EAP245v3 bricked, can't use serial properly

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

So I bricked this AP while trying to revert to stock, I force-flashed the wrong firmware (the v4 instead of the v3).
Then I tried to get serial access, some solders point here and there and then I got absolutely zero useful info from serial, the only output I get from the router is gibberish, but the contacts are fine. I think I broke it beyond software repair.

What it does at every boot is 3 flashes of the LED and then it stays lit indefinitely.

2

Have you verified that the serial adapter you have is the right voltage (usually 3.3V) and that you've got all the correct serial settings (115200-8-N-1)?

Have you tried the standard TFTP method?

https://openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/eap245_v3#installation_using_the_tftp_method

3

Yep I tried the TFTP method but I can't make it boot into "recovery mode" holding reset whilst booting

4

Try this:

  • unplug the EAP245 from power/PoE
  • configure your computer's IP address at 192.168.1.100/24
  • set up a persistent ping to 192.168.1.1
  • apply power to the device
  • report back on the ping results (ideally you'll see it come up, then go down then come up again... but in the initial up time, if it has a TTL=100, that's probably the tftp period).
5 
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=5 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=6 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=8 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=9 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=10 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=11 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=12 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=13 Destination Host Unreachable

--- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics ---
16 packets transmitted, 0 received, +12 errors, 100% packet loss, time 15193ms
pipe 4

I don't think there's anything I could do besides getting a new serial to USB adapter

6

You only ran the ping for 13 seconds (assuming 1 ping/sec). Can you run it for longer to see if it ever brings up the interface?

7

Here it is, 5 minutes of ping :smile:

^^^ previous rows are the same
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=328 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=329 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=330 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=331 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=332 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=334 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=335 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=336 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=338 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=339 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=341 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=342 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=343 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=345 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=346 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=347 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=348 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=349 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=350 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=352 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=353 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=354 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=356 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=357 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=358 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=359 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=360 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=362 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=363 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=364 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=366 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=367 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.100 icmp_seq=368 Destination Host Unreachable

--- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics ---
369 packets transmitted, 0 received, +261 errors, 100% packet loss, time 372906ms
pipe 4

I'd be surprised if TFTP recovery methods worked wince I nuked the entire firmware with the wrong one :stuck_out_tongue:

8

ok... so it looks like the tftp client is not running at all.

At this point, you'll certainly need to get the serial port working. It may or may not be a problem with your adapter, but make sure you double check the voltage and serial configs against the information on the device page in the table of hardware.