Archer C7 v2 Bricked when trying to revert to stock Need help

[RomanHK]

This is bad and it will not be easy. It is said that this can happen. Even if the image matches the hardware ID.

Then you can try reflash with the command from the bootloader. This step is at your own risk!
You will follow the instructions from the manual here: https://openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/archer- ... connection
EDIT: Only with stripped image.

Code: Select all

tftp 0x81000000 Archer-C7-V2-FW0.0.3-stripped.bin
erase 0x9f020000 +f80000
cp.b 0x81000000 0x9f020000 0xf80000
reset

[RomanHK]

Update for debricking without serial on OpenWrt 19.07:

There is one more option with the help of OpenWrt 19.07 with modified TPLINK_HWREV and TPLINK_HWID and the same procedure as TFTP Recovery from the OpenWrt website: https://openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/archer- ... e-bricking

[Lantis]

Are you getting an all F hardware ID? Sounds plausible.
This is why serial is the ultimate (but often last) method of recovery. It tells you exactly what is going on.

[SuperLid]

I am not getting TPL to halt the bootloop. I spent some time yesterday looking for an 820 ohm resistor for a TX line pullup, but found none much to my surprise.

I will have another look at this when I get a chance. It is a pity, as it was new and the time and frustration is putting a damper on my upgrade to the TL-WR1043NDv1.

Thanks for the help and will get back with more info.

SL

[RomanHK]

I am not getting TPL to halt the bootloop.

You really have to type "tpl" very quickly (maybe confirm enter), you only have 1 second. Sometimes quite laborious to stop the boot ...

... I use the PuTTY terminal program.

[arthng]

I'm not sure if this information will help you but this is what I did to unbrick my Archer C7 v2 EU version earlier this year. Actually did it twice and both times it worked. Both times I bricked the router by flashing the wrong firmware.

I tried multiple tftp clients many times and it wouldn't work - almost gave up. Only after I had a tftp server software running at the same time would it work - from memory the logs on the server started to show the process was working.

Just to confirm, the second time I tried without the tftp server running and it didn't work. As soon as I had the tftp server running before i ran the client did it worked.

[arthng]

Correction - I bricked it by trying to do a restore with a backup file from a Netgear router.