I can vouch for the instructions that Malachi refers to.
My biggest hassle was making sure that I matched the cables correctly with the adapter that I sourced from eBay. I was very concerned about making sure voltages were the right spec.
Once you've got the adapter then what you need is time, quiet and patience. Read the instructions through fully before getting stuck in is another tip. Do that and you'll be fine.
But only realized now that the instructions call for a 3.3 V and this one uses 5 V. However, according to the instructions, we are not connecting the 5V pins, only GND, RX, TX, so is it ok, or do I need another one?
But only realized now that the instructions call for a 3.3 V and this one uses 5 V. However, according to the instructions, we are not connecting the 5V pins, only GND, RX, TX, so is it ok, or do I need another one?
They had such a nice documentation and macOS drivers. Well, it's already shipping anyway so I'll try them, but I'll order your recommendation just to be on the safe side. I'd rather send the $10 then buy another router (especially that I really love the R7000).
i couldn't menage to install the drivers and ordered the one above....however i gave it to a friend and he found the way how to and i got it back after he used it with win 7
Do keep in mind when connect TX goes to RX and RX goes to TX aka they are crossed... some routers need
3.3v but in my case i didnt need power(3.3v) only GRD, TX and RX did my job....
and to no one's surprise I haven't been able to make it work. Installed the drivers, followed the instructions, the connector is recognized by the system, but when I try to open the port using screen in terminal, it tells me "Resource busy, cannot find PTY". When I try to use CoolTerm, the software throws an error saying that the access is denied.
I looked around for workaround, played with the settings in macOS, but nothing. If anyone has an idea, I'm opened, but it seems I will just have to wait for the other USB-serial connector to arrive on Monday.
I did it! I was able to flash my R7000 using the Adafruit cable! I'm so happy right now and want to thank everyone for their tremendous help and support. As a very small and humble way of giving back, I've noticed that there aren't any tutorial for debricking your router if you're using a Mac. I know that it's not that hard, but if you are a noob like me, I'm hoping this post will help you save you time. So here's what I did step by step.
2. Open your R7000 and don't forget that there are 5 screws, one in the middle and one underneath each rubber pad.
3. If you look at this picture, you'll see how to connect your Adafruit cable. The green cable is TX, the white is RX and the black is GRND.
4. Download the cable's drivers from the vendor's page. Install them on your Mac and restart.
5. If everything went well, going to -> About This Mac -> System Report -> USB will enable you to see USB-Serial Controller
If you don't see it, don't proceed. Something is wrong with your installation (I had to restart twice to see it)
6.a. Download and install CoolTerm and TFTP Client. Technically, you can do everything from the terminal, but I had a hard time figuring it out and those tools really helped me save time, so if you are new to this, help yourself.
6.b. Download the necessary firmwares. First download the original firmware from Netgear. I had to install the Netgear first before I could reinstall Kong's version. For some reason, I couldn't flash Kong's version straight away. Then download Kong's firmware ending in .chk and the latest update ending in .bin. Make sure you read the Supported Models text file to see what file applies to your router.
Your router should be off at this point, meaning the power connector should be unplugged
7. Connect your Adafruit cable to the router as explained above and connect the USB side of the cable to your computer.
8. Connect your Mac to one of the four Ethernet ports on your router (not the WAN/Internet one), then go to -> System Preferences -> Network. Locate your Ethernet interface and configure your IPs Manually as shown below.
Click Apply and Save.
9. Launch TFTP Client. In the adress field type 192.168.1.1 and choose the Netgear firmware file as shown below. Once this is done, just keep the window nearby. You'll press Start later.
10. Launch CoolTerm and select Options. Then in Serial Port, choose "usbserial" and use the same settings as below.
Click OK, then Click
You're going to see an empty console and a few "...". It's normal. The port has just been opened. Now before proceeding, here's what you must know. Once you plug the power cord to your router, things are going to come up in the CoolTerm console. As soon as you see that, hit Ctrl +C really quickly and numerous times until the prompt "CFE >" appears. I didn't really understand that part and missed it a few times at the beginning.
Go ahead, plug in your router, look at the CoolTerm console and start hitting Ctrl+C
11. Once you see CFE >, simply type the command "tftpd".
You're going to see "READING::" appear.
12. Move back to the TFTP Client window and press start. If everything worked well, you should see the firmware being sent block by block to your router. My Ethernet light was blinking and the progress bar moving. Just wait until the whole process ends.
13. Once TFTP Client has finished, you'll see the router restart and the CoolTerm console display new messages. That's fine, just unplug the router, push the disconnect button in CoolTerm and unplug your Adafruit cable. Plug the power cord in your router again. If everything went well, you should be able to see the Netgear interface. You can now reinstall DD-WRT using the files you previously downloaded (the .chk first and .bin second)
FAQ:
1. If you get an error message in CoolTerm saying access denied, it's because the serial port wasn't disconnected properly. Unplug the USB from the computer and plug it back, It should fix the issue.
Nice write up & congrats on recovery.
Added to the tips/tricks. _________________ Router currently owned:
Netgear R7800 - Router
Netgear R7000 - AP mode
