Unbrick an Asus RT-AC58U

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone came across the same problem as i did...
Somehow the router got bricked, i.e. after power-on the power LED just blinks about 3blinks/sec (after some time steady on). No answer to ping to 192.168.1.1, tcpdump doesnt show any packets sent by the router.
However, the router can be put into TFTP flashing mode, trx file can be sent, but after the reboot, the same behavior produced.
As for serial console, all i could see is just garbled nonsense, no matter what setting is used.
Failsafe mode can be engaged (LED is blinking rapidly), but again, no SSH nor anything is possible.
So i'm kinda stuck!
Any hints or advise please?

Thanks!
.A.

serial output ?

how can i attach a file which is not a picture?

just for a taste, here's how it starts:

  ½®Ú%=‹¿g!1¿W
5¿¥¿W-%5¯%-9e!59­¿¥¿e5=15¿¥¿a-!#='¿m#3!åëg!1¿W
5‹¿{¿¥¿Y-#95¿{!!¯_!5e¿a#¿[55­§¿¿w¿¥¿w5'=§¿¿Y¿¥¿Y=--9åëY¿¥¿]yAme}quASu[YmacAYW[mcq…{aaW£{s£™££¥ŸŸŸåëY¿¥¿me}quAS}[m}cWAYW[mcq…w}}{}c}K}åëY¿¥¿aueAme}quASu[YmacAYW[mcq…y[eåëY¿¥¿{!!¿y!#3-1§¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸ›åëY¿¥¿[55¿=¿y!#3-1§¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸŸŸåëY¿¥¿y!e5¿Ÿ¿se55#9
§¿Ÿ¿eoåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿›“›¿¥¿_{g§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿™—™¿¥¿;!!=;'5A%57-=A7559A5#e
§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿““¿¥¿;!!=;'5A%57-=A7559A995§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿‘ŸŸ¿¥¿5'3A'!=75eA5#e
§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿•™Ÿ¿¥¿=/A/=/A51A5#e
§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿‘™Ÿ“¿¥¿=/A/=/A51A5-§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿•—™™¿¥¿5'3A51A/=/A5e-3
A5#e
§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿‘Ÿ••¿¥¿_{g§¿u#7åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿‘Ÿ•™¿¥¿Y{g§¿Y=eåë  +ûûûû‹“—“Ÿ¿¥¿%A75-95A-#-§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‘¿¥¿%A75-95A-#-§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿‘ŸŸ›¿¥¿;!!A3'=/A-#-§¿Y=eåë  +ûûûûû«—‘‘—¿¥¿;!!A3'=/A-#-§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿•“™—¿¥¿;!!A9!#3-1A7==A=;'5A-#-§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿™‘—¿¥¿;!!A9!#3-1A7==A=;'5A-#-§¿w5'=¿¥¿¯—¿{
5­åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿“—™™¿¥¿9'!9)A-#-§¿Y=eåë ×+ûûûûûû‹•‘™¿¥¿9'!9)A-#-§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿‘“›¿¥¿ywW¿5e-!#‹›§_'=3!e%¿mw‹§e=+!e¿mw‹§e-#!e¿mw‹§Y;
5‹Ÿåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿‘“›—¿¥¿;'A77eA5A=e=%§¿Y=eåë{¿¥¿¿¿¿—‘¿¥¿9eA-#-§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿›¿¥¿9eA-#-§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿Ÿ›¿¥¿_e5Aww[A9'!9)A-#-§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿—¿¥¿_e5Aww[A9'!9)A-#-§¿w5'=åëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿™‘™¿¥¿;'A77eA5A=e=%§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿¿Ÿ›™¿¥¿%A7e-5eA-#-§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿›¿¥¿%A7e-5eA-#-§¿w5'=åë  +ûûûûk‘›••¿¥¿;'A=-A3!eA77eAe=-#-#1§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿›‘¿¥¿;'A=-A3!eA77eAe=-#-#1§¿w5'=åë  +ûûûûk‘‘¿¥¿m%=15¿g!=7§¿Y=eåë  +ûûûû뙏›‘¿¥¿]Yuu¿m%=15¿g!=757§¿w5'=¿¥¿¯›“›Ÿ¿{
5­åë{¿¥¿¿¿›“••¿¥¿m%=15¿g!=7§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿——›¿¥¿Yuy¿m%=15¿g!=757§¿w5'=¿¥¿¯›Ÿ—¿{
5­åë{¿¥¿¿¿™‘ŸŸ›¿¥¿m%=15¿g!=7§¿Y=eåë  +ûûûûÛ›™¿¥¿}__Y{g¿m%=15¿g!=757§¿w5'=¿¥¿¯—““‘•¿{
5­åë{¿¥¿¿¿™““™›¿¥¿]Yuu¿u59-!#§¿Y=eåëw¿¥¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿“Ÿ¿¥¿]Yuu¿u59-!#§¿w5'=åë{¿¥¿¿¿™‘›•™“¿¥¿Y{g§¿u#7åëw¿¥¿¿¿¿“““™›¿¥¿Y{g§¿w5'=åëY¿¥¿s'=/¿W/e!1/§¿›ŸŸ¿i{¡¿¿¯‘—ŸŸ“›¿{
5§¿¿™“•—¿­åëY¿¥¿ww[¿se55#9
§¿•™‘¿eoåë  ½Þ¯UÛ…!¿›Ÿ›£Ÿ‘¥Ÿ“Ÿ›¥15——99™Ÿ¿I'!9='§'!9='E¿¯}e¿›¿›Ÿ‘¿¥¿‘‹›—‹›•­åë[W¥}y•U¿;!!'!=75e¿5e-!#‹¿£Ÿ£Ÿ£•åëåë%5%¿e=%¿=;'5¿3!#7‹¿5e‹¿¿'5#‹¿™åë  VUVÛ]•}y•U¿1-!¿-#-¿‹¿¿¡¿e55¿-#åëw[}e‹¿¿›¿e-{åë ION©éú[¿ŸŸŸŸŸåë  O¨©ª%¿%=''!9¿'5#1/‹¿—Ÿ“¿i{
5åë%5%A%=''!9A=e¡;e)¡5#7‹¿Ÿ“55ŸŸŸŸ¡“55ŸŸŸŸ¡‘›3ŸŸŸŸåë[5'!9=-!#¿!335‹¿Ÿåëc}cw‹¿¿-A#=#7‹¿-A#=#7A3'=/Ae!;5¿Ys¿c}cw¿mw¿Ÿ‹53‹==‹›åëYs‹¿w55957¿Q›•cŸqS¿-/¿=15¿-5¿›¿i-{§¿!='¿›¿e-{åëYs‹¿w55957¿eO›•g“Ÿ•w¿-/¿=15¿-5¿—¿i-{§¿!='¿›¿e-{åë-A-‹¿=15A-5‹¿ŸŸŸ§¿59!eA-5‹¿ŸŸŸŸ§¿-5‹¿Ÿ›ŸŸŸŸŸå띙Ÿ¿e-{åë  µµ‹õe#-#1¿¥¿;=7¿y[y§¿-#1¿753='¿5#-e!#%5#åëåë  ¤±ûûûË5e-='åëa‹¿¿¿5e-='åëuee‹¿¿¿5e-='åë#=%5¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿!335¿¿¿-5¿¿¿¿å럋Y{g¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸ—ŸŸŸŸå럋em{m{¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ—ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸ›ŸŸŸŸå럋]Yuu¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ“ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸ“ŸŸŸŸå럋ywW¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ9ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸå럋ww[_}[}eY¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ7ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸå럋}__Y{gucS¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ5ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸå럋}__Y{g¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸŸ3ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸå럋}[W¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿‹¿ŸŸ‘ŸŸŸŸ¿ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸåë%=9/-7‹¿ŸŸŸŸåë3'=/A
5‹¿Ÿåëye5=-#1¿¿eWw¿=e--!#¿!#¿»#=#7»‹å럟ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸ¥ŸŸŸŸŸŸŸŸ¿‹¿»%7…Ÿ»åë  ¯kìëº=9/-#1¿%7›¿!¿;-ŸåëU{m‹¿/
-9='¿5e=5;

You need check you connection and ensure you have the valid serial settings and correct serial adaptor.

That is just junk data, no need to post anymore of it.

What adaptor did you use?

What serial settings did you use ?

Have you checked the wiring ?

I have a PL2303 usb to serial.
Tried different speeds, it's either nothing coming or the same, but according to other posts it should be 115200/8/n/1.
Also tried different data/stop bit combinations... same result.
As for the wiring, it's only 3x wires, so not many combinations, and only one gives some kind of output.
DB9 pin 3 = RX , pin 2 =TX , pin 5 = GND.
Please correct me if i'm wrong.

I think your problem is the PL2303
A quick google search says it is RS232 serial.
Is that the case, if it RS232 then the signal voltage is not compatible and you may have damaged your router.
Most routers use a 3.3V UART signal.

If your serial adaptor has a DB9 connector then I sure you are using RS232 and that is most likely the problem.

1 Like

You need a adaptor similar to this with 3.3V

images

Caution do not connect VCC to your router only TX RX and GND

You're right, that was the problem!
Router has been brought back to life! :slight_smile:

Thanks a lot!

This topic was automatically closed 10 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.