Scribd
Upload
393 views

How To Recover A TP-Link Router With A Faulty Firmware Flash (Powered by H2desk Help Desk Software) PDF

This document provides steps to recover a TP-Link router if it has a faulty firmware flash. The steps include downloading an OpenWrt firmware file, putting the router into recovery mode, transferring the firmware file via SCP or WinSCP, and writing the firmware to recover the router. Troubleshooting tips are also provided if errors occur during the recovery process.

Uploaded by

Poorya Pakdaman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
393 views

How To Recover A TP-Link Router With A Faulty Firmware Flash (Powered by H2desk Help Desk Software) PDF

This document provides steps to recover a TP-Link router if it has a faulty firmware flash. The steps include downloading an OpenWrt firmware file, putting the router into recovery mode, transferring the firmware file via SCP or WinSCP, and writing the firmware to recover the router. Troubleshooting tips are also provided if errors occur during the recovery process.

Uploaded by

Poorya Pakdaman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

12/29/2014

How to recover a TP-Link router with a faulty firmware flash [Powered by h2desk help desk software]

Search the knowledge base

Welcome, guest. Login

Knowledge Base Troubleshooting


How to recover a TP-Link router with a faulty firmware flash

Valid for TP-Link routers only!


DOes not apply to TP-LINk TL-WR941ND models up to 3.2 as for them the failsafe mode is confirmed not working. Newer models (5+) may
work, but untested.

Preparatory steps:

- If working on MS Windows, download and install WinSCP program from www.winscp.net, if working on Linux make sure that scp is installed
- Download a stable OpenWrt firmware image from http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitude_adjustment/12.09-beta2/ar71xx/generic/ for your
specific TP-Link model. It must be the file with phrase 'factory' in its file name. The ones with the phrase 'sysupgrade' can NOT be used.
- Rename the dow nloaded firmw are file to 'firmw are.bin' (w ithout the apostrophes).

Recovery process:
- Reboot the router
- Just when the 'SYS' LED starts flashing press the QSS button in the front or the reset button in the back
- The 'SYS' LED will start to flash very fast. The firmware is now in recovery mode
- Connect your computer to the router's LAN port number 1
- Give your computer a fixed IP address in the 192.168.1.x range, say 192.168.1.22
- You should now be able to 'ping' your computer on 192.168.1.1
- Open a command terminal and type the command:
telnet 192.168.1.1
- You should now see the OpenWrt welcome logo and a prompt
- Type the following commands:
mount_root
touch jffs2
touch root
/etc/init.d/dropbear start
- Now start winscp and connect with the following settings:
Protocol: SCP
Host: 192.168.1.1
Port: 22
User: root
Password: shae-4
- WinSCP will log you into the router and you will see the router's file-system on the right hand site and your local disk on the left
- You will be on the router's directory /root, go one level up to /, and from there got to /tmp
- You can then simply transfer the firmware file over from your local file to /tmp directory on the router
- If working on Linux in a terminal window in lieu of WinSCP use the command scp firmware.bin [email protected]:/tmp from the directory the
file is located in)
- Log back into the router and type the following commands
cd /tmp
mtd -r w rite /tmp/firmw are.bin firmw are

- The system will load the new firmware and reboot


- Remove the fixed IP address from your router to receive an IP address automatically from the router (via DHCP), disconnect the LAN cable
and reconnect it to the router
- Once the router has fully rebooted you can ping the router on 192.168.1.1 again
- Make sure the WAN port of the router is connected to the LAN with Internet access
- Open a command terminal and type the command: telnet 192.168.1.1
- Type the following command:
passwd
- Enter a new password of your choice twice
http://support.chillifire.net/index.php?pid=knowledgebase&cmd=viewentclient&id=15

1/2

12/29/2014

How to recover a TP-Link router with a faulty firmware flash [Powered by h2desk help desk software]

- Type the following commands:


cd /tmp
opkg update
opkg install luci
/etc/init.d/uhttpd enable
/etc/init.d/uhttpd start
You now have a working firmware with graphical interface on 192.168.1.1. The router is recovered.
If you w ant to retry loading the Chillifire firmw are do the follow ing:

We recommend you download the Chillifire Firmware again from our website http://support.chillifire.net to make sure you have a clean and
uncorrupted firmware file. You can install the Chillifire firmware by logging into the router with user root and the password you chose during
the above process. Go to 'System'->'Backup / Flash Firmware'. Under the heading 'Flash new firmware image' load the Chillifire firmware
file, make sure you UNTICK the 'Keep settings' box. If you fail to do that your router could be broken again requiring the same recovery.
Click on the 'Flash image' button. Confirm to proceed on the next page.
You are done.

Troubleshooting:
- If you get an error after the mount_root command such as:
root@(none):/# mount_root
mount: mounting /dev/mtdblock3 on /tmp/overlay failed: Input/output error
switching to jffs2
root@(none):/

then you have to run the following command first:

mtd -r erase rootfs_data


Wait until the router starts rebooting and when the SYS LED just starts blinking, press the QSS button again. Now continue with the
above script.

- If you cannot get a connection to the router via telnet, check whether you get a ping response by
typing
ping 192.168.1.1
on the Windows or Linux command line.
If you do not get a response, make sure you really have given yourself a fixed IP address such as 1
92.168.1.22 and set the gateway to 192.168.1.1
If that is all good, briefly disconnect and reconnect your computer again to the device. You should
now have a ping response.

Was this helpful?

Yes

No

Print

Pdf

Navigation Go to...

http://support.chillifire.net/index.php?pid=knowledgebase&cmd=viewentclient&id=15

Help Desk Software by h2desk

2/2

You might also like