New Asus AC88U Bricked when installing Merlinwrt

[izzner]

Hi guys,
I was installing Merlin firmware and after successful upload the router rebooted
and went into a god knows what mode.
I cant get it to recovery(RESET button pressed for 10 sec +powerup)
I have done a hard reset using WPS button + powerup

Now i went and got a serial cable and connected it to the router pins.
I have access to CFE >
did CFE>nvram erase
Rebooted

No use

I just can not get it to ping my PC(192.168.1.11, 255.255.255.0) or the other way round
From My PC if I ping 192.168.1.1 i get timeout

Please Help

Check Youtube Link for whole bootup using serial/Putty
It shows
"External imprecise Data abort at addr=0x401ee3b0, fsr=0x1406 ignored."


Please Help it a brand new router and i just messed it up
Video of Bootup

Below is log File
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Mg22SPeA8Lb1pEYnNNZ3JSRzQ/view?usp=sharing

 

[pete y testing]

Please Help it a brand new router and i just messed it up

almost impossible to kill these things

you need to establish a tftp link and re do the firmware restore function

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814/

 

[RMerlin]

You flashed the wrong firmware. This line indicates you flashed the RT-AC68U, RT-AC87U or RT-AC56U firmware:

wl driver 6.37.14.105 (r485445) failed with code 1

You need to use Firmware Recovery to flash the correct model - RT-AC88U.

 

[Blinkyz]

You dont need serial cable and im sure your are not bricked

Try this with the good FW for your device.All you need is the Restoration Tool from Asus and enter the router in Recovery mode
Download the good fw(merlin or asus) and the restoration tool from Asus site
Press and HOLD RESET button and power on the router....Release power button but keep pressing RESET til leds flash slowly, you are now in REcovery mode
Look at my link, you need to do some steps after( this is for AC66, but it worked with my AC68 and N66)
ASUS Firmware Restoration version 2.0.0.0 = https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC88U/HelpDesk_Download/
https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814/

 

[ElectronDF]

I thought I saw a RT-AC88U firmware AND and AC3100 firmware. Aren't they the same thing? If now, what is the difference?
https://amzn.com/B016EWKQAQ

 

[Blinkyz]

AC88= 8 lan ports
Ac3100 = 4 lan port

 

[hggomes]

That means you flashed the wrong FW (RT-AC68U) via Restoration Tool, TFTP or CFE mini server.

 

[izzner]

You flashed the wrong firmware. This line indicates you flashed the RT-AC68U, RT-AC87U or RT-AC56U firmware:

wl driver 6.37.14.105 (r485445) failed with code 1

You need to use Firmware Recovery to flash the correct model - RT-AC88U.

How do i get it to ping ??
The IP 192.168.1.1 doesn't work...
If it cant ping it cant do tftp...
if it cannot connect to LAN how to restore firmware...
can i get the firmware on a flash drive and mount it somehow ??

 

[Blinkyz]

Did you tried the steps from POST #4? ... u need to put your router in RESCUE mode
You need after to change your NIC to a static one .. ex 192.168.1.2(in Windows network adaptor), IPV4,remove auto dns,
Then your start Restoration tool and reflash with the fw you want.... 380.58 or 59

When flash is done , go back to Windows and set your NIC to auto DNS like before

 

[izzner]

Ok i got to the console and can list mtd blocks

Please help me guys...

 

[hggomes]

You just need to set your device to Recovery Mode and upload the right FW model file (RT-AC88U) and it's done.

 

[Blinkyz]

You dont need putty, etc..... just put your router in RESCUE mode and follow the steps in my link in post #4

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814/

 

[izzner]

You just need to set your device to Recovery Mode and upload the right FW model file (RT-AC88U) and it's done.

You dont need putty, etc..... just put your router in RESCUE mode and follow the steps in my link in post #4

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814/

I have done that.. and also can confirm router is in rescue mode through putty
But problem is i cant ping the router or communicate with it...

 

[Blinkyz]

Why do you try to ping the router?
Is the Power led in front flash slowly after 10 sec if you hold RESET after power on

Almost 3 years in that forum and i never saw someone complety bricked an Asus router.
You probly forgot one step with the rescue mode and flash

Have you done that?
Use the following DNS server addresses (192.168.1.2) the last digit must be between 2 and 253
subnet 255.255.255.0..
Apply
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/change-tcp-ip-settings#1TC=windows-7

Led should still flashing slowly
Instal and start "recovery tool"

when flash is done, put back DNS on AUTO and restart computer

 

[hggomes]

You can't have the serial port connected, remove it.

1. Power OFF your router.

2. Press WDS without releasing it and POWER ON your router, wait 15s and you should see you WPS LED fast blinking, release the WDS button and wait a reboot.

3. Wait 1 minute and POWER OFF.

4. Press RESET without releasing it and POWER ON your router, wait 15s and you should see you POWER LED fast blinking (recovery mode), release the RESET button.

5. Set your NIC to static IP 192.168.1.xxx (.100 for example), open a DOS command line prompt and:

# ping -t 192.168.1.1

You should see a TTL=100 reply, that means you are in recovery mode.

6. Open tftp32/64 client, select the correct file and insert 192.168.1.1 host address, press PUT and wait file upload finish.

7. Wait 3m and power cycle it.

8. Welcome back RT-AC88U.

 

[KevTech]

It can help to also set the gateway when setting nic static.

 

[izzner]

Why do you try to ping the router?
Is the Power led in front flash slowly after 10 sec if you hold RESET after power on

Almost 3 years in that forum and i never saw someone complety bricked an Asus router.
You probly forgot one step with the rescue mode and flash

Have you done that?
Use the following DNS server addresses (192.168.1.2) the last digit must be between 2 and 253
subnet 255.255.255.0..
Apply
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/change-tcp-ip-settings#1TC=windows-7

Led should still flashing slowly
Instal and start "recovery tool"

when flash is done, put back DNS on AUTO and restart computer

Please check my last post i have uploaded a photo that shows device is in recoverymode(confirmed by putty).

You can't have the serial port connected, remove it.

1. Power OFF your router.

2. Press WDS without releasing it and POWER ON your router, wait 15s and you should see you WPS LED fast blinking, release the WDS button and wait a reboot.

3. Wait 1 minute and POWER OFF.

4. Press RESET without releasing it and POWER ON your router, wait 15s and you should see you POWER LED fast blinking (recovery mode), release the RESET button.

5. Set your NIC to static IP 192.168.1.xxx (.100 for example), open a DOS command line prompt and:

# ping -t 192.168.1.1

You should see a TTL=100 reply, that means you are in recovery mode.

6. Open tftp32/64 client, select the correct file and insert 192.168.1.1 host address, press PUT and wait file upload finish.

7. Wait 3m and power cycle it.

8. Welcome back RT-AC88U.

I have done that and also cleared nvram using "nvram erase" from CFE promt as well as the console prompt

 

[izzner]

What i dont understand is why the device cannot be ping in recovery mode...

 

[hggomes]

Can you see the POWER LED blinking after 4.?

 

[RMerlin]

What i dont understand is why the device cannot be ping in recovery mode...

Make sure you use LAN ports 1 through 4 with your recovery computer. 5 through 8 are on a different switch, which probably doesn't work in recovery mode.