I bought a bunch of used 703's on ebay from a seller who kept getting them back as returns. They are all running the following openwrt firmware/software.
Problem is, trying to convert them back to standard openwrt so I can then use my own Image Builder build simply keeps bricking the units. Once they are sysupgraded, they always die. I re-power the units, they blink the LED once and that's it, nothing more from it. It doesn't try to get a DHCP address, doesn't set it's own address, it's just gone.
So far, I had done the upgrade using the my own sysupgrade and factory file. Both killed the device. I then used a default factory build mentioned in the wiki (can't recall which though, should have kept better track) and that just killed another one.
I'm using the image builder with pre-built images to make my own build. The build works perfectly on new devices which come with the Chinese firmware. With those, I use the web interface to upload a 'factory' build, then I install my own build. I have not had one problem with my builds or using factory found in the wiki.
Then I found original firmware to put it back to tp-link, did the upgrade and got myself another bricked unit.
I used the following file;
WR703N_CH_MR3020Nv1_EN_up(120320)_Webflash.bin
Which was inside of the following zip;
Original TP-LINK TL-WR703N (Chinese version).zip
Said to be the original firmware file for the 703n.
Which I found here;
http://www.siongboon.com/projects/2013- … index.html
Then someone ask if it would make more sense to use something directly from tp-link but they no longer seem to support this unit and I wasn't able to find any files for it.
I took the bricked ones apart and they are all v1.6. At least, there is a sticker on the Ethernet port which says 1.6.
All of them were running Bleeding Edge r38816. Hardware wise, sticker wise, they all look the same between NEW and the used ones I bought.
I found some additional info on the running openwrt device.
/tmp/sysinfo
board_name: tl-wr703n
model: TP-LINK TL-WR703N V1
What's the V1 mean?
Then in /etc
in a file called avalon_version
20131229
cgminer: 698d677
cgminer-openwrt-packages: aadd747+
luci: 346e3e7+
Looking on the net, this is a bit beyond me again. Looks like some other version of openwrt?
OpenWrt packages for Avalon firmware
https://github.com/Canaan-Creative/cgmi … t-packages
I can get into them using failsafe, hitting the reset while it's booting to get the fast flashing LED.
I can wget my custom build and stick it on the device but I'm really not sure what to do from this point on anymore. If it was clear I was doing something wrong, ok, but, I've spent hours reading and cannot confirm anything.
At this point, I've bricked six units total and I'm pretty confused about what is going on now.
In terms of building, I'm not doing anything all that special and my builds work on all new devices.
make image PROFILE=TLWR703 PACKAGES="at sysstat bash mtr curl kmod-ipv6 -dnsmasq -kmod-ath9k -kmod-usb-core -kmod-usb2 -uboot-envtools -wpa
d-mini" FILES=files/
Tried to build using the latest 14.7... Dead, just like the others. They don't even go into any kind of rescue mode. I've tried everything I can find. That same build works fine on all of the units I bought NEW because I tried upgrading some this morning and all went fine.
After I flashed it with 14.7, it lights the LED once then nothing else.
I did my build using the image builder and the command shown above.
I used the following file to upgrade.
3932160 Nov 6 15:54 openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wr703n-v1-squashfs-factory.bin
The builder I am using is from;
http://downloads.openwrt.org/barrier_br … x/generic/
The file I am using is;
barrier_breaker/14.07/ar71xx/generic/OpenWrt-ImageBuilder-ar71xx_generic-for-linux-x86_64.tar.bz2
Here is /proc/mtd
# cat /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00020000 00010000 "u-boot"
mtd1: 000f8910 00010000 "kernel"
mtd2: 002d76f0 00010000 "rootfs"
mtd3: 000b0000 00010000 "rootfs_data"
mtd4: 00010000 00010000 "art"
mtd5: 003d0000 00010000 "firmware"
Help!!!!