Hard Bricked AC88U?

[lamensje]

I've tried many solutions I found here, but none of them worked.

The problem:
Only power LED lights up, no ping respond from LAN/WAN.
After a while I can connect through WiFi somehow, and I can get into the web interface.
Currently DD-WRT is installed, tried resetting NVRAM, but nothing seems to fix the issue.
Even the asus rescue mode by holding the reset (not WPS) button for at least a minute, from total power down, does not work.
The Power LED should start flashing slowly, but it remains solid.
I've put this router a couple times before in rescue mode (before it was broken), so I know I'm doing it the right way.
I tried another 19v adapter, but the problem remains.

Things I've tried so far:
1.https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Hard_reset_or_30/30/30
2. https://www.snbforums.com/threads/a...-accept-378-56-or-anything.32857/#post-264728
3. Holing the reset button for over 5 minutes
4. Holding the WPS button for over a minute

I'm stuck because of these problems:
Can't enter rescue mode to flash stock firmware.
Can't upload firmware from the web interface, WiFi too unstable (-1 SNR, 5ghz only)
Can't seem to mount a usb thumbdrive (with usb support on)

What I can do:
Do things in the web interface.
Use telnet to do commands like resetting NVRAM.

I'm pretty new to all this, any suggestions?

 

[lamensje]

This guy had the same problem as me: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac5300-will-not-enter-rescue-mode.50422/

 

[lamensje]

again same-ish problem: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...hing-from-tomato-to-merlin.29077/#post-286225

 

[L&LD]

You have DD-WRT installed? I can't see how the native procedures can work with vastly different firmware?

Have you asked on the DD-WRT forums?

Have you unplugged everything from the router, including WAN + LAN port cables + USB devices from it, pulled the ac power plug from the router (not from the ac power socket on the wall) and left it for an hour or so?

Power it on and leaving it alone for at least an hour, then, trying a LAN cable (test each port thoroughly) to connect to a laptop or desktop computer? Also, test by manually setting the IP address on the client device too.

At this point, if it is still unresponsive, pull the ac power from the router (not the ac power socket from the wall) and let it sit there for 5 minutes with all cables/USB devices disconnected. Then, try to use the reset button method and see if that works first. Allow it to sit for another 5 minutes with no power and try the WPS method, followed by the 30-30-30 method if needed (and doing a hard reboot, pull the ac power plug from the router, first).

Hope that others can give you better suggestions.

 

[Marin]

This was my favorite guide when I used to play with DDWRT on my AC5300:

https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=51486


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pierino]

You might have to open it up and try to flash over serial. I’m one of the moderators on the dd-wrt forum. If you live in the states and want to pay for two way shipping, I can try serial recovery if you don’t have the gear.

 

[RMerlin]

Unless DD-WRT messes with the bootloader, you should be able to put it into firmware recovery mode, and use Asus's Firmware Recovery tool or a tftp client to flash it back. Don't forget to also erase the nvram content (turn it on with the WPS button pressed, wait about 10-15 secs then release it)

 

[lamensje]

You have DD-WRT installed? I can't see how the native procedures can work with vastly different firmware?

Have you asked on the DD-WRT forums?

Have you unplugged everything from the router, including WAN + LAN port cables + USB devices from it, pulled the ac power plug from the router (not from the ac power socket on the wall) and left it for an hour or so?

Power it on and leaving it alone for at least an hour, then, trying a LAN cable (test each port thoroughly) to connect to a laptop or desktop computer? Also, test by manually setting the IP address on the client device too.

At this point, if it is still unresponsive, pull the ac power from the router (not the ac power socket from the wall) and let it sit there for 5 minutes with all cables/USB devices disconnected. Then, try to use the reset button method and see if that works first. Allow it to sit for another 5 minutes with no power and try the WPS method, followed by the 30-30-30 method if needed (and doing a hard reboot, pull the ac power plug from the router, first).

Hope that others can give you better suggestions.

First of all, thanks for responding!
Yes, I have DD-WRT currently installed. I even managed to update it through the web interface over WiFi at some point.
Flashing anything other than DD-WRT did not make an effect (tried stock Asus and Asus Merlin firmware).
I haven't asked on the DD-WRT forums yet, will do.

Things I've done so far:
Leaving the router disconnected from anything for over an hour.
Leaving the router powered on for over an hour, tested port 1-4 and port 8, no signals whatsoever.
Manually set the IP to 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.1 gateway, 255.255.255.0 subnet mask.
Also tried IP 192.168.29.x.
Tried the WPS method, power led remains solid.
Tried holding the recovery button for over a minute, precisely following the 30-30-30 guide, power led remains solid (disconnected ac power plug beforehand).
Tried "nvram erase && reboot" using telnet.

The only way I can currently communicate with the router is to wait to fully boot up and connect through 5ghz wifi (2.4ghz does not work?).
I have access to the command line through telnet.

 

[lamensje]

You might have to open it up and try to flash over serial. I’m one of the moderators on the dd-wrt forum. If you live in the states and want to pay for two way shipping, I can try serial recovery if you don’t have the gear.

Thanks for the offer!
Sadly I live in the Netherlands.
I'm planning on ordering a usb to TTL serial cable myself.
I don't have much experience with linux, a little help would be very welcome.

 

[lamensje]

Unless DD-WRT messes with the bootloader, you should be able to put it into firmware recovery mode, and use Asus's Firmware Recovery tool or a tftp client to flash it back. Don't forget to also erase the nvram content (turn it on with the WPS button pressed, wait about 10-15 secs then release it)

Sadly I cannot get the router into recovery/rescue mode, that's the entire problem.
Seems like DD-WRT does modify the CFE.

 

[L&LD]

First of all, thanks for responding!
Yes, I have DD-WRT currently installed. I even managed to update it through the web interface over WiFi at some point.
Flashing anything other than DD-WRT did not make an effect (tried stock Asus and Asus Merlin firmware).
I haven't asked on the DD-WRT forums yet, will do.

Things I've done so far:
Leaving the router disconnected from anything for over an hour.
Leaving the router powered on for over an hour, tested port 1-4 and port 8, no signals whatsoever.
Manually set the IP to 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.1 gateway, 255.255.255.0 subnet mask.
Also tried IP 192.168.29.x.
Tried the WPS method, power led remains solid.
Tried holding the recovery button for over a minute, precisely following the 30-30-30 guide, power led remains solid (disconnected ac power plug beforehand).
Tried "nvram erase && reboot" using telnet.

The only way I can currently communicate with the router is to wait to fully boot up and connect through 5ghz wifi (2.4ghz does not work?).
I have access to the command line through telnet.

You're welcome.

Hope we can all help to get this going again for you.

I think you may have caused more damage when you flashed a DD-WRT router over WiFi.

Checking: when you disconnect the power plug, you do it from the router, correct? Not from the ac wall socket, right?

Try NVRAM erase without the 'reboot' command and then immediately pull the power plug from the router (not the wall plug).

With the above tested and not helping, turn on the router and leave it on overnight with a powered-on computer connected to one LAN port on the router (the router needn't be connected to your ISP, but it shouldn't hurt either behind the main router' LAN port connected to its WAN port).

In the morning, if it still doesn't respond, I would power off the computer, wait 5 minutes and then power on. Giving it another 15 minutes or so to see if it connects.

Curious, why did you 'tried IP 192.168.29.x.'?

Is there any other IP that may be in use other than the 192.168.1.1 default? Could it possibly be on the 10.x.x.x or 172.16.x.x subnets? You can't test them all , but if there is a reason they may be in use?

 

[lamensje]

You're welcome.

Hope we can all help to get this going again for you.

I think you may have caused more damage when you flashed a DD-WRT router over WiFi.

Checking: when you disconnect the power plug, you do it from the router, correct? Not from the ac wall socket, right?

Try NVRAM erase without the 'reboot' command and then immediately pull the power plug from the router (not the wall plug).

With the above tested and not helping, turn on the router and leave it on overnight with a powered-on computer connected to one LAN port on the router (the router needn't be connected to your ISP, but it shouldn't hurt either behind the main router' LAN port connected to its WAN port).

In the morning, if it still doesn't respond, I would power off the computer, wait 5 minutes and then power on. Giving it another 15 minutes or so to see if it connects.

Curious, why did you 'tried IP 192.168.29.x.'?

Is there any other IP that may be in use other than the 192.168.1.1 default? Could it possibly be on the 10.x.x.x or 172.16.x.x subnets? You can't test them all , but if there is a reason they may be in use?

Yes, I disconnected the plug from the router, not the ac wall socket (also tried that).
This is why the 29: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/a...-accept-378-56-or-anything.32857/#post-264728
Also, nothing changed after I flashed the DD-WRT update over WiFi (other than the build number and date).
I'll try "NVRAM erase without the 'reboot' command and then immediately pull the power plug from the router (not the wall plug)." right now!
I also tried another computer to connect to the router, but no difference, cable is working fine.

 

[lamensje]

I created a DD-WRT topic here: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1161508#1161508