehow managed to brick it through a simple reconfiguration.

[Aboshi]

@reroute

You are doing the tftp wrong.
Try this to get you router back up and running because you arent bricked just yet.

Set you computer IP to 192.168.0.66 (dont make up your one use this one!)

Rename the dd-wrt firmware to archerc9v1_tp_recovery.bin
Put archerc9v1_tp_recovery.bin in the dir you have the tftp server pointing to
Plug in lan port 1 to you computer
Turn the router off
Hold the reset button and turn on the router and count to 5
Let go of the reset button
Let it do its thing and do not power it off for at least 2 mins, but it should reboot on its own.
After that you can go to 192.168.1.1 and you should have fresh dd-wrt back on there.

If this doesnt work you will need to hook up to UART

^^ And yes I have flashed my router over UART, it was the only way I could get back to stock.

[reroute]

Thank you @Aboshi!

I was now able to successfully transfer the "archer-c9-webflash.bin" to the router (after renaming it).

Unfortunately it still gets stuck and the LEDs light up in exactly the same sequence as before.

Am I missing something?

[Aboshi]

what happens when you try to go to 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1?

[reroute]

The GUI is not accessible via browser and ping isn't working as well.

From client 192.168.0.66:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping 192.168.0.1
Pinging 192.168.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Reply from 192.168.0.66: Destination host unreachable.

From client 192.168.1.11:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping 192.168.1.1
Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.11: Destination host unreachable.

As it's apparently a configuration brick, is it somehow possible to clear NVRAM with tftp?
Hard reset doesn't seem to work.

[Aboshi]

If you cant ping the router then nothing is going to fix it short of UART

I used this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131559693250?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And these jumpers if you dont want to add a header to the C9 board:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321756141990?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

if not just use a header and regular jumpers

and if your super lazy like I was at first just to get some tests done, you can stuff the wires through the holes and tape them down super tight so they dont disconnect.
In the long run though I highly suggest soldering in everything.
I will post pics tomorrow of my setup as I have jumper wires coming out of my C9 now just incase I ever brick it again, or want to test dd-wrt again.