RT-AC88u jffs mount problem Merlin Firmware.

[Darrin Reed]

Try to rescue the router with asus tool and latest asus fw then flash merlins and reset


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I have tried to put the router into emergency mode, but it wont go. The app states that it isnt in emergency mode. Tried holding down wps button with start. Done the 30/30/30 thing with the reset switch. This thing really has me stupped. The rt-ac68u is easier to fix then this ac88u.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I have tried to put the router into emergency mode, but it wont go. The app states that it isnt in emergency mode. Tried holding down wps button with start. Done the 30/30/30 thing with the reset switch. This thing really has me stupped. The rt-ac68u is easier to fix then this ac88u.

Are you using the Firmware Restoration tool?
If not go to the Asus Website and download it under Utilities. On the same page is the latest firmware you should download as well.

The rescue mode can be tricky to activate. I had to do it with my RT-AC87U, with the help from this FAQ
Basically, do this:
- Press the Power button at the back to turn the router off
- Press and KEEP holding the Reset button for about 5 seconds
- KEEP holding the Reset button and press the Power butten to turn the router on
- KEEP holding the Reset button until the power LED flashes slow
- Release the reset button and connect your PC with a LAN cable to the router
- Set your PC's IP address to 192.168.1.10, Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
- Start the Firmware restoration tool and restore to the latest Asus firmware you downloaded earlier
- Then upgrade to the desired Asuswrt-Merlin version for your router

Good luck!

 

[RMerlin]

Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: JFFS2 version 2.2. (NAND) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: Cowardly refusing to erase blocks on filesystem with no valid JFFS2 nodes
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: empty_blocks 488, bad_blocks 2, c->nr_blocks 512
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: nand_erase_nand: attempt to erase a bad block at page 0x0000fa00

Something's wrong with the partition itself, but no idea what exactly.

 

[Darrin Reed]

Are you using the Firmware Restoration tool?
If not go to the Asus Website and download it under Utilities. On the same page is the latest firmware you should download as well.

The rescue mode can be tricky to activate. I had to do it with my RT-AC87U, with the help from this FAQ
Basically, do this:
- Press the Power button at the back to turn the router off
- Press and KEEP holding the Reset button for about 5 seconds
- KEEP holding the Reset button and press the Power butten to turn the router on
- KEEP holding the Reset button until the power LED flashes slow
- Release the reset button and connect your PC with a LAN cable to the router
- Set your PC's IP address to 192.168.1.10, Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
- Start the Firmware restoration tool and restore to the latest Asus firmware you downloaded earlier
- Then upgrade to the desired Asuswrt-Merlin version for your router

Good luck!

Thank you for your help. I got it in recovery mode, but my problem was having the interent turned on. When I turned off the modem, recovery worked. But still no luck. Traffic analyzer freezes when I try to turn it on with a blank page, then a boot out of the router to login in again. So no Traffic analyzer for me. I also loaded the 358 alpha build of Merlins firmware with the same result.
I think it is a warranty issue or the bin for this router. No more transmission or entware or optware for me again. That is what destroyed the jffs partition. Everything was running well before this. All I wanted was to have transmission installed so I could have my hdd spin down, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. Very disappointed in this.

 

[Darrin Reed]

Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: JFFS2 version 2.2. (NAND) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: Cowardly refusing to erase blocks on filesystem with no valid JFFS2 nodes
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: empty_blocks 488, bad_blocks 2, c->nr_blocks 512
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: nand_erase_nand: attempt to erase a bad block at page 0x0000fa00

Something's wrong with the partition itself, but no idea what exactly.

I think the Nand is gone, because the byte count is increasing after every firmware flash. I love your firmware and commitment to innovate, but entware and optware are very hit and miss with these routers. Unless I can find a command to really zero the jffs, this router is gone. Thank you for your help Merlin and hope that you are getting well.

 

[IAAI]

I have tried to put the router into emergency mode, but it wont go. The app states that it isnt in emergency mode. Tried holding down wps button with start. Done the 30/30/30 thing with the reset switch. This thing really has me stupped. The rt-ac68u is easier to fix then this ac88u.

Try this
Press and Hold wps while the router is on, turn off router
Then
While holding and pressing turn it on and keep holding until the power led blinks fast
Then try the tool

"Then Release and massage your finger [emoji23] lol" jk


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[Darrin Reed]

Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: JFFS2 version 2.2. (NAND) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: Cowardly refusing to erase blocks on filesystem with no valid JFFS2 nodes
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: empty_blocks 488, bad_blocks 2, c->nr_blocks 512
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: nand_erase_nand: attempt to erase a bad block at page 0x0000fa00

Something's wrong with the partition itself, but no idea what exactly.

And what's funny here is in the firmware flashing page it states that I have jffs enabled.?. . . But it is unmounted?.

 

[IAAI]

Use lan 1 while doing recovery


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[Darrin Reed]

Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: JFFS2 version 2.2. (NAND) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: Cowardly refusing to erase blocks on filesystem with no valid JFFS2 nodes
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: empty_blocks 488, bad_blocks 2, c->nr_blocks 512
Aug  1 07:00:21 kernel: nand_erase_nand: attempt to erase a bad block at page 0x0000fa00

Something's wrong with the partition itself, but no idea what exactly.

Here is a dmesg | more

 

[thelonelycoder]

Thank you for your help. I got it in recovery mode, but my problem was having the interent turned on. When I turned off the modem, recovery worked.

You really should unplug all WAN and LAN network cables to your router, except the one that goes from one of the routers LAN port directly to your PC's Ethernet port.
Also unplug all USB devices you have plugged into it.
Then do the Firmware restore.

 

[john9527]

Did you ever try DD-WRT on the router? DD-WRT has been known to change the partitioning in such a way that the stock/Merlin fw can't handle it. What's the output of

cat /proc/mtd

 

[Darrin Reed]

Did you ever try DD-WRT on the router? DD-WRT has been known to change the partitioning in such a way that the stock/Merlin fw can't handle it. What's the output of

cat /proc/mtd

ASUSWRT-Merlin RT-AC88U_3.0.0.4 Wed Jan 27 02:50:33 UTC 2016
dmreed@RT-AC88U-9F70:/tmp/home/root# cat /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00080000 00020000 "boot"
mtd1: 00180000 00020000 "nvram"
mtd2: 03e00000 00020000 "linux"
mtd3: 03c4c180 00020000 "rootfs"
mtd4: 04000000 00020000 "brcmnand"

 

[Darrin Reed]

You really should unplug all WAN and LAN network cables to your router, except the one that goes from one of the routers LAN port directly to your PC's Ethernet port.
Also unplug all USB devices you have plugged into it.
Then do the Firmware restore.

Yes I have done that. Was the only way to put the router into recovery mode.

 

[CiscoX]

Yes I have done that. Was the only way to put the router into recovery mode.

Hi, have you tried to reinstall asus firmware and then back to RMerlin's firmware.
Flash stock asus firmware, do a factory reset.
Then install RMerlin's firmware, then do another factory reset.

 

[Darrin Reed]

Did you ever try DD-WRT on the router? DD-WRT has been known to change the partitioning in such a way that the stock/Merlin fw can't handle it. What's the output of

cat /proc/mtd

Ok I have done that, but in emergency mode. Now every firmware that I try to flash stops at 34% to 38% with a fail message. So that means I cant load dd-wrt.

 

[Darrin Reed]

Hi, have you tried to reinstall asus firmware and then back to RMerlin's firmware.
Flash stock asus firmware, do a factory reset.
Then install RMerlin's firmware, then do another factory reset.

cant flash any firmware at the moment after trying dd-wrt's one.

 

[Darrin Reed]

cant flash any firmware at the moment after trying dd-wrt's one.

But I have tried your method.

 

[Darrin Reed]

When I type "mtd-erase2 brcmnand" command I get an "input output error" which mean that the jffs is in read only mode and believe that this is the root of my problem. Does anyone know a command turns it into read/write again. ?. .
Also I have google for "mtd-erase2 brcmnand input output error" and in these forums someone had that problem, but was fixed with an update from merlin in the firmware. Could this be the same problem?. .

 

[Darrin Reed]

Can flash now in the os, but it gets stuck at 68% in emergency mode.

Sorry for the extended problem. If I can fix the jffs "input output" error I will be fine.

I have no idea what to do now other then RMAing the thing.

 

[L&LD]

Can flash now in the os, but it gets stuck at 68% in emergency mode.

Sorry for the extended problem. If I can fix the jffs "input output" error I will be fine.

I have no idea what to do now other then RMAing the thing.

How long is it 'stuck' for? Be patient and leave it up to an hour or more to let it finish (this process is very slow).