Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot

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tsengf
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Joined: 09 Dec 2022
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 5:13    Post subject: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
Hi, I have a spare older Belkin F7D7301 router that I would like to enable again. It is exhibiting strange behavior. When I first power it up, there are no lights on the unit, and I cannot ping it even after setting a static address of 192.168.1.3 and 192.168.2.3.

If I perform a 30/30/30 reset, I can access the CFE miniWeb Server. I can then flash with the mini image, boot the unit, and access the dd-wrt admin page. This works fine. I can power off (unplug) and power on the unit without any issues.

When I leave the unit unplugged overnight, the next time I power on the unit, it does not respond and I have to go through the 30/30/30 again.

Does this seem like a hardware issue rather than a software issue? Would hooking up a serial console be the right way determine why the unit is not coming up?

Thanks.
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egc
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Joined: 18 Mar 2014
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Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:38    Post subject: Reply with quote
Latest builds: https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2022/11-28-2022-r50963/broadcom_K3X/

It could be a hardware issue and yes serial connection can shed some light on it.

Try another power adapter to begin with.

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tsengf
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Joined: 09 Dec 2022
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 20:45    Post subject: Reply with quote
egc wrote:
Latest builds: https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2022/11-28-2022-r50963/broadcom_K3X/

It could be a hardware issue and yes serial connection can shed some light on it.

Try another power adapter to begin with.


I have tried the AC adapter from another unit I have: F7D8302. I get the same behavior with both AC adapters and am certain it is not an issue with the AC adapter.

I'm working on getting a serial cable to access the console. Where can I locate an image of the CFE for the F7D7301? I've already checked the CFE Collection Project. Thanks.
tsengf
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Joined: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 19:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi, I have an update. With the serial connection hooked up, the router consistently boots, and I see the familiar orange and green lights on the N300 indicating that the router has booted. I can also see the boot output on the serial console.

Unfortunately, if I don't hook up the serial connection, the router still exhibits the same behavior as before. No lights on the N300.

I am wondering is there is some wonky electrical issue as with the serial pins connected, the unit always boots.

Some other information:
    I have tried running "nvram erase" after breaking into the CFE prompt.
    I have tried two separate AC adapters and they exhibit the same behavior.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
native_tx
DD-WRT User


Joined: 26 Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 20:37    Post subject: Re: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
tsengf wrote:
Hi, I have a spare older Belkin F7D7301 router that I would like to enable again. It is exhibiting strange behavior. When I first power it up, there are no lights on the unit, and I cannot ping it even after setting a static address of 192.168.1.3 and 192.168.2.3.

If I perform a 30/30/30 reset, I can access the CFE miniWeb Server. I can then flash with the mini image, boot the unit, and access the dd-wrt admin page. This works fine. I can power off (unplug) and power on the unit without any issues.

When I leave the unit unplugged overnight, the next time I power on the unit, it does not respond and I have to go through the 30/30/30 again.

Does this seem like a hardware issue rather than a software issue? Would hooking up a serial console be the right way determine why the unit is not coming up?

Thanks.


You can not perform a 30-30-30 on a Belkin router, the only option is to access the "cfe miniweb server", did you happen to try to flash oem firmware and monitor any symptoms as you had been describing?

The other is to go with a serial connection and monitor what is happening but as you explained in your updated post, try to flash through the "miniweb server" back to oem, if you erased nvram through the miniweb server that is fine just flash oem and monitor the results.
tsengf
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 21:29    Post subject: Re: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
native_tx wrote:
You can not perform a 30-30-30 on a Belkin router, the only option is to access the "cfe miniweb server", did you happen to try to flash oem firmware and monitor any symptoms as you had been describing?

The other is to go with a serial connection and monitor what is happening but as you explained in your updated post, try to flash through the "miniweb server" back to oem, if you erased nvram through the miniweb server that is fine just flash oem and monitor the results.


The 30-30-30 is the method I use to access the CFE MiniWeb server. I am able flash OEM and it exhibits the same behavior. I have also tried tomatoUSB as well as freshtomato. All exhibit the same behavior.

Please see my last update. I have tried a serial connection.
native_tx
DD-WRT User


Joined: 26 Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 7:54    Post subject: Re: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
tsengf wrote:
native_tx wrote:
You can not perform a 30-30-30 on a Belkin router, the only option is to access the "cfe miniweb server", did you happen to try to flash oem firmware and monitor any symptoms as you had been describing?

The other is to go with a serial connection and monitor what is happening but as you explained in your updated post, try to flash through the "miniweb server" back to oem, if you erased nvram through the miniweb server that is fine just flash oem and monitor the results.


The 30-30-30 is the method I use to access the CFE MiniWeb server. I am able flash OEM and it exhibits the same behavior. I have also tried tomatoUSB as well as freshtomato. All exhibit the same behavior.

Please see my last update. I have tried a serial connection.


The 30-30-30 won't reset the router is what I meant and to access the the cfe miniweb server is to power up holding the reset button for 3 to 5 seconds then releasing the button.

I did read your post, I guess I didn't notice you had tried oem somewhere in the beginning?

Perhaps the problem is a failing capacitor(s)it kinda has the symptom since you had tried different ac adapters.
tsengf
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 09 Dec 2022
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 23:16    Post subject: Re: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
native_tx wrote:
The 30-30-30 won't reset the router is what I meant and to access the the cfe miniweb server is to power up holding the reset button for 3 to 5 seconds then releasing the button.

I did read your post, I guess I didn't notice you had tried oem somewhere in the beginning?

Perhaps the problem is a failing capacitor(s)it kinda has the symptom since you had tried different ac adapters.


Agree that the 30-30-30 technique won't reset the unit. I use it to access the CFE MiniWeb server. I've never tried holding the reset button for 3-5 seconds. It seems like a subset of the 30-30-30 technique.

I've examined the capacitors on the board and they all appear visually fine. It does feel like there's some electrical component like a capacitor that's failing due to the pattern of the failure. As I mentioned in a previous post, when hooking up the serial connection, the unit consistently boots. I tried connecting only the ground pin on the serial to see if there is some kind of grounding issue but that didn't fix it. Running low on ideas. I wonder if shorting the RX and TX pins would help?
native_tx
DD-WRT User


Joined: 26 Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 17:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
What type of capacitors are on the board, either way there are some methods to checking and you can find references from youtube videos on that subject it should help you to keep you away from trying some short pining, good luck

Regards
feliciano
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1079
Location: Latin America

PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:32    Post subject: Re: Belkin N300 F7D7301 won't boot Reply with quote
tsengf wrote:
Does this seem like a hardware issue?

Time ago, my main f7d7301 started to act erracticly. More than by flashing a new cfe, I fixed it by replacing some electrolitic capacitors inside the unit.

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