is my device brick?
When updating firmware via http, the device is bricked.
I made a serial connection. I can download the software. I tried UART. I tried cfg05.
still gives this error. `ROM VER: 1.1.4
CFG 05
CLOCK CPU 500M RAM 250M
DRAM: 64 MiB
Using default environment
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
Net: Internal phy(GE) firmware version: 0x8434
vr9 Switch8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
Type "run flash_nfs" to mount root filesystem over NFS
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
Uncompressing ... LZMA: uncompress or overwrite error 1 - must RESET board to recover`
VR9 # tftp tplink9980.bin
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
Using vr9 Switch device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.100; our IP address is 192.168.1.1
Filename 'tplink8980.bin'.
Load address: 0x80800000
Loading: #################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#########################
done
Bytes transferred = 7995392 (7a0000 hex)
VR9 # sf erase 0x20000 0x7a0000
..........................................................................................................................
Successfully erased 7995392 bytes @ 0x20000
VR9 # sf write $(loadaddr) 0x20000 0x7a0000
..........................................................................................................................
Successfully programmed 7995392 bytes @ 0x20000
VR9 # reset
ROM VER: 1.1.4
CFG 05
DDR autotuning Rev 0.3ff
DDR size from 0xa0000000 - 0xa3ffffff
DDR check ok... start booting...
U-Boot 2010.06-LANTIQ-v-2.0.40-svn7369 (Jun 16 2014 - 11:12:49)
CLOCK CPU 500M RAM 250M
DRAM: 64 MiB
Using default environment
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
Net: Internal phy(GE) firmware version: 0x8434
vr9 Switch8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
Type "run flash_nfs" to mount root filesystem over NFS
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
Uncompressing ... LZMA: uncompress or overwrite error 1 - must RESET board to recover
VR9 # reset
I think you have to remove 512 byte header of a factory firmware file
Restore TP-LINK FW though serial connection
Successfully tested on TD-W9980 Ver 1.0, adapted from TD-W8970 page.
Prepare the file
The router's EEPROM size is 8MiB (8 388 608 bytes). Firsts 128KiB (131 072 bytes) are for bootloader, and the lasts 256KiB (262 144 bytes) aren't contained in any firmware download. If you loose it, only a previous firmware backup of this EEPROM part can be used to restore it. Between them, you should reflash the “midle” space (from 0x20000 to 0x7c0000, so it's 0x7a0000 sized, 7 995 392 bytes), it's the rootfs.
Obtain the firmware from TP-Link website. You need to care about model version v1. If the name of your TP-Link original firmware contains “boot”, it means that it's likely to contains bootloader, 512 blank bytes, and the rootfs (you should see that the file is 512 bytes too big to be just bootloader + rootfs). Looking at it with an hexadecimal editor, with 512 bytes pages, you will see that if bootloader is taking the 256 first pages (0 to 255), but then the firmware doesn't start at the following page (256) but in page 257.
I'm very confused about what you are trying to do?
are you trying to update u-boot " must be there you are booting into it & is risky very likely to brick device
are you trying to install openwrt firmware ?
are you trying to install original TP-Link firmware ?
if you can't now get a prompt I think you have Bricked it & need a spi flash programmer