OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: Help - bricked my Netgear WNR854T last night

The content of this topic has been archived between 8 Apr 2018 and 24 Apr 2018. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

I loaded in the latest (I believe) load for this router to see how far it has gotten: openwrt-wnr854t-squashfs-webupgrade.img   A couple of others have indicated that it works to one degree or another. I noticed that the "Uploading" phase went by very quickly (couple of seconds), hmmm. It went thru its looong updating router process and then nothing - just a yellow lite for the Power On indicator and which ever port I plugged my Cat5 cable into. Read another  thread on how to unbrick a different version and followed that. After doing a hard reset (30/30/30), unplugging for 10 seconds and then plugging back in and hitting the reset button, I am able to  ping the router. Then from a CMD window I tried the tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT openwrt-wnr854t-squashfs-webupgrade.img command, multiple times after unplugging or reset button, but I kept getting a "Failure to connect" message.

Any other ideas/suggestions? I don't have a JTAG cable nor want to go down that route if possible....

Thanks in advance!
daggerNC

Bumping - - - any other suggestions, or should I just take a hammer to it!?

Thanks Nilfred, Not sure I want to try going down the serial cable/jtag route....(I know, that makes me not a true hacker!) I also bought a Dlink DIR-655 gigabit w- router - works pretty good, but not tweakable sad

I'll take any offers for this pingable, but bricked 854T if anyone is interested?

Cheers,
dagger

3v3 TTL serial to USB cable is 2-20 USD. I feel like you first time and even void the warranty anyway. Most times it's not bricked.
JTAG adapter is 100+ USD, an expensive all round debrick toy but slow. Not needed unless you mess uBoot with saveenv.
Try serial cable first, then make you way on the unwanted hardware.
To be a hacker, at least, you should fatten you router to 128Mb RAM. I'd like to add a USB port (not the easy way by USB mini PCI card)

I debricked/flashed back to original firmware this way.
If U-boot is good, you don't need to use JTAG. I used MAX3232 - RS232 to TTL module / converter from E-bay. This is serial pinout.
Serial:
1 Tx
2 Vcc
3 NC
4 Vcc
5 NC
6 Ground
7 Rx
8 Ground
9 NC

install Pumpkin TFTP for TFTP server in computer. Place the wnr854t_1_4_38NA.img downloaded from Netgear .

connect serial console to router. check the connection. Use hyperterminal in windows XP.  I used COM1. 115200, 8,N,1. connnect and power on. press any  key within 3 sec to go to U-boot.
to get default environment:
Marvell>> printenv   >>> copy your  original environment of the u-boot loader

serverip=192.168.1.55 >>> change your computer IP to 192.168.1.55   when tftpboot request, it will download img from  computer's TFTP server

download the image to ram.
Marvell>> tftpboot 0 wnr854t_1_4_38NA.img
note -  0x600014 (hex)  >>> it will the size of image.

erase the flash (partially):
Marvell>> erase 0xFF800000 0xFFDFFFFF

copy to the flash:
Marvell>> cp.b 0x14 0xFF800000 0x600014


start the image:
Marvell>> run standalone

I debricked and return to original firmware. Same way for different build firmwares for flashing.

tech wrote:

copy to the flash:
Marvell>> cp.b 0x14 0xFF800000 0x600014

You deliberately skipped first 0x14 bytes of image header, so you must subtract them from the downloaded size, using M$ Calculator in HEX mode:
0x600014 - 0x14 = 0x600000
Finally should look like this:

Marvell>> cp.b 0x14 0xFF800000 0x600000

Nilfred and tech - REALLY appreciate your posts/help here. I'll try this serial cable approach.  If I may ask, what is the need/purpose of erasing some of the flash and then copying the string above before trying to start the new image? Thanks much again.

dagger

more simple solution if u-boot is ok:
marvell>bootm 0x0

It will start a TFTP server and print out address, than you can run following commands in another host
1. start tftp
tftp> connect <wnr854t prints out ip address>
tftp> binary
tftp> put <file name of firmware binary you want to load>

That's all

shen390s wrote:

tftp> put <file name of firmware binary you want to load>

Should it be standard webupdate firmware or a binary result of strip first 0x14 bytes of firmware header?
If I recall right, last byte should also be stripped this way.
Correct me if I'm wrong but may be easier if an already stripped firmware download location is provided.

use web upgrade firmware

sorry for the offtopic but is there a way to add usb to this? the cpu supports USB as I have read but I could not see any post here regarding it, since if I can add USB I'll buy one

Resurrecting this post, because, I decided to try to resurrect my bricked WNR854T router. My router appears to only be about 2/3 bricked - here's what I've done (but no success yet):

To recap, I installed a squashfs version on my Netgear router, and it seemed to install with no issues, but when I rebooted it, I got nothing but a solid yellow Power LED, and solid yellow on the port where I connected the Cat5e cable. Unable to log in to the admin page at 192.168.1.1. Lots of hard resets, 30-30-30's and swearing, but no good. I used my laptop to run TFTP to PUT a factory image on it, doing the unplug/plug in at various delays dance, but to no avail. Also did the dual cmd window up with one running a constant ping command - nada. I always get the "timeout occurred, connect request failed" message. :-(

On my Win7 PC I can open a cmd window and I ping the router at address 192.168.1.1 and get 4 good responses with a TTL-64 result. What I just did this weekend was to hook it up directly to my cable modem and when I did an "ipconfig" I got an actual IP assignment of 192.168.1.228, subnet of 255.255.255.0 and a gateway address of 192.168.1.1 !!! If I got an IP assignment then something is still working, so I tried to access the internet, and,  it worked!?!?! So, something is still working inside the box (note that wireless is not working).

Given that the router is not completely dead as I originally thought, does anybody have any additional suggestions as to what I can try next? I don't have a serial cable adaptor nor a JTAG cable. Is there a different IP address to access the open_wrt admin page perhaps?

Thanks!
daggerNC

Nilfred, tech, shen, (and others from additional threads like maddes) - a big THANK YOU. Your contributions have really helped me out.

My update:  I bought one of the generic Nokia CA-42 USB to Serial cell phone cables and proceeded to strip the cell phone connector off and prep the wires for pin access. Had a heck of a time trying to get my Windows 7 laptop to take and drivers for it - turns out I got a lead thru Google that lead me to the TW manufacturers site and had to use their latest drivers - but it worked. Of course my wire colors were different than any other thread I found - but I figured that out. tech - your serial layout and instructions to get into the MARVELL prompt worked (again once I got a terminal app to work - I tried Putty but it never would open, so I found a copy of Hyperterminal that I could run on Win7 and that one worked!).

First time for me to do something at this level via a Terminal window (and I'm NO Linux expert), but I could see the previous version of open-wrt.squashfs was running and uboot appeared to be intact. So shen  I followed your instructions and after setting up my PC to use 192.168.1.55 as the server IP address, issued the bootm 0x0 from the terminal, and then I opened a cmd window and issued  the command:  tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT <latest WNR854T firmware.bin file downloaded from Netgear>  And, it gave me a success message (6 megs xferred in 3 seconds). I saw on my terminal window the erase blocks xx thru yy message and then the flashing abc message. Left the router go for the rest of the night (it's now after 1:00AM :-) )

BUT, I don't think it worked completely successfully. I had a few minutes this morning before heading off to work to check the router. The Power LED is now no longer a solid yellow, but it is now a constantly flashing green led. I did a power reset on the 854T, and then tried to log in to the admin page at 192.168.1.1, and it said it couldn't connect (in Internet Explorer 8) Huh?  I checked my ipconfig and got a strange IP address - something like 162.xxx.y.zz (what subnet is this??)

Anyway - that's as far as I got this morning. Anybody have any quick ideas what might of happened and/or what I should do next? Did I need to force a run the new image in the Terminal session first? Do I need to load in an older version of Netgear firmware first? Or must I install a newer beta OPEN-WRT image only?

Thanks all once again!

More time to play tonight - but something isn't right/not working. I can Hyperterminal in, set my laptop to server address 192.168.1.55; in terminal issue bootm 0x0; in cmd window issue the tftp command to load image; load transfer is successful/complete; in terminal I see it takes the download file, then erases 47 sectors, and then it starts the flash-write process, and then just dies there????? Here is the Terminal capture:

Marvell>> bootm 0x0                   
## Booting image at 00000000 ...                               
Bad Magic Number...do_bootmimage_name);setenv bootargs
Start Gemtek tftpd for Netgear GE RT!                                     
TFTP Server IP is : 192.168.1.1

Soc: 88F5181 B1             
Load address: 0x400000u                     
WRequest from 192.168.1.55: [r854t_1_4_33_ww.img], [octet]x400000;hz , TClock = 166Mhz                             
#################################################################   
bootdelay=3           
disaMvPnp=no Express Roo             
#################################################################: 919/40956 byte                               
               
#################################################################   005e0000      00600000      00620000                         
######################################################                                                   
#################################################################000                                                             
################################################################# 00760000 (RO)                                                   
#################################################################O) 007e0000 (RO)                                                 
#################################################################                       
Marvell>> tftpboot 0 wnr854t_1_4_33_ww.i
#################################################################                 
TFTP from server 192.168.1.55; our IP address i
#################################################################       
Filename 'wnr854t_1_4_33_ww.img'.                       
#################################################################T T T T                           
Retry count exceeded; startin
######################################################0 device                   
                       
T
header.magic is [NG_WNR854T]/[NG_WNR854T], header.crc is F76BCACF               
        |  \/  | __ _ _ ____   _____| | |       
crc is F76BCACF               
Firmware with CRC 0xF76BCACF...OK! / _ \ | |                       
old_fw_crc[0]=[DC40C1CD]/[F76BCACF]_| | |   \ V /  __/ | |           
old_fw_crc[1]=[548A1A71]/[F76BCACF]  |_|  |_|\__,_|_|    \_/ \___|_|_|
old_fw_crc[2]=[B5144332]/[F76BCACF]     
_   _     ____             
old_fw_crc[3]=[97A5EF4F]/[F76BCACF]| |   | __ )  ___   ___ | |_       
old_fw_crc[4]=[67F367CE]/[F76BCACF]|  _ \ / _ \ / _ \| __|           
old_fw_crc[5]=[5F43C47E]/[F76BCACF]) | (_) | (_) | |_                 
old_fw_crc[6]=[19127FAD]/[F76BCACF]_/ \___/ \__|  ** LOADER **       
old_fw_crc[7]=[C59C                 
U-Boot 1.1.1 (Apr 18 2007 - 16:05
old_fw_crc[10]=[3A2061E9]/[F76BCACF]env bootargs $(bootargs) root=/dev/m
old_fw_crc[11]=[E7AAB69F]/[F76BCACF]00000   size  32MBb                 
old_fw_crc[12]=[9348C43F]/[F76BCACF]  32MB                     
[8192kB@
old_fw_crc[17]=[F424C424]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[18]=[EFDD6C0C]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[19]=[B5E8409F]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[20]=[775CC58C]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[21]=[2DBABE9E]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[22]=[BC32B008]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[23]=[31624DE7]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[24]=[39BE3515]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[25]=[634F9071]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[26]=[DB18D5A5]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[27]=[73650662]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[28]=[855CBA4E]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[29]=[804AFE40]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[30]=[53EE236F]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[31]=[C830B8DC]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[32]=[C3AD44BB]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[33]=[18B2C611]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[34]=[1570FAED]/[F76BCACF]
old_fw_crc[35]=[D7F3A726]/[F76BCACF]
flash_protect : 0xFF800000 to 0xFFDFFFFF
Erase 0 - 47 sectors...
................................................
flash_write : from 00400014 write to FF800000-FFDFFFFF, len is 6291456

What am I doing wrong? I also try the tftpboot 0 wnr854t_1_4_33.ww.img and that never works as it goes T T T T T T T  and then timesout and starts over again. It seems that I doesn't know how to access the TFTP server 192.168.1.55 (my static ip) or is it the file it can't find -> like how does it locate the .img firmware file (two threads on this approach never mention that)?  Thanks!

daggerNC wrote:

I also try the tftpboot 0 wnr854t_1_4_33.ww.img and that never works as it goes T T T T T T T  and then timesout and starts over again. It seems that I doesn't know how to access the TFTP server 192.168.1.55 (my static ip) or is it the file it can't find -> like how does it locate the .img firmware file

You must set the IP address of the tftp server on the U-Boot prompt with

setenv serverip 192.168.1.55

and the one of the WNR854T with

setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.1

(unless it is already set). Both shall be in the same subnet. Check the settings with

printenv

These settings are lost after power cycle or hw reset unless you say

saveenv

- if this command is supported.

The directory fo the image depends on your tftp server configuration, on Linux it usually defaults to /tftpboot.

daggerNC wrote:

flash_protect : 0xFF800000 to 0xFFDFFFFF

Maybe you have an overprotected flash, please issue:

Marvell>> flinfo wrote:

Bank # 1: SAMSUNG SAMSUNG_FID_K8D6316T (8 Mbit, top boot sector)
Size:  8 MB,Bus Width: 1, device Width: 1.
Flash base: 0xff800000,Number of Sectors: 135 Type: TOP.
  Sector Start Addresses:
    00000000      00010000      00020000      00030000      00040000     
    00050000      00060000      00070000      00080000      00090000     
    000a0000      000b0000      000c0000      000d0000      000e0000     
    000f0000      00100000      00110000      00120000      00130000     
    00140000      00150000      00160000      00170000      00180000     
    00190000      001a0000      001b0000      001c0000      001d0000     
    001e0000      001f0000      00200000      00210000      00220000     
    00230000      00240000      00250000      00260000      00270000     
    00280000      00290000      002a0000      002b0000      002c0000     
    002d0000      002e0000      002f0000      00300000      00310000     
    00320000      00330000      00340000      00350000      00360000     
    00370000      00380000      00390000      003a0000      003b0000     
    003c0000      003d0000      003e0000      003f0000      00400000     
    00410000      00420000      00430000      00440000 (RO) 00450000     
    00460000      00470000      00480000      00490000      004a0000     
    004b0000      004c0000      004d0000      004e0000      004f0000     
    00500000      00510000      00520000      00530000      00540000     
    00550000      00560000      00570000      00580000      00590000     
    005a0000      005b0000      005c0000      005d0000      005e0000     
    005f0000      00600000      00610000      00620000      00630000     
    00640000      00650000      00660000      00670000      00680000     
    00690000      006a0000      006b0000      006c0000      006d0000     
    006e0000      006f0000      00700000      00710000      00720000     
    00730000      00740000      00750000      00760000      00770000     
    00780000      00790000      007a0000      007b0000      007c0000 (RO)
    007d0000 (RO) 007e0000 (RO) 007f0000 (RO) 007f2000 (RO) 007f4000 (RO)
    007f6000 (RO) 007f8000 (RO) 007fa000 (RO) 007fc000 (RO) 007fe000 (RO)

Bank # 2: missing or unknown FLASH type

Then as needed:

Marvell>> protect off 0xFFC40000 0xFFC5FFFF

See mfd post

Edit: DO NOT use saveenv

(Last edited by Nilfred on 25 Feb 2010, 16:12)

jal2 - my IP addresses were already set to 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.55 (but I ran your commands anyways) - no help

Hi Nilfred - I didn't see any sectors that were RO (except the last grouping like yours above). I tried multiple groups of forcing flash protect off, but no difference.

I find that I seem to be able to load any of the latest openwrt squashfs images - I can ping the router afterwards. But, when I then do a tftp to install any of the factory images, it seems to not want to boot the new load. I get the following capture in my Terminal program:

DRAM Total size  32MB
[8192kB@ff800000] Flash:  8 MB
Addresses 20M - 0M are saved for the U-Boot usage.
Mem malloc Initialization (20M - 16M): Done

Soc: 88F5181 B1
CPU: ARM926 (Rev 0) running @ 500Mhz
SysClock = 166Mhz , TClock = 166Mhz


USB 0: host mode
PCI 0: PCI Express Root Complex Interface
PCI 1: Conventional PCI, speed = 33000000
Net:   egiga0 [PRIME]
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
### JFFS2 loading 'uImage' to 0x400000
Scanning JFFS2 FS: ....... done.
### JFFS2 load complete: 903724 bytes loaded to 0x400000
## Booting image at 00400000 ...
Bad Magic Number...do_bootm
Start Gemtek tftpd for Netgear GE RT!
TFTP Server IP is : 192.168.1.1
Load address: 0x400000

In this state, can't do anything with the router except tftp a new image to it.....

One of the IP gurus at my work said it might be a Linux version mismatch or nvram parameter mismatch or perhaps a file size mismatch?  It appears to load uImage from JFFS2, but then I always see the "Bad Magic Number", is this tell anybody something about what is wrong?

Thanks,
daggerNC

As well, I installed Solarwinds TFTPServer on my Win7 laptop. It started up fine and it creates a root folder at C:\TFTP-Root. I made sure that the TFTP Server parms allowed both receive and send files, and all IP's were allowed. It saw my static laptop IP address as 192.168.1.55. However, when I'm in Terminal mode with the router and printenv shows the routers IP and TFTP Server IP is set correctly and flinfo shows no protected blocks, when I enter "tftpboot 0 wnr854t_1_4_33_ww.img" it attempts to download the file from the TFTP Server but it just shows a T  T  T  T  T  T then Timeout, and restarts the tftpboot process and loops over and over. Has anyone used this tftp server app, and/or any special settings I may have missed?

Thanks - daggerNC

OK - got a little further today. I tried again to get tftpboot to work, and it wouldn't, so I installed Pumpkin TFTP Server app on one of the other thread recommendations. That worked!!! (So, I deleted Solarwinds server app). I followed the sequences above and from the mdm thread, everything seems to go smoothly, until I issue the "run standalone" and then I get the Bad Magic Number message and it just goes into bootm wait loop. Here's the terminal data:

         __  __                      _ _
        |  \/  | __ _ _ ____   _____| | |
        | |\/| |/ _` | '__\ \ / / _ \ | |
        | |  | | (_| | |   \ V /  __/ | |
        |_|  |_|\__,_|_|    \_/ \___|_|_|
_   _     ____              _
| | | |   | __ )  ___   ___ | |_
| | | |___|  _ \ / _ \ / _ \| __|
| |_| |___| |_) | (_) | (_) | |_
\___/    |____/ \___/ \___/ \__|  ** LOADER **
** MARVELL BOARD: RD-88F5181L-VOIP-GE LE GE RT v1.05

U-Boot 1.1.1 (Apr 18 2007 - 16:05:00) Marvell version: 1.7.3

DRAM CS[0] base 0x00000000   size  32MB
DRAM Total size  32MB
[8192kB@ff800000] Flash:  8 MB
Addresses 20M - 0M are saved for the U-Boot usage.
Mem malloc Initialization (20M - 16M): Done

Soc: 88F5181 B1
CPU: ARM926 (Rev 0) running @ 500Mhz
SysClock = 166Mhz , TClock = 166Mhz


USB 0: host mode
PCI 0: PCI Express Root Complex Interface
PCI 1: Conventional PCI, speed = 33000000
Net:   egiga0 [PRIME]
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  3
[08][08][08] 0
Marvell>> tftpboot 0  WNR854T_V1.4.38NA.img
tftpboot 0  WNR854T_V1.4.38NA.img

Using egiga0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.55; our IP address is 192.168.1.1
Filename 'WNR854T_V1.4.38NA.img'.
Load address: 0x0
Loading: *[08]#################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     #################################################################
     ###########################################################
done
Bytes transferred = 6291476 (600014 hex)
Marvell>> erase 0xFF800000 0xFFDFFFFF
erase 0xFF800000 0xFFDFFFFF


................................................
Erased 48 sectors
Marvell>> cp.b 0x14 0xFF800000 0x600000
cp.b 0x14 0xFF800000 0x600000

Copy to Flash... done
Marvell>> run standalone
run standalone

### JFFS2 loading 'uImage' to 0x400000
Scanning JFFS2 FS:   [08][08].  [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08]\ [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08].  [08][08]\ [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08]\ [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08]\ [08][08].  [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08].  [08][08]- [08][08].  [08][08]\ [08][08].  [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08]\ [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08]\ [08][08].  [08][08]| [08][08]/ [08][08]- [08][08] done.

### JFFS2 load complete: 903668 bytes loaded to 0x400000
## Booting image at 00400000 ...
Bad Magic Number...do_bootm
Start Gemtek tftpd for Netgear GE RT!
TFTP Server IP is : 192.168.1.1
Load address: 0x400000
T T T T T T T T T T


Here is my printenv results:

Marvell>> printenv

baudrate=115200
loads_echo=0
rootpath=/mnt/ARM_FS/
cpuName=926
CASset=min
MALLOC_len=4
ethprime=egiga0
bootargs_root=root=/dev/nfs rw
bootargs_end=:::DB88FXX81:eth0:none
ethaddr=00:00:00:00:51:81
usb0Mode=host
ethact=egiga0
image_name=uImage
ipaddr=192.168.1.1
serverip=192.168.1.55
filesize=70084
fileaddr=100000
uboot_ver=uboot
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
enaMonExt=no
enaFlashBuf=yes
enaCpuStream=no
bootargs2=$(bootargs)
standalone=fsload 0x400000 $(image_name);setenv bootargs $(bootargs) root=/dev/mtdblock1 rw ip=$(ipaddr):$(serverip)$(bootargs_end); bootm 0x400000;
bootcmd=fsload 0x400000 $(image_name);setenv bootargs $(bootargs) root=/dev/mtdblock1 rw ip=$(ipaddr):$(serverip)$(bootargs_end); bootm 0x400000;
bootnfs=fsload 0x400000 $(image_name);setenv bootargs $(bootargs) root=/dev/mtdblock1 rw ip=$(ipaddr):$(serverip)$(bootargs_end); bootm 0x400000;
bootdelay=3
disaMvPnp=no
overEthAddr=no

Environment size: 919/40956 bytes
Marvell>>


Any ideas???

Thanks,
dagger

SOLVED!!!!!!!!!

My Netgear WNR854T is back up a running with the latest factory firmware, 38NA. The last key that triggered my ability to finally get a factory firmware to install was a comment from one of the local network guru's I work with:  I told him what was going on (installed openwrt, many versions, but could not get a factory firmware to take as I always got a "BAD MAGIC NUMBER" error. He said that error has been around for a long time and generally means that the linux partitions in my box don't match the expected partitions of the factory firmware....... Hmm, all the builds I've tried are squashfs based...

So, I looked for a jffs2 build and found some here: http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/openw … ble/orion/  I tftp'd it into the router and it installed, but wouldn't run giving me a Kernal Panic error. However, the upload and firmware did go thru the full install process, and, that did it!! I was then able to tftp a factory Netgear image and it installed. My WNR854T is now offically "unbricked" (though maddes' firmwares did work to a limited degree).

Thanks again to all for your inputs and help. Maybe this clue to use a jffs2 build will help any others having problems reverting back to their factory firmware.

Cheers,
daggerNC

I'm having a very similar problem.. I flashed my WNR854T with openwrt-wnr854t-squashfs-webupgrade.img  and after trying to access the LuCi web interface it says"not found"  The router is working but of course I can't change any settings.  I tried the TFTP flashing method mentioned above but that didn't work.. I also tried the Pumpkin TFTP with the same result.. it always times out.  I'm not really sure what to do at this point as I'm not a Linux guru like the rest of you guys!  Any help would be HUGELY appreciated! 

Thanks!! big_smile

EDIT:  I haven't tried Hyperterminal as you mentioned doing.. is that a telnet sort of thing or did you connect a serial cable to the router? Sorry for my ignorance..  Havent used hyperterminal in years..

EDIT:  ok.. I managed to get "telneted" in.. I guess I'll poke around some more smile

(Last edited by brandon9271 on 28 Mar 2010, 06:10)

A way to flash the stock firmware via sysupgrade is mentioned in post #905 of another thread. Just to let you know.

can this method work via Telnet or will I have to build a serial cable and go that way?  The router works fine except that its web interface doesn't work.

There isn't any web interface by default. Please RTFM!