Need help with restoration of AC66u B1 + last Merlin

[pasha4ur]

Hello.

Help me please.

My friends gave me the router and said that it periodically got hot and stopped working. They rebooted the router frequently.

I turned it on. But only the power and connected local or input port lights, where the wire was were lit. Except for network port No. 2. It doesn't react to cable. The Wi-Fi network did not appear and did not turn on the indicators. The computer reports that the local wire is not connected. Although I was able to get this address from the router to the computer once:

Ethernet adapter Ethernet 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix. :
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::f704:8826:695e:fb27%22
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.207.26
Subnet Mask. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway. . . . . . . . . :

I tried resetting the router with combinations of buttons (reset and wps), but it doesn’t start blinking. No entry into recovery mode. Can't access or ping 192.168.1.1 (I configured my PC adaptor settings to 192.168.1.10)

Currently, when turned on, the router behaves like this:
1. All indicators flash 1 time.
2. Next, the power and connected port indicators light up.

When connecting this router to another similar working router by wan or lan port it shows port connection 1000, but the problematic router does not appear in the list of devices of the working router (fresh tomato).

I changed power supplies between routers. No changes.

Photos of the board are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FiyWW18lhVTwY85mdOb7tTY-wYefSVdz?usp=sharing . I saw no signs of destruction. Only moisture from thermal pads is visible.

 

[sfx2000]

My friends gave me the router and said that it periodically got hot and stopped working. They rebooted the router frequently.

Erm... do you really want to inherit someone else's problem?

This is pretty old hardware, and you'd be better off with a newer device...

 

[pasha4ur]

Erm... do you really want to inherit someone else's problem?

This is pretty old hardware, and you'd be better off with a newer device...

Now this is my router. I want to learn how to set up more complex networks and mesh on several routers. If it can be restored, then why not try. It will even be useful as a gigabit hub.

 

[sfx2000]

Now this is my router. I want to learn how to set up more complex networks and mesh on several routers. If it can be restored, then why not try. It will even be useful as a gigabit hub.

Yeah, but it's a device that the OEM no longer supports, and the community interest has moved on...

 

[pasha4ur]

Yeah, but it's a device that the OEM no longer supports, and the community interest has moved on...

Not a problem for me. This's not what this topic is about.

 

[ColinTaylor]

The computer reports that the local wire is not connected. Although I was able to get this address from the router to the computer once:

It didn't get that address from the router. 169.254 addresses are what the client gives itself when it fails to receive an address from a DHCP server. In other words, it has no network connection.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Photos of the board are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FiyWW18lhVTwY85mdOb7tTY-wYefSVdz?usp=sharing . I saw no signs of destruction. Only moisture from thermal pads is visible.

That first pic shows some PCB surface distortion to the right of the hefty - and + terminations of some component on the other side... perhaps heating damage coming through the PCB.

OE

 

[pasha4ur]

It didn't get that address from the router. 169.254 addresses are what the client gives itself when it fails to receive an address from a DHCP server. In other words, it has no network connection.

Thank you.

How can I understand if there is a chance to revive the router?

I saw topics about other Azus routers on the Internet. They used the UART interface to download firmware to the router.

 

[pasha4ur]

That first pic shows some PCB surface distortion to the right of the hefty - and + terminations of some component on the other side... perhaps heating damage coming through the PCB.

Can you mark this on photo, please?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Can you mark this on photo, please?

Maybe just solder flux or something(?)

OE

 

[sfx2000]

That first pic shows some PCB surface distortion to the right of the hefty - and + terminations of some component on the other side... perhaps heating damage coming through the PCB.

OE

that's just solder flux - as one notes, there is no component installed in that location, but the solder stencil is still present...

Nothing in that specific location on the circuit board suggests a failure mode...

 

[sfx2000]

Not a problem for me. This's not what this topic is about.

Whelp - then you'll need to get a UART connection up and see what's happening in CFE and the kernel boot - something is stopping your device from booting up.

 

[pasha4ur]

Whelp - then you'll need to get a UART connection up and see what's happening in CFE and the kernel boot - something is stopping your device from booting up.

Thank you for answer.

I found CP2102 USB-adapter in my Arduino box: https://alltopnotch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CP2102-BLUE-USB-to-TTL.jpg

Will try to do steps like in this topics:

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