Bricked MR3040

So I screwed up and bricked my mr3040. The green lights are flashing on and off. When I plug in the ethernet cord it doesn't work anymore. Has anyone found a working solution to this? Something like holding down the reset button? I held it down for 45 seconds and no results.

Thanks!

Hi tombstones,
can you try to post a youtube video about that? That really sounds strange, I can't really imagine what is going on.

Matthias

---

This is only my signature.

I have the same issue. Installed the firmware V2 from the factory and the device is now twinkling (lights on lights off every 2seconds)...I can post a video this afternoon after work if you want Matthias

Video : Bricked tp-link 3040



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2014 08:25AM by ogdabou.

Hi,
ok this looks like the stuff you flashed nearly bricked the device. Yes.
It seems the uboot (bootloader) does still work, which means with a serial access you may recover it.

If you think you can do it on your own, The following howto is the best howto I found to far: [ediy.com.my]
It applies for the MR3040 as well, here some informations about the 3040 : [wiki.openwrt.org]

You need to do a TFTP installation, because your are not coming back to a linux. To enable a TFTP boot, you need to get access to the uboot and activate it there.

Matthias

---

This is only my signature.

AAAAAA Thank's Matthias.

I could not understand anything in the openWRT link.

So, if I understand, the 3040 flashing is easier than the 3020 because we won't need to add a resistor. But we can use the detailed recommandations to use the u-boot thing.
We already bought another one for our project because we really lack of time, but I'll gie news if I succeed to flash my 3040.

I hope you'll succeed too tombstones

I'd not need a reistor at the MR3020 nor MR3040.

Let me know, If I can help.

For european areas, I can offer a debrick help as well..

Matthias

---

This is only my signature.

Hey !

It does not work for me at the moment. I cannot access the routeur. Here is what I did :
Downloading tft
Downloading openwrt generic v2
Change my ip adress to 192.168.1.2
Start tftp64 server
Opening PuTTy and setting configuration:
Bits per second: 115200
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: None
Flow control: None
Connect the device via ethernet (tried powered on/off)

Clicking "Open" on putty.
A console window opens, but nothing happens (I have no prompt, anything)

Any idea?

EDIT : retried this morning, hmm, I guess I missed the part where I needed a USB converter to bring some 3.3V xD
Also, the V2 of this device is when you ave a switch button between wisp, AP and 3g ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2014 10:32AM by ogdabou.

Switch button is not needed.

I'm only connecting

TX -> RX 
RX -> TX
GND -> GND

After I established that, I power up my MR3040 with attached battery.. I left the board in the case-side with the battery.

Hi Matthias I got the same problem, and I was just wondering if this <2€ USB converter will make the job for a serial flashing? [www.ebay.fr]
Thanks!

Hi,
yes that should work.

best regards
Matthias

mine does not blink - the green LED stays on
is it (v1) unbrickable? this is such a bummer.
i bricked mr3020 and mr3040 within a month.

If you can unbrick it... it depends.
You should try to get serial access, then you can see if the bootloader is intact. If it is, than you can try to reflash it with different ways.

Matthias

Ok so, I receive the USB adapter last week, and soldered all the thing up, I installed proper drivers (that wasn't easy to find the working ones) connected my MR3040 (V1), launch the serial connection via PUTTY, and then nothing appear the window still black.
Do you know from where it could come from?
Thanks

did you setup the right COM Port in Putty? That was my first pitfall I took while debricking under windows

Yeah I did, I have had lots of troubles installing the driver, I'm now sure of the port
But the the PUTTY window stills black, I plug the adapter, launch the serial connection and then turn on the MR3040 if that helps
Thanks

are the baud and the other values setup correct in putty?

Yeah, I did every thing like in the tutorial

So you wired

TX -> RX
RX -> TX
GND -> GND

?

Hi there,
Yeah I did it as you mentionned. Find out that the drivers were not working so well.
After trying and trying again I was able to launch the serial access, to access to hornet>, upload the original firmware, erase the blocks and then with the last command came the errors, it's like booting infinetly, it never goes after "reading firmware" or something like that, then come back to "Auto boot in 1 sec" and do it as a loop.
My MR3040 is a V2 maybe something specific to do ( with the switch button or I don't know), I did use thé correct image from openwrt web site so..
Thanks for your time Matthias!

Hello matthias! I am having the same problem.. Just bricked my mr3040. Turned it off while flashing.. (Not good huh??) i have a usb / com port, but it is not a 3.3 v adapter. It runs on 5 volts.. Is there anything i can do?

Thanks! Igor

As the USB-TTL adapter arent that expensive, I would buy one with 3,3V

regards Matthias

Well I've gone and done the same thing so I'll soon be following the path of debricking.

Is this appropriate?

Is this appropriate?
[www.amazon.co.uk]

Hi,

i have come across the issue before, the video below helped me to resolve it.

[www.youtube.com]

looks like that linked adapter should work

---

This is only my signature.

So i rebricked my bricked mr3040.

It was bricked "normally", and figured I could get into uboot by using a serial connection because the power led and all the leds were flashing consecetuvely.

I flashed it with a OpenWRT image using serial connection and Putty (based on this tutorial: [www.youtube.com]), after which I got into the OpenWRT interface. Disconnected everything, and this is where something probably went wrong. Turned on the power and now only the power led is on, windows doesn't recognize the router even when it's connected with an ethernet-cable. I can't connect using serial connection anymore. Have I bricked it eternally or is there still hope? If there is still hope, what can I possibly do to get this thing working again?

Thanks!

Not related, but in case any one is having trouble connecting to the TFTP server using windows: make sure your firewall allows connections to UDP port 69. You can find out how to do that here: [windows.microsoft.com] Took me 4 hours to figure out...

well, did you tried to look into your box, using the serial cable, again? Sometimes you can see a meaningful message.
Which openwrt image did you use for flashing?

there is no serial connection possible, so no messages.

But, you were right about checking the firmware version. I'm a total idiot, I flashed it with v1 while the router is v2. FUBAR?