Restoring a bricked TP-Link router with TFTP
33Beware This post is more than 3 years old, it may be outdated or incorrect! Please check elsewhere for accurate information!
If you accidentally brick (install wrong firmware or misconfigure) your TP-Link router (in this case a TP-Link TL-WR740N v5), you can easily restore it without UART access by utilizing the built in bootloader's recovery feature.
This works by setting your computer's IP to 192.168.0.66 and then holding the Reset button while the router is turning on. It will pull the recovery image from TFTP and install it and then reboot.
Resources
Step by step instructions
Note: You will loose Internet access while performing this guide, so make sure you download the resources linked above before proceeding.
Step 1: Setup your Computer's IP to 192.168.0.66
Open Control Panel (Start -> type in "Control Panel").
Click Network and Internet
Click Network and Sharing Center
Click Change adapter settings on the left
Right click on your network adapter (either LAN or WiFi) and click Properties.
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
Enter the settings as is shown in the picture below
When you want to return to the default settings (after you've restored the router, repeat the steps but set the configuration to Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically).
Step 2: Set up TFTP daemon
Extract tftpd64.461.zip on the Desktop, and place wr740nv5_en_ipv6_3_16_9_up_boot(160715).bin inside the folder (rename it to wr740nv5_tp_recovery.bin). Then, start tftpd64.exe.
If you're using a different router, i.e. TL-WR840N v5, rename the file accordingly, i.e. wr840nv5_tp_recovery.bin.
In tftpd64 click Settings:
Set it up according to the picture below:
Click on the Global tab and set it up according to the picture
Step 3: Restore the router
Firstly, connect your computer and only your computer with a LAN cable to LAN 1 port, then unplug the router from the power, wait a few seconds, press and hold the reset button (either with a paperclip if it's recessed or with your finger if it sticks out). It might be labeled WPS/Reset. While holding the button, plug in the power adapter into the router. Release the button after 5 seeconds.
The router will boot the recovery bootloader and try to pull the firmware from TFTP. You will see activity in TFTPD window:
After the firmware is uploaded, the router will write it into Flash memory and will then reboot. You can check it's succeeded by accessing 192.168.0.1 in the browser.
If everything is OK, restore your Network adapter's IPv4 settings to the default ones, plug in the WAN cable and setup your router according to your preferences.
Comments (33)
I am trying to unbrick an Archer C7 v4 (DD-WRT installation gone wrong) from a new Mac running MacOS Catalina (10.15.6). I have downloaded the current firmware and renamed it ArcherC7v4_tp_recovery.bin. Other than that, I followed all your instructions to the letter.
I used the internal Mac TFTP server with the recovery file in the correct directory, I set my mac to 192.168.0.66 and disconnected all other network connections, I connected the router by a short cable to Port 1 and held the reset button until the WPS light came on (this is supposedly how the C7 v4 indicates that it is looking for the recovery file).
Unfortunately, none of that worked. I would be grateful for any other suggestions you may have.
Thanks.
Hi Joel,
it is possible that the mac OS tftpd is incompatible or misconfigured which prevents the router to connect and download the recovery file.
You should try it with the file named “tp_recovery.bin”, just in case, as newer TP-Link bootloaders always request “tp_recovery.bin”, no matter the router model.
If it doesn't work, try to get Windows running in a VM with a bridge interface and try to boot the router that way, or try with a different TFTP server.
Regards,
Milan
Hi Milan,
Got a Windows 10 laptop and followed your instructions exactly. The file got sent, per the TFTP log. However, the router did not reflash and remains bricked. Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Joel
Hi Milan,
Your explanations are the most clear I've found on the subject! Thank you so very much for allowing me to unbrick a TP-Link TL-WR841ND v. 10 router! Greetings and best regards from RO!
hello does this guide works and with wdr 3500 from tp-links,because i tried from openwrt put in stock firmware and now blinking al,ost all leds except solid power led,is necessary turn-off antivirus firewall when doing actions with tftpd server/client?
Thanks a lot for this very helpful instruction!II I was able to fix my bricked TpLink AC1200 router.
I flashed the latest TP-Link firmware over a botched OpenWrt install using TFTP daemon on an Archer A6. I had tried PuTTY and something went wrong. The router had some lights on before PuTTY. Afterwards, there was only a solid power LED. I was able to use WinSCP to put the firmware in the router's /tmp folder. I got a fatal error when I ran the .bin firmware file. Might have been the .bin extension, I think it needed to be an .img. TFTP was easy for me to use but I followed the directions EXACTLY. I didn't extract to the desktop and couldn't get the TFTP GUI to show up, it was running though. I even went back and made sure I put the firmware update into the folder first then renamed it to ARCHER A6(US)_V2_tp_recovery.bin. Not sure if I used the _V2. I think if you could probably call it 1_tp_recovery.bin.
Fox
I´ve a TP Link archer C60 v2 US bricked.
It was with a white label hot spot firmware on 192.168.99.1 before I´ve tryed to recover it to the original firmware.
I configured my Win 10 notebook ethernet port as described on 192.168.0.66
also the TFTP server by Ph Jounin with the same described settings.
But I never have success to enter in the reset / recover mood.
The only light I see on the router is the Power (first one) and never change to others two or three ....
I know the procedure is for another model ... but I´m still trying to figure out how to solve it.
Any help or idea?
Thanks in advance
Did you solved it? I have the same problem :(
Thanks for your guide.
I used it for my Archer C6 v2 to flash it with custom firmware (openWRT)
Worked perfect
I did all as described with my 740N but nothing was happening.
Only message in log is "Message truncated (length was 8) [04/11 23:26:19.604]"
Any idea?
The most certain problem is that you did not set the PC's IP address correctly, or set it on wrong interface. Disable ALL! network interfaces except for Ethernet (verify you are using correct Ethernet adapter, if there are multiple, or if VirtualBox or a VPN is installed). Additionally, disconnect all Internet from PC, and disconnect all cables from router. Connect PC to router (LAN1) using a single short cable. NO SWITCHES!
Everything like you said, one interface, no other network, no virtualbox or vpn... but nothing is happening, seems like tft does not see it :(
Router was working but I was reverting to stock firmware and now it is brick :(
What version of WR740N? Be precise. Also, how do the LEDs on the router blink? They should all light up for a second then blink continuously. Also, did you try holding the reset button while the router is unplugged, connected to PC with tftpd32 open, AND THEN plug it in while still holding the reset button. It should rapidly blink "lock" LED (last one) or Power (first one) or the LAN port (depending on the model and revision of the router and bootloader)...
4.23
Try this firmware: https://milankragujevic.com... Additionally, can you describe the behaviour of the LEDs, and if you followed procedure for TFTP boot (unplug power, hold reset button, plug in power, release button when LEDs start to blink)=
When I plug in router, all led blink once, than power led and setup led stay on, while lock led blink once. After a while wireless is blinking fast, setup blinking slow, and input 1 is constant.
It is not bricked. That is absolutely normal behaviour during initialization. Did you try the proper procedure for TFTP boot like in the previous comment? How did you try to boot from TFTP? You MUST hold the button to enter the recovery mode, else the router WILL NOT even try to boot from TFTP!
Yes I did, and the same is happening. I tried to hold reset button for 2, 3, even 6 seconds but the same everytime.
Did you unplug it first, then hold the button and WHILE holding the button plug it in. Hold the button for 15 seconds and watch if it stops the normal booting and stays with one LED.
I was holding almost 20 seconds while only power led is on, soon as I released reset it start the same procedure like before.
I am giving up for today, it is late. Tomorrow I will see again. Thanks for help!!!
Wonderful!
I used this to unbrick a TL-WR940N version 3.0 by using image "wr940nv3_wr941ndv6_en_3_16_9_up_boot(150312).bin" (from the TP support site)
HOWEVER, I had to rename the image to "wr941ndv6_tp_recovery.bin" as this was the filename the router was trying to purge.
I was also unable to run the tftp supplied on W10. I instead downloaded the v4.64 installer from https://tftpd32.jounin.net/... and put the image file into C:\Program Files\Tftpd64
Hi I try the procediment and this is the message:
Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 3828 [24/07 04:37:09.043]
Read request for file <tp_recovery.bin>. Mode octet [24/07 04:37:09.043]
File <tp_recovery.bin> : error 2 in system call CreateFile O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado. [24/07 04:37:09.044]
Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 1515 [24/07 04:37:12.007]
Read request for file <tp_recovery.bin>. Mode octet [24/07 04:37:12.007]
File <tp_recovery.bin> : error 2 in system call CreateFile O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado. [24/07 04:37:12.007]
Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 2667 [24/07 04:37:14.974]
Read request for file <tp_recovery.bin>. Mode octet [24/07 04:37:14.974]
File <tp_recovery.bin> : error 2 in system call CreateFile O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado. [24/07 04:37:14.975]
Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 2027 [24/07 04:37:17.938]
Read request for file <tp_recovery.bin>. Mode octet [24/07 04:37:17.938]
File <tp_recovery.bin> : error 2 in system call CreateFile O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado. [24/07 04:37:17.939]
Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 1064 [24/07 04:37:20.902]
Read request for file <tp_recovery.bin>. Mode octet [24/07 04:37:20.902]
File <tp_recovery.bin> : error 2 in system call CreateFile O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado. [24/07 04:37:20.902]
Hi there. I've got tl-MR3420v2. After trying to upload custom firmware the only thing I've got i constatn power led.Nothing more. Been trying all of solutions from internet and still no response from router. Can anyone help me?
hi i did complete all steps but my tplink tl-wr840n still not working. light is blinking.
i face same problem did you solve the problem if you solve this kindly help me
Guide works well. There is only a small modification to be made. You must select the firmware file that is appropriate for your router and rename it as mentioned above. The file can be taken from the tplink official website. The recovery file given above will NOT work for ALL routers.
Did your fixed it or not I have a same router with almost same issue, its getting restart and shows lock some time get connect but can't do complete recovery process
Have you fixed your router or not?
This is for 740, not for 840!
But the case for an 840 is described. So what is the reality now? Is this tutorial also for a 840 (or even other models) or only for the 740?
The files are only for TL-WR740N
plz bro help us by tell us how to solve wr840n problem
