Bricked TP-Link Archer C8 v1

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hi community,

I know that the cause of my problem is not related to OpenWRT and please delete my toptic if you consider not relevant for forum discussione.

As I am using DD-WRT for more than 3 years, I thought that this can go that wrong, so I tried to flash my Archer C8 V1 that had 3.16.28 build 20141023 with this version:
Downloads › betas › 2024 › 01-29-2024-r55033 › tplink_archer-c8v1

First I performed a GUI Factory Reset
Then flashed successfully factory-to-ddwrt.bin
After restarting, router entered in a bootloop

Then I connected via Serial and with TFTP opened I flashed OEM firmware Archer C8_V1_150316 using this comand:
Code:
flash -noheader 192.168.0.66:c8v1.bin flash0.trx

After reboot I had this error:
Code:
CFE mem: 0x00F00000 - 0x02F80E4C (34082380)
Data: 0x00F48B2C - 0x00F49000 (1236)
BSS: 0x00F49010 - 0x00F7EE4C (220732)
Heap: 0x00F7EE4C - 0x02F7EE4C (33554432)
Stack: 0x02F7EE4C - 0x02F80E4C (8192)
Text: 0x00F00000 - 0x00F3F27C (258684)

Device eth0: hwaddr 30-B5-C2-92-4E-DA, ipaddr 192.168.0.1, mask 255.255.255.0
gateway not set, nameserver not set
Invalid boot block on disk
flash0.0: Device not found
Loader:raw Filesys:raw Dev:flash0.os File: Options:(null)
Loading: Image compressed with unsupported method
Failed.
Could not load flash0.os:: Unsupported function

Than I performed a new flash via TFTP 192.169.0.66 with OEM Archer C8_V1_150515 and the router lost Serial connectivity and when I turn it on, all lights remain on.

The TFTP recovery still works

Some tests performed on my bricked Archer C8 v1:

  • I am able to upload recovery file via TFTP, but it seems router is not able to run and apply it
  • after TFTP te router does not restart and remains with all leds on, having fixed IP 192.168.0.66 I am able to ping router to IP 192.168.0.86
  • if I manually restart the router, all leds remains on, router is not in bootloop, and I am able to ping it to IP 192.168.0.1, only if is use static IP on laptop (DHCP doesn't work)
  • no web interface available
  • no WIFI SSID is available
  • no SSH connection
  • no telnet connection
  • lost SERIAL connectivity

Anything other scenario I can test?

Thanks in advance!

2

You can try this. Should work with stock firmware.

Also, it is really wierd that you lost the serial connectivity. This might indicate a hardware failure, not neccessarily a software issue, because you should have it, at least in bootloader.

3

Thanks for your reply and suggestion.
Unfortunately I've done something wrong with my Serial and now I am not able to access it anymore. :frowning:

With some situation, I was able to resurrect my Archer C9 v1, the only difference is that in case of C9 I didn't run FLASH comand from the Serial console. I think that this is the root cause of my C8 briking . . .

Any other ideas to trial?

Thanks!

4

Please ask on the DD-WRT forums.

This device is not supported by OpenWrt. Since you've encountered an issue as a function of using and then flashing DD-WRT, you need to ask them for recovery methods since it would potentially be different than what would be done to attempt to recover from an issue with OpenWrt. Further, because it's not supported by OpenWrt, we have no detailed knowledge of this device (whereas the DD-WRT should since it appears it is supported there).

5

Thanks!
I already did that! :disappointed:

6

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