Archer C7 - Serial de-bricking Error - sysmgr_proinfo_buildStruct

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello guys,

I have been trying unsucessfuly to de-brick my TP-Link Archer A7(EU) Ver 5.0 router. I has been running OpenWRT flawlesly during a year and something. One day of December, I decided to update the OpenWRT version using TFTP (Sorry, I can't find now what exact version of OpenWRT I tried to install) After a while I discovered the router won't boot up and it has been sucesfully bricked (well done!).

Now, after learning a bit about welding and serial how to access the serial console I am able to see the messages on the serial port.

When using the TFPT method again, I can see now the messages and trying to use the stock images from tp-link [1] and openwrte [2] give me a similar error.

Whith the OpenWRT image [2] I get this output:

eth0: 00:03:7f:09:0b:ad
eth0 up
eth0
Setting 0x181162c0 to 0x40802100
run command setenv serverip 192.168.0.66;setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.86
run command tftp 0x80060000 ArcherC7v5_tp_recovery.bin
Trying eth0
dup 1 speed 1000
Using eth0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.0.66; our IP address is 192.168.0.86
Download Filename 'ArcherC7v5_tp_recovery.bin'.
Download to address: 0x80060000
Loading: ################################
         [...]
         ################################
         #############################
done
Bytes transferred = 6059552 (5c7620 hex)
Firmware downloaded... filesize = 0x5c7620 fileaddr = 0x80060000.
Firmware Recovery file length : 6059552

Firmware process common.

Image verify OK!

Firmware file Verify ok!

[Error]sysmgr_proinfo_buildStruct():  659 @ unknown id(�����[..]�kn��), skip it.

When using the stock image from tp-link [1], I get this error:

athr_gmac_sgmii_setup SGMII done
: cfg1 0x80000000 cfg2 0x7114
eth0: 00:03:7f:09:0b:ad
eth0 up
eth0
Setting 0x181162c0 to 0x40802100
run command setenv serverip 192.168.0.66;setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.86
run command tftp 0x80060000 ArcherC7v5_tp_recovery.bin
Trying eth0
dup 1 speed 1000
Using eth0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.0.66; our IP address is 192.168.0.86
Download Filename 'ArcherC7v5_tp_recovery.bin'.
Download to address: 0x80060000
Loading: ################################
[...]
         ############
done
Bytes transferred = 15676360 (ef33c8 hex)
Firmware downloaded... filesize = 0xef33c8 fileaddr = 0x80060000.
Firmware Recovery file length : 15676360

Firmware process id 2.

handle_fw_cloud 138

Image verify OK!

Firmware file Verify ok!

[Error]sysmgr_proinfo_buildStruct():  659 @ unknown id(��[...]��), skip it.

I can observe the same behaviour when trying to use the web interface to update the firmware.

I have to admit that initially I was not aware of the exact model of my router so I tried to use the serial recovery method described here [3] with the incorrect firmware for Archer C7 instead of Archer A7. Image link here [4]. That might have fucked up with some u-boot logic? Idk.

Has anyone come accross the same error and problem and could help me a little here?

Thank you.

2

Unfortunately, you are not the only one who does not pay attention to the exact router model. Flashing the wrong image over the serial port is crucial, because both routers have different flash layouts.

I lost a few days of trial and error, but the solution was to load an initramfs image, install kmod-mtd-rw and rewrite all mtd partitions except factory-uboot, u-boot and art (they do not overlap).

If you succeed with the initramfs image and have a working router, I will send you a link with a dump of all mtd partitions.