TL-MR6400-v5 flash OEM firmware 1.3.0_0.9.1 with TFTP

Installing and Using OpenWrt
#1

Hello

I recently wanted to try OpenWRT on my TL-MR6400v5.0 LTE gateway.

I used the instructiosn mentioned here: https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=commit;h=b641eb6ecfbfc2c6a488483332d4b5a6ee4c736c

It worked, I could ssh to it, but with the lack of LuCi and no easy way to enter the PIN code of the SIM card with the CLI, I wanted to switch back to the latest firmware (TL-MR6400v5_1.3.0_0.9.1_up_boot(201207)_all_2020-12-08_08.39.09.bin)

I renamed TP-Link's firmware file to "tp_recovery.bin" and served it with TFTP on 192.168.0.225, as mentioned in the instructions

Then my router was bricked!

I found this post:
https://forum.openwrt.org/t/tl-mr6400-v5-back-to-stock-firmware/87275/8
It did not mention the latest firmware and has a typo in the dd command accepted as a solution (cout instead of count)

When using the latest firmware, if I used the count=16000 parameter, the router was also bricked

So I used this dd command, just to try:
dd if="TL-MR6400v5_1.3.0_0.9.1_up_boot(201207)_all_2020-12-08_08.39.09.bin" of=tp_recovery.bin bs=512 skip=1
No "count" parameter as you can see. And then, it worked!

I don't think this knowledge is available anywhere, so I took the time to create this post...
In short, the first 512 bytes of the TP-Link firmware have to be ripped of the image served by TFTP, but no "count" restriction seems to work. Hopefully, I am quite knowledgeable with TFTP and DD as well as with embedded firmware/software.

I just hope this could help someone else in the future

Best regards

#2

The devicepage https://openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-mr6400_v5 would be the place to store this information.

#3

I did not help !! :smiley:

I bricked one of my MR6400v5 and read about the reason in your post afterwards.

I'll try to put that into the devicepage

Peter

#4

Hi....

Seem you successfully get your modem connected... i checked my ifconfig same as yours...
the weird thing is we dont get MAC ADDRESS... so far i dont get any errors...
here i attach my compiled stable 21.02.0... plus it has scripts for WAN & SIGNAL STRENGTH led..
hope you can give a try....

https://mega.nz/folder/9vpEHY7A#aG16hGwqwC3xcNLgAkpTIQ

Thank You

1 Like
#5

Dear fachos.

thanks very much for your OpenWrt-21.02.0 files. I will try them this weekend and let you know wether they work or not

Peter

#6

Where do you use the command? adding it in .bin file or in tftp .ini file?

#7

dd is a file operation program, run from a cmd or powershell window, or linux cli.

#8

Hi
I got the same, debricked router
But now this problem
I tried almost all versions, Error code: 71211 *
4G modem does not work

ghghg
ghghg1366×768 89.4 KB

555
555985×531 64.9 KB

#9

tp-links firmware, ask tp-link.

#11

A thread has been created for this issue ^

Here...

#12

Hello @fachos

I'm using your compiled firmware on my MR6400 v5.2.

I installed via tftp and works good even with signal leds. But there is a glitch. I'm not using this router always.

And whenever I need to use I had to press reset button on back or login with luci and reboot. Because if I didnt these no signal leds and no internet connection established. I see NETWORK_REGISTRATION_FAILED on QMI section.

Do you have any idea to solve this ?

Not: I'm using Russian MTS sim card in Turkey just for testing. Router will go to Russian next week with this sim card.