How I fixed my bricked WRT 54GL

[yggdrasil]

Ok I have spent all night looking this up and finally was giving it one last shot so I thought I'd share how even tho not many if any will use this info here

How to unbrick a WRT54GL router that cannot access telnet in failsafe mode, Can only ping in failsafe mode.

Ok Well I have 2x WRT54GL routers orignaly brought to make a wireless link to a friends house about 1.5 km's away (About 1 mile)

I flashed the two routers to DD-WRT, DD- WRT and OWRT are free firmware's to basically give a $50 to $100 router the functions and control of a $500 to $1000 router.

That worked fine but after some time I decided I wanted to give OWRT a shot and it flashed over the top successfully but after a reset the router bricked it's self and nothing was accessible and couldnt telnet to it at all, even the failsafe mode wouldn't telnet.

What I could do was ping the router in failsafe mode so i knew all was not lost.

Any ways all attempts failed but on my last idea I used a upgrade firmware utility found here labled tftp.exe then downloaded the firmware I wanted on it loaded it into the utility using username "admin", IP address 192.168.1.1 (most WRT software defaults to this IP).

I connected the router to my PC via a patch cable (prety obvious) in lan0 or LAN 1 depending on what you wish to call it.

I set the NIC's IP to manual and 192.168.1.2, submask 255.255.255.0, no gateway is needed.

i had a continuous ping going to 192.168.1.1 so I could have a idea of whats happening, I then plugged the power in and then straight after clicked "upgrade" on tftp.exe utility and as soon as i started getting a reply from pinging the firmware started working.

Why did this work and why did I even try it?

Well I knew the router opened on 192.168.1.1 as soon as it turns on for about the time of 2 pings, But I didn't think trying to load the firmware on would keep it open on 192.168.1.1 but turns out it dose

Highlight of my night

Hope it helps some one, maybe Google will pick it up.

 

[hmmblah]

I've had to use this method in the past when swapping firmwares on my GL as well. Thought I had bricked it, but this saved me. GL is an awesome router to tinker with. Been going on 4 years with my current one.

 

[mayhem]

pmsl used this method TFTPing into firmware for years esp the NTL cable modems to change there cm files. This is old knowledge that gets lost over the years and all so Terminal emulation is becoming rarer and rarer as years go by.

Well doe for this any way

..

 

[equk]

pmsl used this method TFTPing into firmware for years.

This is old knowledge that gets lost over the years and all so Terminal emulation is becoming rarer and rarer as years go by.

That's what I was thinking when I read this thread

Most firmware flashers work by using TFTP

Just seems like the new generation forget what lies beneath all their pretty graphics and interfaces

I flashed the two routers to DD-WRT, DD- WRT and OWRT are free firmware's to basically give a $50 to $100 router the functions and control of a $500 to $1000 router.

Love DD-WRT

have been using it since 2006 (since the unstable releases)

Was running openwrt / sveasoft firmwares before that (2003 onwards)

If the router was completely bricked it wouldn't have had an IP at all, which is why most routers have USB / COM for tftp upload via serial connection.

 

[yggdrasil]

pmsl used this method TFTPing into firmware for years esp the NTL cable modems to change there cm files. This is old knowledge that gets lost over the years and all so Terminal emulation is becoming rarer and rarer as years go by.

Well doe for this any way

..

I knew I would be able to TFTP to it but I din't know I had to do it as soon as the router started booting was all. because most people said that you boot the router into a "fail safe" mode and then TFTP to it.

If the router was completely bricked it wouldn't have had an IP at all, which is why most routers have USB / COM for tftp upload via serial connection.

Yeah thats what I figured and why I didn't throw it out or give it away yet. but if that failed you can make JTAG Adapter and flash it that way if it was really bricked.

But your not meant to be able to brick the WRT-54GL's, not with just a bad flash any way, the 54g and 54gs on the other hand brick pretty easy so i have been told.

 

[equk]

But your not meant to be able to brick the WRT-54GL's, not with just a bad flash any way, the 54g and 54gs on the other hand brick pretty easy so i have been told.

I've never bricked any router and have prob flashed hundreds in my job (IT Tech since 1996)

Seems pretty rare that anyone bricks any router tbh

Also some of the GS have 2x the flash mem and RAM

(I have a early v1.1 GS)