Xiaomi Mi Router 4A Gigabit (CN) bootloader loop

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello, i had a xiaomi 4A gigabit running openwrt . I broke it updating to openwrt 23.05.3. no issue normaly, last time i went back to official firmware was in may'23 following

with the firmware from
https://hoddysguides.com/download/1922/?tmstv=1720349177

this time no luck. bootloader loads, but keeps restarting. i can upload new firmware images, tried a few and had some who work but all with the same issue.

i don't have the original fw, which was 2.28.65
fw 2.28.38, 2.28.62, 2.28.29 and 2.28.503 all give a starting router, but all stop during initial boot.

i soldered pins on serial holes, output shows exitcode 1 and error on the end before restarting:

..

[   21.970000] dev_redirect: add(+) dev redirect mapping: src:eth1->dst:ifb0
rcS S calling: /etc/rc.d/S21sysapihttpd boot: logexec: exitcode 1, runt 65 /etc/rc.d/S21sysapihttpd boot
[   23.940000] br-lan: port 3(wl0) entered forwarding state

..

[   24.710000] HNAT: switch HNAT ON.....
Thu Apr  1 18:12:28 CST 2021 boot_check[3084]: ERROR: KEY SERVICE FAILED: EXITCODE=1;ESP=1;LIMIT=65;CMD=/etc/rc.d/S21sysapihttpd;ARG=boot;
Thu Apr  1 18:12:28 CST 2021 boot_check[3084]: ERROR: 1 KEY SERVICE FAILED.
Thu Apr  1 18:12:28 CST 2021 boot_check[3084]: Try rebooting system to recover.
[   26.500000] dev_redirect: add(+) dev redirect mapping: src:eth1->dst:ifb0
[   26.850000] MT7612E cleanup

Any ideas whats the best approach to get back to a working device? Thanks

2

That is OEM firmware log, you need to contact Xiaomi service to fix your device if it is broken.

Install walkthrough (note there are multiple 4a (100Mbit and 2 revisions of 4A Gigabit) and you need correct file to install openwrt.

Figure your hardware version and "upgrade" to correct version where shell install is supported.

3

Thanks for your input. I know its OEM log, the working OpenWrt firmware broke after using attended sysupgrade from 22.03.5 to 23.05.3. The device is to old for Xiaomi service.

Last year i went back to OEM firmware without issues. This time no luck.

I found two more topics with the same boot-problem, from 2020:
Debrick Mi Router 4A Gigabit
Xiaomi Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition (R4AG/R4A Gigabit) -- fully supported and flashable with OpenWRTInvasion - #1428 by BillBluescreen

4

Heard ever of configuration reset?
Unless you tell in great detail about today's problem, and keep beating sround other bush nobody can figure what you are doing (wrong or) right.

5

configuration reset did not work after the attende sysupgrade. this started the bootloader loop. going back to OEM firmware did not work either. i will consider the router as e-waste

6

You have to strictly tell what you did.