Archer A5 V4.20 completely bricked (EEPROM broken.)

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Model: Archer A5

Hardware Version: V4

Firmware Version: uknown

Hello everyone,

I am experiencing a critical issue with my TP-Link Archer A5 V4.20 router. The device is completely bricked and no longer works. Here are the details:

  • Router model: Archer A5
  • Hardware version: V4
  • Serial number: 22114R8001701

Symptoms:

  1. The router does not power on correctly (no LEDs light up).
  2. The device is not detected by my computer via Ethernet or USB.
  3. Upon inspection, I noticed that the EEPROM chip seems to be damaged.

What I’ve tried so far:

  • Testing with different power adapters (no change).
  • Connecting via serial or JTAG ports (no success, the device seems completely unresponsive).

Questions:

  1. Is there any way to replace or reprogram the EEPROM chip?
  2. Are there any procedures to recover a fully bricked device (EEPROM dump, recovery via UART or JTAG)?
  3. I’m willing to provide pictures of the motherboard or any additional information if needed.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice! Any suggestions or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

2

put in the electronics recycle bin.

2 Likes
3

How this is related to OpenWrt?

1 Like
5

Unnecessary malice when someone asks for help.

6

You can try to read/write the eeprom without desoldering, but you need a programmer with a clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqzp0729u_I)
However, you did not write what caused the router to fail.

7

the eeprom is not longer working

8

don't now but im sur the chip was gon burned

9

It will be cheaper to get a new router.

10

yeah, lets use a defibrillator on the burned flash chip, to get it working again ...

if it's dead, as OP claims, how are you going to read/write it ?

11

The flash chip can be replaced but the fact that it doesn't work can be caused by many things, not necessarily the flash itself. Reading it with a clip would indicate that it is functional and something else is damaged. It may also simply be a content error.

12

I have the tools and the necessary little knowledge. What is missing from the equation is the files or experience from the forum.

13

like a told you the eeprom is 100% dead I don't know why there are no dump or bootloaderss files to download, even though this is a site for changing and modifying devices firmware, which are operations in which the probability of device malfunctions is high.

14

i removed the chip and now detection on the ezp2023+ programer

15

Because those are (C), it would be piracy.

Replacing, not really modifying.

16

How about sending links in private?

17

if you can find someone with the same device...

18

I hope so ??.

19

Given the now established facts:

  • mt7628
  • 8/64 device
  • 100 MBit/s ports
  • flash dead, device specific wifi calibration irretrievably lost

the sensible way forward would be E-waste recycling or a Viking fire burial, if you prefer that.

Lost wifi calibration would be a killer even for expensive devices, but considering how low-end this particular device is, you are really wasting your time (which can be fun as well, but the wifi part of it will be dead for good).