Router Firmware

[EunSoo]

Hello! I just got a router declared dead by my dad and I want to see if there is still any life in it. The Router is a Netgear Nighthawk X8 (nice router, would be nice to have around if I can get it to work) and the problem is that after he updated the firmware (he says he did it properly but idk about that), it just died. The symptoms are that whenever I boot it up, the power light blinks red. There is no wifi. I can get an local IP via ethernet but I can't get to the router web interface or anything through it. It does respond to a ping. I have tried using this resource but tftp always fails "Unable to get responses from the server."

https://kb.netgear.com/19841/Reinstall-the-firmware-on-a-router-without-the-setup-CD-recovery-tool

I've also tried using this guide but when I turn it on while holding the reset pin, it doesn't ever go to a flashing orange or green, just the same red and tftp still fails with the same error.

https://kb.netgear.com/22688/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-TFTP

Any help or is it dead?

[WereCatf]

Well, it is possible to fix in a couple of different ways, if you just can't get those instructions there to work, but those ways are a tad bit more involved. You'd need to buy a USB-to-serial adapter, like e.g. a PL2303 - based one (it needs to be 3.3V, not 5V), and connect it to the serial-port header on the router's motherboard (connect adapter's RX to router's TX and vice versa). There are others over at https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/R8500-bricked/td-p/1183741 who have done this.

[EunSoo]

42 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Well, it is possible to fix in a couple of different ways, if you just can't get those instructions there to work, but those ways are a tad bit more involved. You'd need to buy a USB-to-serial adapter, like e.g. a PL2303 - based one (it needs to be 3.3V, not 5V), and connect it to the serial-port header on the router's motherboard (connect adapter's RX to router's TX and vice versa). There are others over at https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/R8500-bricked/td-p/1183741 who have done this.

thanks! I'll take a look into that

[EunSoo]

54 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Well, it is possible to fix in a couple of different ways, if you just can't get those instructions there to work, but those ways are a tad bit more involved. You'd need to buy a USB-to-serial adapter, like e.g. a PL2303 - based one (it needs to be 3.3V, not 5V), and connect it to the serial-port header on the router's motherboard (connect adapter's RX to router's TX and vice versa). There are others over at https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/R8500-bricked/td-p/1183741 who have done this.

is this the kind of adaptor I should be looking for?

https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-Adapter-Harnesses-Jumper-Compatible/dp/B009GXEF8A

[WereCatf]

1 hour ago, Pangea2017 said:

This will not work with windows 10. Also don't buy FTDI chips. Most are fake and may get bricked by ftdi on purpose in the future again.

 

Yes, it will. I have a PL2303-based adapter myself, among others. One just has to download the driver on Prolific's website and it's all set. Also, PL2303 isn't an FTDI-chip, it's a Prolific-one.

[WereCatf]

1 hour ago, Sombra said:

is this the kind of adaptor I should be looking for?

https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-Adapter-Harnesses-Jumper-Compatible/dp/B009GXEF8A

Yes.

[WereCatf]

Just now, Pangea2017 said:

The PL2303 have different variants with some of them not being compatible and the listing don't differ those accurate enough. With other cheap chips available like the CP2102 ones there is no need to gamble.

There are fakes of those, too. (There are fakes of pretty much everything, eh) But sure, CP2102 or CP2104 are also good options, I have both of those, too. I do have several CH340G's, but those I do not recommend: I've stumbled upon several ones that refuse to work correctly, producing garbage, when other chips work fine.

[EunSoo]

7 hours ago, Pangea2017 said:

The PL2303 have different variants with some of them not being compatible and the listing don't differ those accurate enough. With other cheap chips available like the CP2102 ones there is no need to gamble.

 

7 hours ago, WereCatf said:

There are fakes of those, too. (There are fakes of pretty much everything, eh) But sure, CP2102 or CP2104 are also good options, I have both of those, too. I do have several CH340G's, but those I do not recommend: I've stumbled upon several ones that refuse to work correctly, producing garbage, when other chips work fine.

How can I tell which ones are fake l? Is it possible for one of you guys to point me to one that I'll know will work for me? Thanks

[WereCatf]

55 minutes ago, Sombra said:

 

How can I tell which ones are fake l? Is it possible for one of you guys to point me to one that I'll know will work for me? Thanks

There's no good way of telling fake-ones without just trying them. That said, most of them aren't fakes. They don't even cost much, so you could just buy both a CP2102-based one and a PL2303-one, so you have a spare one should you need one.

 

This one , for example, should serve you well enough, I'd imagine.

[EunSoo]

@WereCatf @Pangea2017 So I have my adaptor and I'm trying to connect it to my router but when I plug it in and turn the router on, the console isn't getting anything. I have Tx, Rx and Ground plugged into their respective headers but I didn't plug in 3.3 or 5v because the forum post seems like it shouldn't be connected. Also, should the antennas be connected when I'm doing this because I have to take them off to access the serial header. Thanks

[EunSoo]

18 minutes ago, Pangea2017 said:

do you have checked the baud rate?

also keep in mind that tx and rx have to be switched.

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/serial-communication/all

ok. changed it to 115200 and swapped those two cables. Still not getting anything. Here is what my putty looks like:

[EunSoo]

On 5/18/2018 at 1:47 PM, Pangea2017 said:

@Sombra The antenna is no problem. You might even get wifi without the antenna connected (bad signal but it is there).

Just read the guide. So ctrl c does not work and the boot log output is not there because you hit with putty the connect button to late (afaik putty does not support auto reconnect)?

i guess, though I keep trying over and over and I never get it to work. One thing to note is that with the USB-TTL adaptor plugged into the router, the power button is white and some of the ethernet port connection lights are amber.

[EunSoo]

4 hours ago, Pangea2017 said:

Try kitty. This is putty with automatic reconnect. This way you can see the boot log output (if it is there).

Ok. I'm very new to this so bear with me. So I adjust three settings in kitty (Are these the right settings to change: Serial line=COM4; Speed=115200; Connection type=Serial), click open, turn on the router and spam control+c. If that's the case then I'm not getting anything. I've also tried clicking open right after I turn on the router.

 

btw, when I ping it over ethernet, it replys but also says 'Destination Host Unreachable'. Not sure if that means anything but it is there. Thanks

[EunSoo]

1 hour ago, Pangea2017 said:

It looks like there have to be the output at boot. Do you have double checked that the cable is connected to the right pins? It might be a different baud rate which result in wrong letters but still a output you see.

Here's how I have them connected. 

Spoiler

 

 

[EunSoo]

On 5/24/2018 at 1:57 PM, Pangea2017 said:

Setup looks right and the connection should work. 

Don't know why the guide is not working.

 

should I try a different cable like this one?

https://www.amazon.com/ADAFRUIT-INDUSTRIES-954-SERIAL-RASPBERRY/dp/B00DJUHGHI/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00DJUHGHI&pd_rd_r=AYNP01CW1Z9YCQ5THS17&pd_rd_w=nInJx&pd_rd_wg=vX5Kl&psc=1&refRID=AYNP01CW1Z9YCQ5THS17&dpID=41TzNCeNDlL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail