ASUS RP-N53

Use the Asus Recovery Utility. No disassembly or soldering necessary.

Open the utility on a Windows computer. Point to the OpenWrt sysupgrade file. Connect the unit with an ethernet cable directly to the computer. Plug the unit in the wall while holding down the reset button. Release the button when the “led bar” light up (or blink). The flashing process then starts. You can do the same to revert to the Asus firmware.

To install OpenWrt on RP-N53 you need :

  1. Soldering iron
  2. USB to UART converter

DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE inside!
Opening this device exposes
parts under high voltage (110/230 VAC)!

  • Risk of deadly electrical shock
  • Risk of irreversable damage to other components attached, e.g. your PC connected via serial

Make sure to keep your fingers, conductive tools and serial cables away from the high voltage at all times!

Capacitors can still retain dangerous voltages
after disconnection from mains!

Continue at your own risk!

  1. First of all you need to disassemble RP-N53. There is 1 screw under the sticker on the back and latches around the perimeter of the cover.
  2. Solder 2 wires (i used wires from an idc cable) to TP2(TX),TP1(RX) under the left antenna and 1 wire to the ground poligon.
  3. Connect those wires to the USB to UART converter (RX to TX, TX to RX, GND to GND), and insert it to USB port.
  4. Install Putty and any tftp server (i used “Open TFTP”). Place OpenWrt firmware file in to the folder where TFTP server is installed (in my case it was C:\OpenTFTPServer), rename it to firmware.bin and start the tftp server.
  5. Run the Putty, select connection type Serial, select corresponding COM# (you can check COM number in device manager), set speed to 57600 and press connect.
  6. Power on RP-N53, and if you did everything right, you will see bootloader output in Putty.
  7. At some point you will see this menu:
       Please choose the operation: 
       0: Load System code then write to Flash via Serial. 
       1: Load System code to SDRAM via TFTP. 
       2: Load System code then write to Flash via TFTP. 
       3: Boot System code via Flash (default).
       4: Entr boot command line interface.
       5: Load Boot Loader code to SDRAM via Serial. 
       7: Load Boot Loader code then write to Flash via Serial. 
       8: Load Boot Loader code to SDRAM via TFTP. 
       9: Load Boot Loader code then write to Flash via TFTP.
  8. Select “2: Load System code then write to Flash via TFTP”. You will have only 3 seconds to do this.
  9. After this bootloader will ask you something like “this operation will erase flash memory. Are you shure? y\n” press y.
  10. Now you need to set IP adress of RP-N53, enter IP adress of your TFTP server, enter name of .bin file with firmware (firmware.bin) and flashing process will start.

Serial connection parameters
for ASUS RP-N53
57600, 8N1
This website uses cookies. By using the website, you agree with storing cookies on your computer. Also you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree leave the website.More information about cookies
  • Last modified: 2024/02/12 08:58
  • by 127.0.0.1