R8500 bricked

[raven_au]

The process that you need to follow has already been outlined above in detail.

You have no other option but to get to the CFE subsystem, and start the tftpd server, and send the firmware image.

You still have not answered a number of questions so I'm not sure what is actually going on and you haven't provided a trace of the output from PuTTY when it is connected to the router serial port and the router is powered on.

You really need to be able to reliably connect to the serial connector of the router and see what is being output by the router (this is not PuTTY, it is console output of the router).

This is the only way to wok out what is going on and you should see "something" even if it is just an error message.

Forget about the ctrl+c for a moment, connect the USB-TTL cable to the serial port of the router and capture the output from power on then post that.

Right now that's all that's needed to try and work out what's going on.

If you don't see any output then I have to think the serial communication is not working for some reason, check the PuTTY settings etc.

Yes, you could have corrupted the CFE, which is also game over, I don't know how to recover that.

While it's possible the CFE has been corrupted it's unlikley.

PuTTY is frequently used for this by Windows users, there's no reason to think it can't do what's required here.

I don't use Windows, if I can possibly avoid it, so I don't know about alternative terminal emulation software.

Ian

[peter11742]

Hi.

I tried to get the information to you.

I  send you my pictures on the monitoring display. hopefully you see some thing good.

Peter11742

[peter11742]

HI.

Now I get CFE and I type tftpd i get start TFTP server reading.

From dos sent the firmware and I get connect request failed.

This time I see the router locked and no rebooting this meens the CFE works.

Why I failed the connection probably i have not a good ip.

Let me know what you thing.

peter11742

[peter11742]

Updates.

Progress I moved the cat cable to port #3 of the pouter I saw immediatly a blu led flickering.

The dos send the firmware Transfer successful: 30171194 bytes in 106 seconds.

The tft server keeps the unit stable and has no record that a file is transfered.

See my picture.

peter11742

[peter11742]

This is a better picture.

[peter11742]

Hi.

Thanks to all that they helped.

As you see we have an issue      Houston.

The pictures prove it.

I reboot the router and of cource I have no pings and an orange steady light. The router reboots every 3 minutes.

I hope there is a solution for this from the people that work before on the routers.

As you see my experiance is only one week knowing nothing for the routers.

Engineers are good because they are trained to tackle any task.

Best regards.

peter11742

[TheEther]

There seem to be a few threads on the Internet similar to what you have.  One suggestion I found is to do erase nvram or nvram erase at the CFE prompt.  Then reboot.

[peter11742]

Thanks.

I fixed my win 10 laptop so now I can work and give you details.

I do not know how to delete the nvram but I will google it.

Now I send to everyone a new picture. The CFE worked this time it reported the software was tranfered.

To the people who have trouble transfering software it will be the dos causing it  you must restarted dos.

At this point we made a good effort for this router I will tell any one it is the best motherboard I see in a small unit "good job netgear".

We can improove and make it better because it is builded with an engineer that had this in his mind for futer expantions.

peter11742

[raven_au]

So you've transfered the firmware again and you've seen a confirmation it has been written in the CFE output.

That much seems to clear now.

But you still haven't provided what I asked for.

A text file of the output of the router from the USB-TTL connection from power on until after you see an error or the output stops or the router faults and reboots.

That should show if:

1) the firmware has been saved successfully (so we know the device it is saved to is not faulty).

2) probably give some indication if it is the settings that are corrupted (which is likley).

You are welcome to Google "nvram erase" which is probably what's needed, executed at the CFE prompt.

For my part, I'm not so quick to do so becuase I have wiped out information that could not be recovered in the past.

That shouldn't be the case with Netgear devices though and it looks like you have no choice so, as has been suggested, at the CFE propmt type "nvram erase<enter>".

I'd recommend leaving the router a little while after the erase, probably 30 seconds or so, even though it's probably not needed.

Then I think you can the just type "go<enter>" at the CFE prompt and have the router boot.

Alternately (and probably preferably, and is what I would do) power off the router for a few seconds and then turn it on and observe the boot output in PuTTY to check how far it gets.

Ian

[VE6CGX]

OP, you said you are a retired EE, not understanding serial comm. protocol, router CFE, firmware layout, by the time you figure things out probablly you mess up the CFE. See if you can find a copy of CFE some where. CFE can be reloaded. Or cmpare the file between good and bad CFE and edit the bad one. I myself am EE class of '60. Evolved thru vacuum tubes upto nanotech. Spent whole working life in military worldwide comm. network, digital electronics. I always apply critical path or PMO when I tackle something to minimize wasting time. Good luck.

[peter11742]

Hi.

I have a good CFE because i tried code: nvram erase and I get o return.

I am nort familiar with this software but give some time and I will master it.

If you please tell me why I get 0 in one second putty has simle commands only.

Now I have some time to find how to erase the nvram that it is corrupted.

If you know pass the command.

peter11742

[peter11742]

I forgot to salut you my fellow engeneer.

How about fixing MRI'S and Cat scanners and special procedures cardiology cath labs, x-ray units nuclear units and complex x-ray units.

When you know the above you do not know software for routers or serial communicatios.

My CFE is part of putty free software that i have only 3 days play with it.

It works well and informs me the transfer is done but I still have the red light.

Now I know the fellow that sold me this unit on ebay had hard time fixing it so now will be my hard time, the router is new.

As you see i am almost there if I erase the nvram then i can install the firmware because this part I learned on my own.

Best regards.

peter11742

[raven_au]

I didn't see some of those earlier images, they show the CFE is passing control to the firmware kernel and the router is starting its boot.

So it looks like the firmware has been successfully saved, as you thought.

I'm not sure but it looks like the boot stops after getting an error so, yes, settings need to be re-initialized and the CFE command "nvram erase" should do that.

After running the erase how far does the router get into the boot?

Do you still get an error message and the boot stops, that's what it looks like, even after the "nvram erase"?

If you do then perhaps using the reset button with the Netgear firmware does more than just an erase.

Perhaps, once you see the CFE has loaded and passed control to the firmware, pressing and holding the reset button until the orange light starts blinking and then releasing it will do what's needed to erase the settings.

[peter11742]

Thanks.

I tried as they say at CFE command  nvram erase.

It gives me an  answer 0 in one second.

I reload the firmware and I have still a red light.

If any one knows that the 0 answer is correct then the command nvram erase is not working on the r8500 it may be good for older routers.

I still have the problem eventually we will find what is wrong with the nvram.

I tested with the reset switch  but still it reboots with a orange led solid and reboots every 2 minutes.

Untill we will erase the nvram and we veryfy that is erased then we will decide this was the fix.

Best regards.

peter11742

[TheEther]

Try erase nvram.  

It's slightly frustrating because you seem to read only half of what we tell you and only respond with half of what we ask you.  Hopefully, we are almost there, but please do read everything twice.

[raven_au]

---

@peter11742 wrote:

Thanks.

I tried as they say at CFE command  nvram erase.

It gives me an  answer 0 in one second.

I reload the firmware and I have still a red light.

If any one knows that the 0 answer is correct then the command nvram erase is not working on the r8500 it may be good for older routers.

---

Yeah, I don't know.

We could grab a copy of the CFE source and check but Broadcomm or Netgear may have modified it for their developer kit (for the board).

So only way to know is to run the erase and see if the device boots ok.

Using "erase nvram" may do what's needed.

FWICS the CFE command should be "nvram erase" but, as was suggested, "erase nvram" may be what's needed, I have seen that mentioned in forums too.

Give it a try.

[peter11742]

Hi.

Thanks.

The command with CFE is nvram erase.

The other way erase nvram is not acceptable by the software.

I like to see that I do the proper procedure to rerase the nvram.

In my discution I discribed what happened with this nvram erase.

Now days the new routers are more compex that the old ones.

But we will make it to work some day.

peter11742

[raven_au]

Sure but it's hard to know the answer to the question about the "nvram erase" becuase the CFE could have been modified by either Broadcomm or Netgear, or both.

Within a shell script a return of 0 is success but in C programs 0 is false (a fail), so unless it's known the CFE hasn't been modified, looking at the published source to find out (if we could find the correct version) might not be accurate.

All that can be done is to try it and it sounds like you have and haven't been successful.

Very unfortuneate after all the effort, sadly.

Ian

[raven_au]

Btw, if you want to go further with this then you could download the Netgear R8500 firmware source code.

But things get much, much harder from this point.

To locate the firmware source for the R8500 do a Goolgle search for "netgear gpl source code" look for the R8500.

I see the latest firmware version has a source code download there already, 1.0.2.80.

Note that not all the objects used in the firmware have source code available, some only have a binary object alone.

[peter11742]

Thanks.

First the firmware that I have is 1.0.2.80 and other numbers behind it.

As far the zero on CFC it is fake is not doing anything, I make directory and i see it there all the codes.

I must find a new way how to deal this nvram erase.

I know now the router can be fixed it is matter of time.

What I like the most is other people will appreciate what we all try do do.

peter11742

[peter11742]

HI all.

I told you I will fix it.

I found people at dd-wrt have this problem because they load a different firmware on the R8500.

This is the issue the firmware 1.0.2.28 can not be loaded to the router it is made this way.

But the first firmware 1.0.0.28 it loads and works.

The procedure is the same.

First you connect your serial usb connection and make the putty to work.

At any time now press control c untill you see CFE run nvram erase get a 0.

On CFE enter tftpd and waight there.

Now open DOS CMD have the command  run with tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put C:\R8500-v1.0.0.28_1.0.15.chk enter.

You will see the the file transfered from the dos and the cfe.

Now hold the reset button and turn power off the router.

With the reset button stil on start power and count 3 times reboot.

Now go back and start the putty and let it run you will see a surprise you got your green light.

Now we have acomplish to have the first firmware working.

The next time we will discuss how we update to the lates firmware.

Best regards.

peter11742

[peter11742]

I experiance a small problem.

The router starts with the red light with power on but in 1 minute it works good.

This is my first netgear router.

I can not login for a reason.

peter11742

[peter11742]

Updates.

The red light is only for rebooting the green comes later.

I had the router for hours and it works good.

Now I said is time to update it, netgear dowloaded the updates and they installed them.

Now I got the problem back is rebootnig.

NEVER ASK FOR UPDATES they do not work.

peter11742

[peter11742]

To all.

This is my last report we are done.

The people that they do not like the R8500 router are wrong.

This router is confiquered and it covers all my house it beats my new Linksys by a mile.

When i read the specifications I new this router is champ it has the best lenth coverage from all of them.

Good luck to all and happy holidays.

I will still answer all my emails I will help any one that has problems with this good router.

The next project will be the x10 that will bricked let us get ready.

The router is not getting hot just worm.

Best regards.

peter11742

[raven_au]

Glad to hear you finally got there.

I agree, my R8500 is unusually stable compared to quite a few other high end routers I have.