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Accessing Bootloader via Putty on RBR50
My orbir router got bricked while I was at the office and when I got home, I was greeted to magenta lights on my satellite. I was able to factory reset the satellite, but my router is unresponsive to...
DId you try the TFTP method to get FW loaded on the RBR before try the USB cable and putty?
Might review these:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/custom-firmware-build-for-orbi-rbk50-rbk53-rbr50-rbs50-v-9-2-5-1-18sf-hw-v-9-2-5-1-18-1sf-hw.64414/page-3#post-590839
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Is-my-13-month-old-RBR50-bricked/td-p/2009904/jump-to/first-unread-message
Yeah I did try TFTP method. That doesn't work because my computer recognizes ethernet port as not being connected any device so that method fails every time.
The RBR50 has a solid green power led when it's on, reseting is unresponsive & the status LED at the top of the router doesn't display any thing. When you look at the router it looks like it's "working" since the status light is off.
Thread you provided is one that I've been reading and led me to try putty and serial cable.
After all that, possible the RBR could be fully bricked...
Plomo wrote:
Yeah I did try TFTP method. That doesn't work because my computer recognizes ethernet port as not being connected any device so that method fails every time.
The RBR50 has a solid green power led when it's on, reseting is unresponsive & the status LED at the top of the router doesn't display any thing. When you look at the router it looks like it's "working" since the status light is off.
I do not insist that this router remains salvageable, but I also think that there are some assumptions that are not necessarily correct:
- That the host PC will recognize the Ethernet port as being connected.
- That the correct procedure is to do a Factory Reset as part of the procedure.
My experience with TFTP was much more complicated that I had expected:
- The setup is a chore.
- Disconnect all cables from the router and the PC.
- Connect the PC to one of the Orbi LAN ports so that they are connected only to each other.
- Go into the PC network device settings and configure the PC for a static IP in the 192.168.1.x subnet, with subnet mask 255.255.255.0
- Load up the TFTP program (I used TFTPd64 for Windows)
- Download and unzip the firmware file (and remember where the heck extracted it to.)
- Start up TFTP and get it ready to transfer the correct file. (Every time I failed, the program 'forgot' which file it was supposed to transfer.)
- Power off the router.
- Power on the router.
- Wait "just long enough" for the router U-Boot process to finish, but before U-Boot begins to load the actual router firmware.
In my opinion, this is the critical step. Try to transfer too soon, and the router is not ready for a TFTP connection. Wait too long and the router has decided, "no TFTP connection coming, load the firmware and quit waiting for a TFTP connection." My belief is that this happens every time the router boots up. - After five failures in a row, I was reaching for my hammer to put the router out of its misery and thought, "what else do I have to do right now? How about another try." Damn. On the sixth attempt, TFTP transferred the firmware image and the router booted up. Hot Damn!
- Now that the router is working, all that setup has to be undone. Reconnect the original cables. Go back into network settings and change the PC back to DHCP. etc. etc.
Trying to unbrick that router was one of the most humbling technology experiences I have had in a long time. Trying to learn how U-Boot works looks like more complicated by a factor of 10.
Thanks for these steps, I'll give it a try.
Question first -- when you would turn on your router, did the status LED light up at all or no?
I've noticed that many others have either had the pulsing white light or the magenta light when they tried TFTP method or the U-Boot method.Honestly, I was so fixated on the timing that I remember nothing about the lights at all.
- Press the Power switch.
- Count "one potato, two potato"
- Click the Send button on TFTP.
- "Oh, s**t. Failed again.
- Power off and start again.
And, of course, I do not remember which delay worked. Only that one did and I put the hammer away.
Have looked for information about U-Boot, but it is WAAAAY above my competence level.
I'm in the exact same boat as Plomo. He never really posted where he landed.
My scenario: bought this kit used so I don't know the full history - the satellite works but the router is not functional, except for the green power light.
Reset button does not change the power light.
The orbi ring light at the top is 100% dead, all the time.
No SSID visible.
Plugging in Ethernet cable, PC says "cable not plugged in".
Pinging 192.168.1.1 from PC @ 192.168.1.7/24 - no response.
Serial port pins connected @ 115200 totally silent... maybe one character of noise occasionally when the orbi is power cycled.
Swapped serial Tx and Rx - same.
Attached an oscilloscope to both TX and RX pins - silence (looking for a different baud rate).
Tried the NMRPFLASH against all 4 ethernet ports - nothing.
I'm 99% sure this thing is dead / bricked.
Do recent firmwares silence the serial port (pins), or is this thing BRICKED?
Does a 30-30-30 reset do anything?
