(Another) Bricked AC66U - Help needed

[Herkatus]

Hello all,

I just bought a bricked AC66U for really cheap in order to debrick and flip.

I saw so many guides throughout the internet that I thought it would be easy... but it hasn't...

So far I've tried:

• clear nvram
• Use Asus Firmware Restoration software
• TFTP from windows
• connect serial from raspberry pi > run "flash -noheader : flash1.trx" and immediately upload stock firmware via tftp

I've based my actions in the tutorials below:

• serial connection from raspberry pi:
  • https://www.snbforums.com/threads/u...serial-connection-using-a-raspberry-pi.56567/
• tftp firmware from raspberry
  • https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...d-while-flashing-from-tomato-to-merlin.29077/

No matter which approach I have, the read from serial is

Done. 30806016 bytes read
Download of 0x1d61000 bytes completed
Write kernel and filesystem binary to FLASH
Programming...copysize=8388608, amtcopy = -4
Failed.: I/O error

and stops!

After the router reboots, if I connect to the router webpage I can upload, briefly, the firmware and it does sometimes says

Upload completed. System is going to reboot. Please wait a few moments.

but the console says

Programming...Failed. -4bytes written

and it's stuck in Recovery mode.

I did find this other tutorial: https://tosiek.pl/asus-rt-ac66u-cfe-and-dd-wrt-on-hw-version-b0/ that made me wonder if I should downgrade my CFE (currently 1.0.1.6 in Rev 1.3) but I can't telnet/ssh to the router... I was able to backup CFE following https://embedded-xinu.readthedocs.io/en/latest/mips/HOWTO-Backup-Router.html CFE tutorial but I don't know how can I restore this new CFE without telnet/ssh

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

 

[RMerlin]

I/O error makes me suspect it's a defective flash chip.

 

[follower]

Hello all,

Buy a new router.