I posted a blog if anyone is interested in connecting to the Archer C7 over the RS232 (serial) port.

http://vtechdesign.com/archerc7mod.html

Gives you full access to the OS/Setting/Logs.

Enjoy!

Hi Very nice... However do you know what is default user name and password for TP-Link serial port communication for original firmware.

Regards,
Prasad

Can you please post links to the hardware that you used? I'd like to do exactly what you did!

Edit: I did some searching myself are these the correct parts?

MicroUSB to Serial Breakout - FT232RL MicroUSB is more convenient than MiniUSB

Break Away Male Headers - Right Angle for the serial pin headers on both PCBs

Header - 2x8 (Male, 0.1") for the JTAG pin headers, I realize there is one extra row, I'll just cut it off.

Jumper Wire - 0.1", 4-pin, 4" to connect the FTDI to the PCB

(Last edited by brando56894 on 15 Mar 2016, 01:51)

@DB RX and TX were flipped for me. Before I switched I was just getting a bunch of stuck-on LEDs, after swapping RX and TX it has proper output.

I had a crack at the root password in my new factory rom with john the ripper. It ran for a week in incremental mode. You'd need a wordlist or a leak from tp-link.

root or osteam and 5up no longer works on the newer tp-links.

When you said you let JohnTheRipper run for a week was that on the Archer itself or on your PC? Also screw using the CPU for password cracking, you need GPU power for that

I like to use 3.5m stereo plugs for serial console cables. Much smaller just drill a nice small hole, and tighten the ring like a wifi antenna.

I use gnd where you would expect, the last pin, the middle one is tx, highest voltage and the tip is rx lowest voltage. Also it helps to turn off the router and and unplug the dku-5 (pl2303).

Why? Try fitting a mini/micro USB connector in a D-LINK DIR-505 A1. Good luck I could share pictures if you want.

I also use a header and 4pin socket to a female when I don't intend to have a permanent serial console for something I'm working on with the same setup.

You do know the tp-links we are working (the ones made in the last 3 years) have an unbricking capability in the boot-loader? Notice the youtube video link, so the serial cable is redundant. The router looks for the reset pin being down on cold-boot and tries to load a tp-link factory.bin from a 192.168.1.66 i think.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1sxwX5pMk
Crosspost: https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php … 72#p331472

I see the date on here, but anyone had any luck with TFTP on the new firmware version? I updated it hoping to get some use out of it, but that fully killed the routing capability. Now I can't update or revert the firmware to anything else due to the BS FEC regs.

JTAG is in the mail, any walk through or video how to actually solder it up, I've never done that before.