RT-AC68U bricked during firmware update

[joegreat]

Just to let you know: You can brick your router during firmware update...

Today I updated my AC68U (HW rev. A1) with another fork of Merlin's 380.57 firmware, resulting that the router is now bricked: only the power LED is flashing fast after power on!

The WPS/Reset button holding while powering on (for NVRAM reset and Recovery) does not work - the power LED keeps fast flashing...

"My dearest friend, if you don't mind
I'd like to join you by your side
Where we can gaze into the stars" *)

Time to find a new friend...

Now the good old N66U has to run a the main router: with the help of John's NVRAM restore tool it was easy switch.

*) Nightmare Before Christmas – The Finale Lyrics

 

[gatorback]

This leaves me wondering if this is a firmware problem does this observation belong in this thread:

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-380-57-is-now-available.29308/page-3#post-226324

 

[Nullity]

You cannot access Recovery Mode?


Back when I first started with AsusWRT-merlin, I thought I had bricked my RT-N66U but Recovery Mode was accessible. I even mistook Recovery Mode for bricked.

 

[L&LD]

Agree with Nullity, seems like it is in recovery mode and not bricked. I would not give up yet. Very hard to brick an RT-AC68U or other Broadcom based Asus router with just a firmware update.

 

[kvic]

In recovery mode, the power indicator flashes around once per second.

It's a bit tricky to enter recovery mode in my rare experience. I usually press the reset button, power on and keep the reset button pressed until the power led lights up. Quite frankly I don't know if it's proper procedure but seems to work. On PC side, you have to statically assign an IP before launching Asus Restoration Tool.

Also there seem to be some kind of self-recovering mechanism in asuswrt, the logics is beyond comprehension from my rare experience. You've to wait for quite long, maybe 3+ minutes for it to actually finish factory restore in some cases. Let it sit there. You might be surprised after half hour..

 

[Nullity]

My RT-N66U took 1hr+ iirc to load the firmware from recovery.


Due to my impatience I reset it two or three times mid-upgrade...
still, no brickity-brick.

 

[joegreat]

Yes, I have tried all the suggestions, but still no luck: The Power LED keeps flashing fast from power on and never stops (waited 2 hours), plus recovery tool does not find the router (Power LED should flash slow).

 

[Nullity]

Can't you see if the boot tftp server is functioning by pinging the device and seeing if the TTL changes?

 

[CiscoX]

Yes, I have tried all the suggestions, but still no luck: The Power LED keeps flashing fast from power on and never stops (waited 2 hours), plus recovery tool does not find the router (Power LED should flash slow).

Hi.
Have you tried to set static IP to your computer? (that one you are using to connect to the router, using cable)

Try to set static IP to:
- IP Address: 192.168.1.2
- Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
- Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

DNS server you probably don't need but I used to add 192.168.1.1

Then again try to use the "ASUS Firmware Restoration tool" if not then try to login to the router using a browser and try to connect to 192.168.1.1

 

[joegreat]

Then again try to use the "ASUS Firmware Restoration tool" if not then try to login to the router using a browser and try to connect to 192.168.1.1

Yes, I know the procedure, but Router is not responding to Pings nor the Restauration tool finds it.
PC's IP address is set manually to something in the 192.168.1.x range, plus the Sub Net mask to 255.255.255.0

Any idea what the fast flashing power LED means (right after switching on)?

 

[Nullity]

No idea about the flashing. I assumed recovery.

The Broadcom bootloader/CFE tftp server should be accessible though.

Just for clarity, what exactly were you doing? Like, exactly what TRX file and were you wired or wireless? Any details that might help.

Does your PC ever register the ethernet port of the Asus becoming active?

You might try running a packet-sniffer (tcpdump, Wireshark) in promiscuous mode to see if any packets are being sent from the device. I have tracked down devices that way.

Edit: Clarification. Spleling.

 

[CiscoX]

Yes, I know the procedure, but Router is not responding to Pings nor the Restauration tool finds it.
PC's IP address is set manually to something in the 192.168.1.x range, plus the Sub Net mask to 255.255.255.0

Any idea what the fast flashing power LED means (right after switching on)?

I have no idea of the fast flashing power LED.

But you can try to put the router into recovery mode.

Turn off the router, then press and hold the reset button. Then power up the router while you are still holding the reset, release it after 10-15 seconds, you will notice the power LED are flashing. Then try to access the router with your browser. Try another browser too.

 

[joegreat]

But you can try to put the router into recovery mode.

Turn off the router, then press and hold the reset button. Then power up the router while you are still holding the reset, release it after 10-15 seconds, you will notice the power LED are flashing. Then try to access the router with your browser. Try another browser too.

As stated in my original posting: It does not work to put the router into recovery mode! Power LED keeps fast flashing...
Again: I know the procedures.

 

[martinr]

I Googled "fast flashing led asus router" and most of the time it's a slow flashing light they talk about, and of course the router is found on the network, but I did come across this comment following an aticle (https://chrishardie.com/2013/02/asus-router-firmware-windows-mac-linux/ )

"
Thanks very, very much!
After spending too many time around my wife's WpC with no success, I've finaly managed to fix my Asus RT-N11 router with my Fedora 18!

My router was blinking fast the power led, and didn't appear to respond to reset!
It happened that it had it's IP was on 192.168.123.254!

1- Configured my ethernet to 192.168.123.222 with 255.255.255.0
2- Managed to ping the router in 192.168.123.254
3- Performed the command you did
4- Waited for about 5 minutes
5- Restarted the router
6- Performed a reset
7- Et voila! Access the web GUI in 192.168.1.1 with DHCP!!!"

But someone else found:

"
Thank for the info but when i do ipconfig am getting a public ip which is 169.254.208.1xx 255.255.0.0 which i don't understand why dhcp isn't assigning private ups to the router. am curious if i have missed anything."

And at least one person got an RMA and sent it back to be fixed. Let's hope yours doens't come to that. Good luck.

 

[kvic]

Some ppl say Asus faq mentions fast blinking power led means wps processing.

Of cos it's weird if this fits your situation. But im thinking if your wps button is stuck in pull-down state..

Worth using a pen hammer the wps button a bit if u know what I mean... try to bounce any metal contact back to its original position.

Then retry..the recovery mode procedure again.

 

[CiscoX]

As stated in my original posting: It does not work to put the router into recovery mode! Power LED keeps fast flashing...
Again: I know the procedures.

Ok, then try the TFTD procedures.

Maybe this may help:
https://chrishardie.com/2013/02/asus-router-firmware-windows-mac-linux/

 

[joegreat]

Some ppl say Asus faq mentions fast blinking power led means wps processing.

Of cos it's weird if this fits your situation. But im thinking if your wps button is stuck in pull-down state..

Worth using a pen hammer the wps button a bit if u know what I mean... try to bounce any metal contact back to its original position.

Interesting approach to hammer around the routers buttons...
But from a sound (click noise) and feeling (button moves down and again up) perspective the button works for me (same as the wifi on/off below it).

Ok, then try the TFTD procedures.
Maybe this may help:
https://chrishardie.com/2013/02/asus-router-firmware-windows-mac-linux/

I found this already, but as cannot ping or connect the router it does not work.


Some time ago I had a failure of the firmware update process, which resulted in the web recovery console (on the browser) - there I could upload the firmware successfully.

But now it looks for me like the router is stuck in an "early boot stage" and cannot continue to the recovery and/or regular boot anymore.
Might come from a badly corrupted NVRAM, which results in non function buttons and there for no NVRAM reset or Recovery possible (as discussed here).

I think that only a "CFE over serial" via a TTL serial cable (assuming that the router has an internal connection for it) would be able to recover from the failure - but I am not patient enough to go thru that pain...

 

[kvic]

When I first followed this exact asus guide
https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814, to be I honest...I couldn't get into recovery mode. Only after a few trial and error and some experiment on my own...it took me more than half hour (with some rest in between ) to figure out and got into recovery mode eventually.

 

[Henk59]

I wonder if an OC Router get flashed with other FW.
Is the write cycle then a little bit to high?
I know this wouldn't not help much, but just I think about that, then it could prevent...

 

[joegreat]

I wonder if an OC Router get flashed with other FW.
Is the write cycle then a little bit to high?

Well, my AC68U was OCed since the beginning, but never had this kind of problems until the last firmware version(s)...