TL-WR1043ND V1.8 Bricked

Hello,

i tryed OpenWrt 19.07.7 for my Router and now decided to go back to the stock firmware.

To go back to the stock firmware i do a reset and then upload the stock firmware. After this the router does not boot any more, it restarts and restarts... so i think something went wrong. I really hope someone can help me to unbrick it.

All downloads are made from the OpenWrt website and for the right version of my router.

I have not much experience in these things, so it would be nice if you can tell me step for step what i have to do.

Much tanks to you =)

First try unbrick procedures for failed firmware upgrade,. Search on google and read OpenWRT website documentation on that topic or specifics for tp-link or take a look into youtube videos.
Try Network direct cable using TFTP first before disassemble and soldering.
Give a try to reflash again to OpenWrt instead of stock firmware to get it back working first.
If you need proper clarification on specific let us know.

Hi @braian87b,

thank you for the answer.
I tried what the person in the Link below said, but my router seems not to be do any connection on the LAN interface. The TFTP Server Log does not log anything.
https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=315817&sid=28f674acfc445bcdaba39cac25b3828a
Video with the same procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW5fpOWpI0I
Does i have made something wrong ?

if you have a firewall up, then the TFTP requests will be blocked.

Hi @frollic ,
i accepted the windows firewall exception message for tftpd32.
To make a new try i disabled the windows firewall for all areas and do the procedure again, but the result was the same...

well, if we assume there's nothing wrong with your TFTP setup, the only way to see
what happens, is to connect a serial console cable to it.

I now know why it not boot.
The genuine firmware has a boot in its name and i just renamed it not edited the content of the file...
Do i have a chance to repair it ?

if serial console lives, then yes.

question is if it's worth it.

Do you know what it costs and time it needs ?

the USB TTL serial adapter is some $10, then you need to open up the unit, and in worst case solder wires/pins to the serial pads on/holes in the PCB, before connecting the adapter.

It's not very advanced, but it takes some time.

And you might still discover the device's dead, once you got everything up and running.

push-button tftp recovery support was only retrofitted to the OEM firmware (its bootloader) sometime in 2013(?), if you never installed one of those you won't have it and would need serial console access.

However, given the age and low-end features (8/32) if this hardware, buying hardware (serial console ~5 EUR/ USD) and equipment (soldering iron, tin, flux, desoldering braids, vacuum pump >>30 EUR/ USD) and the very high risk if the wireless calibration data having been overwritten by your failed OEM firmware installation (which would have permanently disabled wifi functionality), it's hardly worth the cost if tftp fails on these devices. Newer/ better ones should start around 10 EUR/ USD on the used markets - and the first dual-band 802.11ac ones around 25-35 EUR/ USD.

2 Likes

Thank you two for the answers.
I am so mad that i dont read the recovery to stock text bevore i flashed it. I needed the router back functioning fast and now it seems to be dead :(, some minutes more reading are a good invest.

Do you see some leds flashing at boot or something ?