[chenshaoju]

Sorry, my English is very bad, the following content is carried out by the Google translation. (Chinese to English)

I have a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND wireless router, in a recent DD-WRT firmware update when the memory address was wrong. (i use mtd command and write the wrong address)

I made a EJTAG cable, and downloaded the EJTAG Debrick Utility 3.0.1, find the same model of a wireless router, installed the serial port,find flash memory address, and then backed up UBoot.
But in the flash memory when it came to writing problems.

As shown below, has always been frozen in "Erasing Block: 1", I waited at least 15 minutes and nothing happens.



I try to re-welding cable and EJTAG interfaces, still does not work.

I have used when the backup command is:

[LOM]

Sorry, tjtag can not erase or write the serial flash on an AR7xxx or AR9xxx cpu, it can only read them.

You will have to take out the flash chip and program it in a stand-alone flash/eprom programmer.

[chenshaoju]

oh...that..bad..

thank you any away.

[Gdfath3r]

[hvandrie]

Hi chenshaoju,

I bricked my TL-WR1043ND too a few times and recovered it successfully every time.
You can find the way to recover your unit on the OpenWRT site.

Here are the steps:

1. Download modified original firmware that has first 0x20200 cut off, or use firmware attached below.
2. Gain access to the serial port and hook it up to your computer using RS-232 / USB --> TTL adapter.
3. Install Putty, setup Serial connection, set COM port appropiately to your adapter in step 2 and do not click Open yet
4. set networkcard of computer to ip address: 192.168.0.5 , subnetmask 255.255.255.0 and no gateway
5. Install TFTP32 server (google it) on your computer, connect computer with ethernet cable to LAN switch port on router.
6. Make sure the "Current Directory" in TFTP32 is set to folder with modified original firmware renamed to "code.bin"
7. In Putty, click open and plug in Power cord to router... you should see bootloader coming up now...
8. You will see something like this:

No valid address in Flash. Using fixed address
: cfg1 0xf cfg2 0x7114
eth0 up
eth0
Autobooting in 1 seconds## Booting image bf0200000...

Then type following fast: tpl

Now you will get into the command prompt and you're able to execute commands.

9. Erase the firmware before writing it again using following command: erase 0xbf020000 +7c0000
10. Download new modified original firmware from computer to the router: tftpboot 0x81000000 code.bin
11. Write the downloaded firmware to flash using: cp.b 0x81000000 0xbf020000 0x7c0000
12. Boot the original firmware again: bootm 0xbf020000

Your router should be unbricked again!

[eml]

Hi,

I'm new to this openwrt stuff. I flashed my wr1043nd with the newest openwrt firmware. Everything worked fine so far but then I wanted to test something with the old firmware and flashed it again.

Now my problem is that I bricked my wr1043nd. The power led is blinking and then all lights are blinking. The router does not start and stays in this loop. So I think I need access to the serial console but I'm not understanding hvandrie's descriptions at all.

[hvandrie]

Hi eml,

follow the steps I wrote down, and you have your router working as new again.
Yes, you need to open the casing and solder either 3 pins or headers. You also need a Transistor-To-Logic adapter to be able to get console access to your router from your computer, I use this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CP2102-USB-2-0-to-TTL-UART-Module-6Pin-Serial-Converter-STC-Replace-FT232-Module-/141976891775

Be aware that the soldering can be tricky, I made a mistake last time trying to solder the pins and accidentally burned away the track. So, I had to solder it on next component the track leaded to. The unit was unbricked, though it took a little longer.

[dbezzegh]

Hi,

I just bought a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND and bricked it by uninstalling busybox accidentally.
So I want to unbrick it, but i'm a new to this and i'm not quite sure I understand every step right.
I'm not sure about the TTL-USB cable also. 3,3V or 5V? Cable like this or a modul like this.
What firmware do I need then?

Thanks in advance, br,
Dénes Bezzegh

[dbezzegh]

[hvandrie]

Just buy this one.

The USB TTL adapter in above link has both 3.3v and 5v. But, you do not need those when using above USB TTL adapter. You only need 3: ground, tx and rx.

To connect the USB TTL adapter, you need to open the case and solder 3 pins to the TL-WR1043ND board, as shown here.

To open the casing, follow steps as descibed here.

I see someone has removed my firmware file attachment from my previous forum reply post. I wil PM it to you instead.

[mikroskill]

Hi.. I've downloaded original firmware(TL-WR1043ND_V1_091118) at http://www.tp-link.com/support/download.asp?a=1&m=TL%2DWR1043ND

Then find a hexeditor (I used HxD Hexeditor) to open the file.

but i can't find the first 0x20200. it starts with the hex sequence: "01 00 00 00 54 50".

would anyone tell me how can i find the first 0x20200 bytes ?

Thanks in advance...

[johnoo]

Hi i had the same problem!

I tempted DD-WRT. But i want now Open-DD-WRT. Here is the solution: http://samiux.blogspot.com/2010/03/howto-dd-wrt-on-tp-link-tl-wr1043nd.html

You only have to execute "step 6"!
It works fine!

I have the original firmware back! -and now i flash Open-DD-WRT :)

Thank's to all the freaks! :)


PS.: sry for my bad english!

[eml]

Hi hvandrie,

I think now my TP is completly bricked . The unsoldering didn't worked as easy as I thought. Maybe the contacs are burnt.

My status is that cleaned the holes from the brazing solder and soldered three pins on the board. After I connected the TTL - Adapter with the pins and tried get a connection with the router. I can connect to the adapter but I get no other output than:

>connected.
.............

I turned the router on and off several times but it didn't helped yet.

PS:

At first I tried it with Linux and then I wanted to test it with Windows however Windows doesn't recognize the TTL Adapter. Do you have the right driver for the TTL Adapter or do you know where I can download them?

greets

eml

[hvandrie]

eml,

I don't know where you live, but overhere I helped out another person in unbricking his router.
The holes to solder the pins are sensitive and get burned out easily, so beware.

If you require help, you can sent the router to me. I will fix it for you, attach an cable from the pinheaders to the ventilator opening in the casing.

Here's a picture I took when testing the setup.

[eml]

Thank you for the offer.

First I would like to try it with putty and do some other tests. If this doesn't work I come back to your offer .

Maybe you know where I can download the driver(windows) for the TTL-Adapter?