Unable to Access Router via WEB GUI or SSH after reset

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I have a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH which my notes say is on 19.07.0, and should be release SW with Luci. It was a bridge on a now nonresistant network and had been shelved. I reset it using the reset button, and now it appears to offer a 192.168.1.1 network and a DHCP assigned .149 IP to the PC via Ethernet cable.

I can not access the WebGui at this address. In Firefox I get "Unable to connect".

I can not SHH or SCP to the device using 192.168.1.1, port 22 with User: root and pass: [null]

I can access the internet, but only if the router is booted with the WAN connected. I Can not connect the WAN after boot and get to the internet. Ping returns 4 for 4 successful replies. Power and Router LEDs are on. Activity and Wireless are off.

Tried multiple browsers, cleared ALL the cookies, cache and other data. Reset the device multiple times.

FAILSAFE
I also tried to enter Failsafe, but the instructions ref the WHR-G125 Model and I do not think are quite correct or I’m doing it wrong. There is no DMZ LED, but there is a red DIAG LED. I can press the AOSS button and get the green "Router" LED to go to a fast blink which stays on but I can not connect to the device. I get Connection Refused from Putty or WinSCP. Tried different LAN ports with out rebooting it.

For what it's worth its an A0DO version.

Nothing on it I need or want. Plan to upgrade it to 24.10 and use it for an IOT AP

Any thoughts (other than bin it)?

Thanks

RangerZ

3

@psherman

The Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH is 32/64 and currently supported on 24.10.3.

I also linked to a page with supposedly the same FailSafe instructions that is 4/16

Thanks for the followup

RangerZ

4

Thanks.... my mistake.

5

It probably makes sense to try the tftp installation to install the new version. Have you attempted that yet?

6

@psherman,

I am attempting to learn TFTP ATM. Downloaded the TFTPD64 app and working to rationalize it against the written instructions.

Step 5 under the Windows section says

Prepare the TFTP client for flashing.
For Tftpd32 go to the “Tftp Client” tab, enter the router's IP address as “Host”, select the wanted TFTP image as “Local File”, place the mouse over the “Put” button.
For Windows' TFTP client type the command inside the console:

tftp -i %ROUTERIP% PUT openwrt-ar71xx-generic-wzr-hp-g300nh-squashfs-tftp.bin

I’m struggling with the last 2 lines as I do not see a “console” window in the above tool. Not clear if this line (ie the tftp command) is what goes into the Local File box.

Anyhow I just also installed the Windows native TFTP tool and was saving a few items before I reboot. That may answer the question.

As for flashing a new image, I think I am safest to flash either the sysupgrade of what I have or another “Pre-DSA” version to be safe, as these came with 2 different switch chips. The wiki says the AODO is RB, but I would rather DMESG and confirm.

Also related, I think I need to edit the end of the file name to include “…-tftp.bin”. Is that correct?

Preparation

    Download
    either
        A suitable OpenWrt firmware image, e.g. OpenWrt-19.07.4-ar71xx-generic-wzr-hp-g300nh-squashfs-tftp.bin or latest trunk (NOTE: Name must contain “tftp”).

ATM, probably not finishing this tonight

Thank you,

RangerZ

7

Scratch the last part about the file name. I see there actually is a file ending in tftp.bin.

RangerZ

8

I think I have figured out the usage of the 2 different TFTP tools.

It appears the Windows TFTP is a command line tool run from a CMD prompt, hence the ref to console.

The wiki is (was) a bit unclear and I have made some minor semantic edits to the relevant Wiki sections 5 & 6. Review would be appreciated.

Now I just got to do it….

RangerZ

9

I don't use Windows, so I can't help there. However, I do know that it is usually necessary to disable the Windows firewall in order to properly flash a device with tftp.

If you have a Mac or Linux box, tftp is really easy -- they have TFTP clients (and servers) pre-installed and ready to use on the terminal. You could even consider booting your Windows machine with a "live USB" linux so that you can use Linux without needing to disrupt your current Windows setup.

10

I have finally got back to this project.

I was eventually able to transfer the 19.07.9 version to the router, but I think the router is now stuck in a boot loop.

I chose 19.x to avoid the switch issues and make it easy (Ha!)

All the LEDs come on and then all but the DIAG go off. After about 25 seconds the DIAG flashes off and then on, and 25 seconds later it all repeats. I never get an IP.

Before, on boot, only the DIAG came on for about 20 seconds and the the Router (IIRC) would flash.

I think there are 2 basic discrepancies on the page which burned time.
1 - Under Preparation, item 4, "The TFTP recovery time frame will open roughly 12 seconds after the DIAG LED lights up on boot (there's roughly a 2 secs delay after plugging in power) and waits for 4 seconds...". The content that follow basically imply a sense of urgency between starting the TFTP transfer and plugging in the device. This is WRONG. After a number of tries I was able to transfer the file (using a stopwatch) by hitting Put\Enter 12 seconds after the DIAG comes on. I did this through Windows using the TFTPD32 application.

2 - At the top, tucked in the OEM Installation using TFTP method, under FYI, there are instructions to use 192.168.11.1 (OK) and MAC: 02:aa:bb:cc:dd:20 which is discrepant with the balance of the page which uses 02:aa:bb:cc:dd:A1 (Last 2 chrs)

One reason I used the Windows app because it was clear for me how to specify the file. Lacking in the instructions, probably more for the naive, for both the Linux and Windows TFTP process is the location to place the file for transfer.

Other related notes
I spent a fair amount of time trying to transfer the file, before I figured out the timing. During that time I had changed other settings, including the MAC to the one in the OEM install. Unclear if that has to do with my current state

I did reset all the config and do another successful transfer (I have a saved popup that says so), so not clear on the importance of the MAC. It seems to be stressed in the text, but there is no real info on how to asses what happens if you choose the wrong MAC. I may go back and try the MAC of the device and see if it transfers.

Once the transfer was done, which only takes a few seconds (again not noted anywhere), the device began blinking red. Not real fast, but not slow either. Eventually it did go to a slower pace and then starts to boot loop. Reset does not impact the operation.

The symptoms for solid red DIAG under Failed upgrade are closest to what I see, but the second transfer did not help, so..... I think I will just try a different OpenWrt version, Later

11

I'd recommend that you try the vendor firmware via tftp. It is a safe assumption that the vendor firmware will boot properly once installed.

The purpose of this is twofold:

  1. verify your tftp method is working as expected and is actually loading the firmware onto the device
  2. test to make sure you don't have a hardware failure causing.

It can be hard to debug between points 1 and 2 if things still don't work after loading the vendor firmware, but assuming that that firmware installs and boots properly, you can gain confidence that the issue you're trying to solve is anchored in OpenWrt specifics.

12

Long Story Short
I have recovered the device with the Buffalo "User Friendly" Factory Image (1.79).
I then upgraded to the Buffalo Professional Firmware (DD-WRT r30360) using the factory GUI.
I used WinSCP to transfer and install OpenWrt 24.10.3 to the device
Finally, I used the 24.10.5 Sysupgrade to get current (ish)
My concern regarding the firmware and switch version was well founded. The RB version in the wiki was incorrect for the switch installed in my A0D0 HW.
Success, Thank you!!

Short Story Long - For the future interested readers
Recover\Install Original Factory Firmware via TFTP
NOTE: The wiki is discrepant regarding the TFTP time window. It opens 12 seconds after the red DIAG light turns on. I suggest using a digital timer if you are not connected via serial. I also used the Windows TFTPD32 application.
The wiki suggests (Preparation => 1, c.) to use: The U-Boot recovery TFTP server can also receive original Buffalo stock firmware images and flash them.
I used the 1.79 version of the Buffalo firmware from here:

There is no extension on the file. This file is about 20K and took 12 seconds to upload. More importantly it took about 10 minutes to complete the flash process. The DIAG light blinked for over five minutes and I was interpreting this as a failed flash (see Failed upgrade => Slow flash of red DIAG light), but it was not. After gaining access I made a minor change to confirm it was working and rebooted the device.
NOTE: Reset the hosts PC's arp

In the same section, item b. suggests: A suitable "revert to stock" image with a link to an old OpenWrt and repository for files, but not all versions were available as noted in the archive thread. The TFTP version specifically were not there. I can not say, as did 1 poster, that the bin version will work. As above the buffalo file worked fine (no BIN ext).

Upgrade to DD-WRT
OpenWrt offers a path to migrate from the Buffalo Professional "DD-WRT" to OpenWrt, but not from stock (at least not discussed). The latest DD-WRT version r30360 was installed directly from the Buffalo Stock Firmware. The only item of note is the GUI remains open after the flash, which indicates 6 minutes. It needs to be closed and restarted at the same IP (192.168.11.1)
with the credentials admin\password. After gaining access I enabled SSHd and rebooted the device.
NOTE: The SSH credentials are root\password

Migrate from DD-WRT to OpenWrt
Since 21.02.x the targets have changed from r71xx targets to ath79. The file names, are also changed and now prefixed with "buffalo=". OpenWrt versions below this were "switch agnostic", however FW versions above this are differentiated by the Realtek switch hardware. The WIKI does not note all the HW versions and the A0DO content is (was) incorrect.

IMPORTANT:
One should use dmesg to verify the version of the RTL8366 chip (~line 86) and then select the correct OpenWrt version to install.

buffalo_wzr-hp-g300nh-rb-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
buffalo_wzr-hp-g300nh-s-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

As I was "offline" and already running WinSCP (yea, all done in Windoz), i just moved the firmware to the \tmp folder. I received a message about Linux missing after executing the write command, but while I was trying to understand this, the flash appears to complete and I was able to access the device at the expected 192.168.1.1.

NOTE: I have installed 24.10.5 with no known issues.
Latest is now 25.12.0 which I have not installed
NOTE: This is an old device, and as such many of the commands refer to the old ar71xx, and are not updated. There also are some references to V10, Backfire, which may also be out dated. LEDS functions are not verified, USB is not installed.