Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2025 6:46 Post subject: Archer C7v5 TFTP recovery
Hi, my Archer C7v5 was messed up by the r61557 update and is no longer able to web update or CLI update leaving TFTP as the only option.
I'm pretty sure I know how to do it but I have one lingering question.
Does the firmware file that you rename to ArcherC7v5-tp-recovery.bin *NEED* to be a stock TPlink stock firmware or is it possible to use a factory-to-ddwrt.bin or even uplink-archer-c7-v5.bin ?
I have seen references that openwrt files seem to work but I have seen nothing about ddwrt files.
Joined: 16 Nov 2015 Posts: 7391 Location: UK, London, just across the river..
Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2025 7:14 Post subject:
It depends...for recovery its best to use the stock file, than move to DDWRT using the factory file via GUI or CLI...but you can also use the same version of the factory file 61557...In general TFTP should be ok with both...serial is the last resort...have a look at OpenWRT site there will be instructions or deep search in the DDWRT forum...must be a tons of threads too...
make sure you rename it with the correct name ...it will show on the console what it is looking for than rename it...accordingly _________________ Atheros
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 66272 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPNCli
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear R7800 -OpenWRT Kong 25.12
Netgear XR500 -DD-WRT 66325 GTW/SmDNS-Quic,AD-Blk,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT r66345 Gateway/DNSCryptv2,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x4VLAN,IPset Firewall,Vanilla,VPN cli
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 66280 Gateway/SmDNS-Quic,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,Vanilla
Dynalink DL-WRX36-DDWRT 66325
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 66272 GTW/DNScrypt-proxy2/AD-Block,IPset Firewall,Forced DNS,x4VLAN,VPN cli
------------------------------------------------------
Stubby DNS over TLS I DNSCrypt v2 by mac913
After you installed the factory to ddwrt to recover, did you then upgrade to a regular version. Mostly likely your backup was not made with that version, at least in my case it would be years old.
On the recovery for me on the v3 version if I got to where I had to go all the way back to factory, I would do known good reset with factory, then use factory to ddwrt, then upgrade to whatever version I had the backup for.
Alternately, sometimes I have been able to restore the backup and then upgrade or downgrade and usually, that will work also.
You say lan-lan isnt working, which sounds like a setting but more detail would help.
I discovered that there was a whole lot broken especially with the web admin interface including being sluggish, unable to reset, upgrade etc
I TFTP restored to stock then web updated stock-to-ddwrt then web updated to ddwrt version that I know works.
I didn't restore settings backup this time instead reentering everything manually.
Everything is now working smoothly.
** I first entered the settings 5 years ago and went through countless version upgrades. Obviously it eventually accumulated some CRUFT along the way which broke it.
It makes me wonder how frequently we should reset and manually reenter the settings?
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 13879 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2025 6:55 Post subject:
ArneDude wrote:
It makes me wonder how frequently we should reset and manually reenter the settings?
I do it about once a year as spring cleaning also to review my current settings and look at the new settings which are added.
It also depends on what things change e.g. swconfig > DSA etc. what router we are talking about e.g. older Broadcom routers do not change much, if you tinker with the router and how many things you have running on the router.
Older broadcom routers which are doing just routing and are left alone, I update once a year (or more often in case of CVE's) and have not done a reset in years but the newer ones, with lots of packages, I reset every year
Oh and resetting and uploading an old config is absolute useless, garbage out > garbage in.
