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wiki:contributors:taylorkline [2024/04/01 21:16] – draft taylorklinewiki:contributors:taylorkline [2024/04/03 15:53] – OKD draft taylorkline
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 +====== Taylor Kline's page ======
 +
 +
 ====== Drafts in Progress ====== ====== Drafts in Progress ======
  
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 ===== Brief Summary of OKD ===== ===== Brief Summary of OKD =====
  
-The RT3200 / E8450 suffers from an occasional failure known colloquially as the OpenWrt Kiss of Death (OKD). Symptoms of the OKD range from either an abrupt failure to get a full boot - most evident by the failure to get a blue LED after a reboot or power failure - or a progressive failure that may still boot through several attempts or after leaving the router in the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes. The progressive failure may proceed to a full failure eventually.+The RT3200 / E8450 suffers from an occasional failure known colloquially as the OpenWrt Kiss of Death (OKD). Symptoms of the OKD range from either an abrupt failure to get a full boot - most evident by the failure to get a poweron LED after a reboot or power failure - or a progressive failure that may still boot through several attempts or after leaving the router in the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes. The progressive failure may proceed to a full failure eventually.
  
-As of April 2024, the cause of this issue is unknown, and the recent pre-release UBI Installer v1.1.1 - required for using snapshot builds - does NOT fix the issue and Daniel Golle (dangole), the current maintainer of this device, recommends remaining on OpenWrt stable builds and avoiding any modifications to the bootloader beyond the initial install as outlined in this wiki (([[https://forum.openwrt.org/t/belkin-rt3200-linksys-e8450-wifi-ax-discussion/94302/4735|"I recommend users using the device in production to never touch the bootloader unless you really have to and stay with stable OpenWrt releases"]])).+As of April 2024, the cause of this issue is unknown, and the recent pre-release UBI Installer v1.1.1 - required for using snapshot builds - does NOT fix the issue and Daniel Golle ([[developers:dangole]]), the current maintainer of this device, recommends remaining on OpenWrt stable builds and avoiding any modifications to the bootloader beyond the initial install as outlined in this wiki (([[https://forum.openwrt.org/t/belkin-rt3200-linksys-e8450-wifi-ax-discussion/94302/4735|daniel: "I recommend users using the device in production to never touch the bootloader unless you really have to and stay with stable OpenWrt releases"]])).
  
 ===== Serial ===== ===== Serial =====
 +
 +This section outlines the steps to recover from the OKD easily using a USB to TTL adapter with the mtk_uartboot tool by OpenWrt developer Chuanhong Guo ([[developers:981213]]). 
 +
 +==== Hardware Needed ====
 +
 +  * USB to TTL adapter **with cable** (synonymously may be called USB to Serial Adapter or UART converter) **supporting 3.3v**. Example images follow.
 +
 +{{ :media:usb-to-ttl-1.jpg?direct&200 | Example USB to TTL cable }} {{ :media:usb-to-ttl-2.jpg?direct&200 | Example USB to TTL cable }} {{ :media:usb-to-ttl-3.webp?direct&200 | Example USB to TTL cable }}
 +
 +==== Software Needed ====
 +
 +  * mtk_uartboot
 +    * [[https://github.com/981213/mtk_uartboot/releases|Releases for macOS, Windows, and x86_64 Linux by the official developer]]
 +    * [[https://github.com/LitCastVlog/mtk_uartboot_arm/releases|Releases for arm (e.g. Raspberry Pi) by forum member LitCastVlog]]
 +  * [[https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GNU_Screen|screen]] or similar, such as [[https://www.putty.org/|putty for Windows]]
 +
 +==== Recovery Steps ====
 +
 +  * Download the file bl2-for-mtk_uartboot.bin from the most recent [[https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer/releases/|OpenWrt UBI Installer Releases Page]]
 +  * Download the appropriate .fip file for your version
 +    * Did **not** run the v1.1.1 UBI installer (e.g. anyone on OpenWrt 23.05.x or below, or older snapshots)
 +      * [[https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?target=mediatek%2Fmt7622&id=linksys_e8450-ubi|From the latest 23.05.x release page,]] download the bl31-uboot.fip file.
 +    * **Ran** the v1.1.1 UBI installer (e.g. running recent snapshot builds. You'd know if you did it!)
 +      * [[https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?target=mediatek%2Fmt7622&id=linksys_e8450-ubi&version=SNAPSHOT|From the SNAPSHOT release page,]] download the bl31-uboot.fip file.
 +  * Disassemble your RT3200 / E8450 (([[https://forum.openwrt.org/t/belkin-rt3200-linksys-e8450-wifi-ax-discussion/94302/104|"There are 4 screws behind the bottom label. Then the lower part of the stand comes off after 2 more screws one may easily slide that whole back part with them connectors out like it is on sort of a plastic tray."]]))
 +  * Hook up your USB to TTL serial adapter to the RT3200 / E8450 **with the power off**
 +    * remember that tx from router needs to go to rx of uart connector, and rx of router needs to go to tx of uart connector ((thanks forum member smashrvmco for the reminder))
 +  * Run the mtk_uartboot program with your downloaded files, followed by an **immediate** screen or putty command. Below are some examples:
 +    * Linux, when `mtk_uartboot` automatically recognizes the connected serial device: <code>mtk_uartboot -a -p bl2-for-mtk_uartboot.bin -f *uboot.fip && screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200</code>
 +    * macOS, when `mtk_uartboot` would otherwise use the wrong serial device: <code>./mtk_uartboot -a -p bl2-for-debug-snand-issue.bin -f openwrt-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-bl31-uboot.fip -s /dev/cu.usbserial-B002EI6Z && screen /dev/cu.usbserial-B002EI6Z 115200</code>
 +    * <code>mtk_uartboot -a -p bl2-for-mtk_uartboot.bin -f *uboot.fip && putty.exe -serial COM5 -sercfg 115200,8,n,1,N</code>
 +  * Power on the RT3200 / E8450
 +  * mtk_uart should trigger a boot (if you never get past <code>Handshake...</code>, you have the wrong serial device selected, don't have a good serial connection, or - and this is the case for many people - your serial adapter may not be compatible and you should try another if your attempts fail repeatedly) and your screen / putty session should present you with a U-Boot menu. If you take no action for a number of seconds, your router will boot. To recover, **you want to immediately press any key (like a down arrow) to interrupt the boot and stay on the boot menu**.
 +  * From the boot menu, select the bottom option, U-Boot Console.
 +    * {{ :media:openwrt-boot-menu.png?direct&600 | OpenWrt Boot Menu }}
 +  * Rewrite the flash ("As crazy as it sounds, but literally reading from the flash and writing back the read content fixes the issue."), based on your OpenWrt version
 +    * Did **not** run the v1.1.1 UBI installer (e.g. anyone on OpenWrt 23.05.x or below, or older snapshots)
 +      * <code>mtd read fip $loadaddr 0x0 0x140000 && mtd write fip $loadaddr 0x0 0x140000</code>
 +    * **Ran** the v1.1.1 UBI installer (e.g. running recent snapshot builds. You'd know if you did it!)
 +      * <code>ubi remove rootfs_data ; ubi read $loadaddr fip && ubi write $loadaddr fip $filesize</code>
  
 ===== JTAG ===== ===== JTAG =====
 +
 +JTAG unbricking is more complicated and now unnecessary with the mtk_uart tool. If absolutely needed, search "jtag" in the Belkin RT3200/Linksys E8450 forum thread to find the details you need.
  
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  • Last modified: 2024/04/03 16:02
  • by taylorkline