Hi!
I'm new to this forum and I really would use some help.
I manage successfully flash OpenWRT to my Linksys WRT54GL router. After that I started to play with the NVRAM values and finally bricked my router... Now, when I turn on the power of the router, it just blinks the power led and all the lan port leds are on. I did extensive search on this forum and find out that it means CFE is not working properly. After reading some more I come to conclusion that JTAG is way to. I both one from here: www.diygadget.com. I got my cable, downloaded EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.8 software and set up connection between my PC and router. First I used the following command to check that my connection worked:

wrt54g -probeonly /noemw

router responted and I got this print out:

F:\JTAG\windows>wrt54g -probeonly /noemw

====================================
WRT54G/GS EJTAG Debrick Utility v4.8
====================================

Probing bus ... Done

Instruction Length set to 8

CPU Chip ID: 00000101001101010010000101111111 (0535217F)
*** Found a Broadcom BCM5352 Rev 1 CPU chip ***

    - EJTAG IMPCODE ....... : 00000000100000000000100100000100 (00800904)
    - EJTAG Version ....... : 1 or 2.0
    - EJTAG DMA Support ... : Yes

Issuing Processor / Peripheral Reset ... Done
Enabling Memory Writes ... Skipped
Halting Processor ... <Processor Entered Debug Mode!> ... Done
Clearing Watchdog ... Done

Probing Flash at (Flash Window: 0x1fc00000) ... Done

Flash Vendor ID: 00000000000000000000000011101100 (000000EC)
Flash Device ID: 00000000000000000010001010100010 (000022A2)
*** Found a K8D3216UBC  2Mx16 BotB     (4MB) Flash Chip ***

    - Flash Chip Window Start .... : 1fc00000
    - Flash Chip Window Length ... : 00200000
    - Selected Area Start ........ : 00000000
    - Selected Area Length ....... : 00000000

*** REQUESTED OPERATION IS COMPLETE ***

Then I decided to erase whole flash, flash new CFE in and after that use TFTP to install new firmaware. I made the CFE using SkyNet RepairKit 1.3 and used following commands:

wrt54g -erase:wholeflash /noemw
wrt54g -flash:cfe /noemw

Everything went just fine. Didn't get any error messages and wrt54g printed out that CFE.BIN flashed. I rebooted my router and...nothing! The router is just in the same state: power led in blinking and lan leds are on. I figured out that there may have been some problem in the flashing even though I didn't get any error messages, so I made I backup from the CFE that I just flashed:

wrt54g -backup:cfe /noemw

then I compared the original and the backup: they are identical! So I know that my flashing is working just fine. After that I did some more reading and came a cross information that Linksys have chanced the flashchip from Intel to Samsung. I started to wonder that could it be that the CFE that I made using Skynet Reparkit ins't compatible with the samsung chip? Or does it matter at all?

If someone has the same router with same chip (samsung) could backup their CFE and send it to me (jukka.laattala_(at)_gmail.com), so I could compare that there is no difference between that and the one I made with Skynet RepairKit.

Does anyone have any more ideas that I could try?

Here's some informatio of the router:
Linksys WRT54GL v.1.1 (bought from Finland)
S/N:CL7B1FC48XXX

Flash Chip:
Samsung 628
K8D3216UBC
PI07
Sticker on chip:
ver:4.30.7 CS:AF81

Do you also have a serial cable?
If no, then how do you really know your CFE is broke?

More than likely you just need to clear your NVRAM seeing as how that's what you describe as breaking things.

Use the JTAG and backup your NVRAM before clearing it.  I'm not sure if CFE on a v1.1 will rebuild NVRAM but it's worth a shot.  Seeing that it's a newer GL unit I'm guessing it will, but I only have G versions 2.x and 3.0 to work with and know it's ok on those units.

(Last edited by KillaB on 8 May 2007, 19:27)

Thanks for the quick reply!

I don't have serial cable.

Well, actually first thing I did after I got my JTAG working was to erase NVRAM (sorry, I forgot to mention it)...but stupid of me I didn't make backups of the CFE, NVRAM or FIRMWARE. Yes, I know that was really stupid...but what is done is done.

But back to bisnes: I have cleared the NVRAM, didn't to any good, I have also tried CFE form lonewolf, didn't work either.... So could it be that the CFE just won't create the NVRAM values? If not, is there a way I can do it my self? I havent seen any NVRAM.bin files anyware...

Hello,

i have the exact same problem.
wrt54gl v1.1 with K8D3216UBC it just blocked on it's own. now all the lan lights are on and the power light is blinking. i've tryed different cfe's but no luck.

anyone has any idea what is wrong with this model? it couldn't be the chip because i can read/write on it.

Regards

I`ve got the same problem, but for one moment i just recover my wrt54GL 1.1 .
If all lan leds are on then the problem is your cfe.bin that you uploaded. Here is a link http://lonewolf.hacker-nin.com/wrt/cfe/ … model=gl11 where you cand download CFE.BIN
and upload via jtag.(^&*%^ fu*** slow, i think 5KB/s)
Now i try to upload again kernel.bin who can be any firmware, because of this high high speed upload to router you should get an firmware with the size of 1.7Mb (that micro version from dd-wrt site), unless you want to stay 3 hours to upload a firmware of 3Mb.

I`ll keep posting is things work better after 1 hour #-o

I would also seriously consider using other versions of the utility to clear the NVRAM with. The JTAG utilities that are floating around aren't what I'd consider 100% reliable, I did my old GS in with overclocking past 250 a long while back, made the JTAG cable, double and triple checked it, utility seemed to work fine, said it cleared the NVRAM and so on. Long story short it needed some tweaking to work correctly, after a little help from someone else it worked like a charm. Cleared the NVRAM fine then(previously it was clearing it in a matter of a second or so, when it was ACTUALLY doing something it took considerably longer), waited awhile, rebooted itself and came right back up.

Check this forum and dd-wrt.com's for updated utilities that have been modified by users. A simple search or two should turn up more than a few.

(Last edited by yasha on 21 May 2007, 04:00)

I would report my success on debricking WRT54GL 1.1 with Samsung flash K8D3216UBC. This chip is recognized by debrick 4.8, but there is some error in the code.

My WRT had bricked on it's own, I did not flashed anything into it. Once afrer powercycle it became flashing Power led, all LAN leds were lit and none of the ports was working. It did not send anything on serial console, also.

JTAG with debrick 4.8 was able to read and write the flash, but the unit still did not work after fulll erase and reflash. Strange enough, "debrick.exe -backup:wholeflash /noemw" responded with 2MB wholeflash.bin file. But the chip is 4MB, so there is obvious mistake.

Then I had taken another similar flash type from the list and tried to -erase:wholeflash and -flash:cfe with forced flash type. The unit had resurrected after this.

Hi there

I had the same problem on my WRT54GL v1.1 with a K8D3216UBC 2Mx16 BotB     (4MB) Flash Chip...

all my lan port leds was static green, and the power led was flashing....
i tried to erase the NVRAM and almost EVERYTHING, but no success....

after some time i solved it like this........

!!!! continue at your own risk !!!!

1: Get your JTAG cable working.... and test it using the command
./wrt54g -probeonly /noemw

CPU Chip ID: 00000101001101010010000101111111 (0535217F)
*** Found a Broadcom BCM5352 Rev 1 CPU chip ***
...
...
*** Found a K8D3216UBC  2Mx16 BotB     (4MB) Flash Chip ***

when you get this message you may continue.......

note: If you have a Samsung K8D3216UBC chip you may continue..
if not, i dont know if this guide works for you......

2: First of all! MAKE BACKUP of your CFE and NVRAM!!!! (nice to have)
./wrt54g -backup:cfe /noemw
./wrt54g -backup:nvram /noemw

Verify that you get this message after each command:
*** REQUESTED OPERATION IS COMPLETE ***

then store those files (NVRAM.BIN-XXXX and CFE.BIN-XXXXX) on a safe place, so you don't erase them by mistake.

3: Then its time to Erase the whole flash!

./wrt54g -erase:wholeflash /noemw

wait about 30seconds after you get the operation complete message.....

4: Now its time to make the strange thing.... )

Goto http://www.wlan-skynet.de/download
And download the skynet repairkit., allow this program to download the database of CFE's

Now since you have a WRT54-GL v1.1, i guess you first thought is to generate a CFE for WRT54-GL v1.1, but then you are WRONG

Instead generate a CFE for WRT54-GL v1.0 and flash it into the router.

:: Flash the old version (CFE for WRT54GL v1.0)
./wrt54g -flash:cfe /noemw

:: Then flash a copy of a working NVRAM into the router nvram-blank.bin (from my www-site, at the bottom )
./wrt54g -flash:nvram /noemw

:: I issued this command after and using md5sum to verify the content was the same... (268826559af35b256d6bc5c5c56f4e22)
./wrt54g -backup:nvram /noemw

5: Now unplug the power to the router and wait for about 10seconds.... and put it back,
   after about 4-5 seconds the 4 LAN LEDS will go dark again... (CFE IS WOKING) but you cant make any changes to NVRAM since you have a WRT54-GL v1.0 CFE

6: Now when your router is "alive", and CFE is working, it's time to flash a WRT54-GL v1.1 CFE into it! (YOU MUST follow step 6, 7, 8)

   erase the nvram, and wait 30 seconds and reboot

./wrt54g -erase:nvram /noemw

   after this also erase the kernel and then wait 30 seconds and reboot.

./wrt54g -erase:kernel /noemw

7: Now it's time to flash a WRT54-GL v1.1 CFE into the router (you might want to try using your old CFE.bin that you have a backup on, from step 2)

   flash a WRT54-GL v1.1 CFE into the router, (if you dont have a backup of your CFE, generate one using the skynet repairkit)
   when flashing is done, wait 30 seconds!!!!!! and then restart your router (unplug power for about 10secs)

./wrt54g -flash:cfe /noemw

8: When the router now starts up, you should have a working WRT54-GL using CFE v1.1

you can try to ping it using IP 192.168.1.1

now just TFTP a working firmware into the router.... for example:

./tftp -v -m binary 192.168.1.1 -c put openwrt-wrt54g-2.4-squashfs.bin

if you dont know how to flash a router using TFTP checkout
http://wiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs/Installing/TFTP

/Mikael Broström

http://docs.m-sys.se/linksys_wrt54gl/

I am a proud owner of about 45 WRT54GL routers connected into a VPN network using a custom made firmware written in C.

i also have some other Linksys routers.... 4 WRT54GV2, 1 WRT54GV1, 3 WAP54G 2.0, 1 WRE54G. and many other hardwares...

mikael y have the same model of router and i think the same flash model (samsung) but the debrick utility can,t recognize it. i have flash te cfe with /fc:57 and 58 (now y supose after read you that its 58,because in the router only appear kd3216)and its break at 0%. i create a cfe of wrt54gl v1.1 in skynet.now i will try with the 1.0 version.
Cani do this with /fc command?
P.D. Soory for mny poor english

(Last edited by xinxiri on 28 Mar 2009, 19:19)

Hi - I know this is a really old thread but I was hoping someone could help me.

I had placed a WRT54GL v1.1 at a client site with dd-wrt on it and had a call tonight to say they had no internet. I went over and found the power light flashing and all ethernet LEDs on. Time for a JTAG session I think.

Now I have the HairyDairy code compiled and running under Linux and I am going to build a JTAG cable tomorrow. I had a look at the command line options and found this:

-backup:wholeflash

and

-flash:wholeflash

Now I have another fully working WRT54GL with dd-wrt. Does anyone know what would happen if I did a backup from my good router and flashed it to my broken router ???

I know this is an old thread but its still comes up first in the search engines:

When I JTAGed my WRT54GL v1.1 to replace the damages CFE (Usually indicated by the permanent flashing led as well as hours of trying to reset/flash the device) I found an "Aftermarket" CFE.bin through the DD-WRT wiki which flashed on the first try and I can now use k26, NEWD2, images as well as OpenWRT images on the device.

I wasted a lot of time using the skynet repair kit and following the hexediting tutorials to prepare CFE's for my particular device. Just download the CFE from DD-WRT use your tjtag3.exe program and save a lot of time.

hi everyone, i m new on this forum, i want to install openwrt on my WRT54GL router, can anyone please tell which method i should use from following

1. via original firmware
2. via bootloader & ethernet port
3. via bootloader & serial port
4. via jtag

and if i use 2nd method then pls tell me how to verify bootloader contains  a TFTP-client or a TFTP-server, or a FTP-client or a FTP-server...? pls reply.....i w'll b very greatful to the guy who reply on my post......:))

hi , laattalj, i  m new on this forum, i want to install openwrt on my WRT54GL router and dont know which method i should use it from following
1. via original firmware
2. via bootloader & ethernet port
3.via bootlader & serial port
4 . via jtag
& when i read on ur post that u hav successfully installed openwrt on ur router i realized that u r more experienced than me regarding this matter. so pls help me and tell me which method i should use......wtng 4 ur reply.....i'll b very grtfull 2 u if u reply on my post.....:))