RT-AC66U solid power led, no rescue mode, no boot

[Ess]

Just bought this router and it was working fine. Power led is solid, connected lan port blinks when connected and in Linux ifconfig shows a hardware address but no IP, both wireless led are unlit.

Would this usb to ttl cable work on the RT-AC66u?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-TTL...HX-Chipset-USB-Cable-Computer-HG/253951906761

I was attempting to downgrade the firmware pursuant to this:

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/how-to-sprint-ac-rt66u-to-stock-asus-firmware.25261
and with some help with commands from here:
https://webcache.googleusercontent....cdec04_16-pdf.7919/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)

so I could install Advanced Tomato. I had backed up the original CFE bin file, then used the mac addresses from my original CFE to populate the version 1.0.1.6 CFE file and saved it as new_cfe.bin. I was connected via telnet on putty and had the various files (original_cfe.bin, new_cfe.bin, mtd-write) on a usb thumb drive plugged into the usb port on the back of the router.

Then I used putty to issue this command, "./mtd-write new_cfe.bin boot"

This appeared to execute and then I either issued a clear nvram command and/or powered the router off and tried to clear nvram by holding the wps button and unplugging and then plugging in the power cord. Nothing changed.

No wifi connections are available from the Asus and the Lan connection shows as "unidentified network" with no internet in Windows

Multiple attempts at unplugging then applying power while holding the reset button (for various lengths of time) yield no change in the solid blue light. It reliably went into flashing rescue mode a few times prior to this last episode (because I attempted to flash Advanced Tomato a few times earlier in the day, which would fail, so I'd then have to go back to stock firmware).

I have also tried a wide variety of other interesting and equally fruitless combinations of un/plugging and holding various buttons and in combinations, various cables plugged in or not.

I have zero good soldering skills - literally have destroyed every device I've ever tried to solder on. So a serial cable probably is not be an option for me, if it has to be soldered on.

Please, do you have any suggestions for resurrecting this router?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Pierino]

Well if you tried to flash the cfe from an rt-ac68 to an rt-ac66u, as you say, then go buy a new router.
If you flashed the rt-ac68u cfe to a t-mobile rt-ac1900 and made a mistake, go buy a new router.
Discussion of the t-mobile unit is forbidden.
Either way, you need a new router.

 

[Ess]

Nah, it wasn't the T-mobile. Thank you for your response.

 

[Pierino]

Well, I’m not sure what you were trying to do but like I said, if you flashed the cfe from an rt-ac68u on an rt-ac66u, it’s time for a new router.

 

[Ess]

I understand what you have said. Got it. I'll deal with replacing the Asus eventually.

I was definitely not trying to flash the wrong cfe. It had gotten late, I was tired, and apparently I misread the 68 as 66. Thank you for pointing that out. I was trying to ram Tomato onto the RT-AC66u, but it was rev B2. No go. I was not trying to circumvent anyone's anything or do anything shady with the router, just trying to get some granular control over bandwidth distribution, via Tomato's bandwith limiter, as some programs don't respond to gentle suggestions to not gobble up all the available data.

I am using routers as access points via powerline adapters to distribute wifi signal around our house. I have a Linksys Ac1900 connected to my isp's pppoe access point which distributes via powerline adapters to other points in the house and to which are connected a Netgear wndr3400v3 running Shibby's Tomato and a Mikrotik rb951G-2hnd running stock RouterOs. They all use the same ssid. It works. That's all.

 

[Grisu]

I understand what you have said. Got it. I'll deal with replacing the Asus eventually.

I was definitely not trying to flash the wrong cfe. It had gotten late, I was tired, and apparently I misread the 68 as 66. Thank you for pointing that out. I was trying to ram Tomato onto the RT-AC66u, but it was rev B2. No go. I was not trying to circumvent anyone's anything or do anything shady with the router, just trying to get some granular control over bandwidth distribution, via Tomato's bandwith limiter, as some programs don't respond to gentle suggestions to not gobble up all the available data.

I am using routers as access points via powerline adapters to distribute wifi signal around our house. I have a Linksys Ac1900 connected to my isp's pppoe access point which distributes via powerline adapters to other points in the house and to which are connected a Netgear wndr3400v3 running Shibby's Tomato and a Mikrotik rb951G-2hnd running stock RouterOs. They all use the same ssid. It works. That's all.

maybe you mixed up RT-AC66U (different revisions) with RT-AC66U_B1 (B1 has to be part of type name not board revision which then is mostly a 68U).

 

[Ess]

maybe you mixed up RT-AC66U (different revisions) with RT-AC66U_B1 (B1 has to be part of type name not board revision which then is mostly a 68U).

Grisu, yes, it is the RT-AC66U B1 with hardware version B2. Which is why I was following the guide apparently aimed at a T-mobile router; I'd read someone else with the B1 and hw rev B1 or B2 had used that guide / process to revert the firmware and then flash to Tomato.

The case was unusually hot just before it pooped out, so that may have been a factor. I haven't had a real opportunity to poke around from within Linux yet. Windows just doesn't have adequate tools sometimes.