Hi,

I wanted to reset all the default values for the NVRAM and didn't read the warning about the WL500G bootloader not resetting defaults, before erasing the NVRAM on my WR850G.  It seems that it is also in the category that you do not want to erase NVRAM, because I can't ping it anymore. 

Is there a way to reload the NVRAM values?  I do have access to another WR850G, and JTAG cable if that helps.

Thanks for the help!

Rob

Hey Rob,

I'm in a similar situation, or at least in a subset of your situation.  My WR850 was running RC2 fantastically and so I set about configuring the network stuff the way I wanted.  I must have set one of the nvram settings wrong because I did a "nvram commit", power cycled and I haven't been able to connect to it ever since. 

I'm guessing that for your situation, you can use the JTAG and hairdairymaid util to backup the nvram from your working WR850G and then reflash it back onto your broken one.  I've never done this before, though.  If you do it, I'd be interested in hearing how it works out. 

For my situation, I think I might be able to rig up a serial cable and just connect on the serial console and un-bork the nvram setting I made.  Can anyone confirm this?  I'm going to order my USB cable today...

If that doesn't work, I may beg you for a working nvram image file. 

Frighteningly enough, there's still some documentation on the Wicki that tells you to do an "nvram erase" on a WR850G if you're having trouble getting an IP from dnsmasq.  If I can figure out how, I'll put a warning note on that page.  Which version of the WR850G did you break?  V2 probably?  It'd be good to know which versions are safe and unsafe to "mtd erase nvram" on.

Hi Starling,

I'm working along the path you suggest.  I'm having trouble which others have had with the 2.6 kernel in Linux is telling me that the parallel port is locked.  I'm new to linux, only having used it for about a month, and so I'm trying to figure out why I'm getting that message which comes from an ioctl() call that is returning something less than 0 in the HairyDairyMaid debrick utility.

If I can get it going, I'll be glad to share the nvram settings with you.

Rob

Having not done this myself, this is pure conjecture, but from what I've read, you need to unload the "lp" kernel module ("rmmod lp") and load the "ppdev" kernel module ("insmod ppdev").  But maybe you've already discovered this...

All else fails, you could probably find a Windows JTAG program to use, if you're more comfortable in that environment.

Well, I had compiled the parallel port stuff directly into the kernel.  Your note made me think maybe I should try it as modules, and I did.  I got a bit further in the process.  Now ./wrt54 doesn't recognize the chip.  I think it may be because I'm using a wiggler type JTAG interface.  The docs say that it may work, but I haven't read of anyone actually using one.  It is interesting to note that the pins on these JTAG connectors were done with some forethought.  You can plug a wiggler into the first 12 pins of the JTAG connector even if it is a 20 pin version, since the pin-out is the same.

It is also interesting to note that the LEDS do a different pattern when the JTAG connector is connected.

I'll keep you posted.

Rob

I finally had some more time to play with my WR850G tonight and I built the serial cable from a Siemens cellphone data cable and was able to connect to the console.  After a bit of poking, I finally realized that I'd set vlan0hwname=eth0 instead of "et0".  I did that for vlan1 and vlan2 also.  Ouch.  So I fixed that and everything is great now.

Have you had any luck with your Moto?

I did get the JTAG cable cobbled together, and backed up the CFE and NVRAM of both of my routers, then I tried flashing the NVRAM from the working router to the bricked one.  It seemed to flash ok (after a couple of tries where it stopped halfway through).   Unfortunately I still couldn't ping 192.168.10.1 on the bricked one.  I then tried flashing the CFE from the good one to the bricked one, and then the trouble really started.  Now it won't recognize the FLASH.  It won't flash anything, even when I specify the type of flash and when I specify nobreak and/or noreset.  It is kind of funny in that sometimes it will after a long wait claim it is flashing, but so far it always stops again part way through that process.  It makes me wonder if my cable is too long (about 2 feet).  At this point, I'm not sure what to do.  :-(

An interesting note is that the backup of the flash was not blank, so my earlier supposition that the NVRAM doesn't get re-written must not be right.

Rob

Could someone possibly email me a working nvram to reflash to my wr850g?  I just built the cable tonite and managed to backup my cfe and nvram over jtag, but i dont have a basis to give it a clean nvram now.

superm1@gmail.com

Thanks

nvm....

I just saw that there was a nvram erase option.

My wr850g is back to life!!!!!!!!!!!

yay!

http://home.eng.iastate.edu/~superm1/wr850g for pictures of my funny looking router now

(Last edited by superm1 on 1 Nov 2005, 07:24)