Flint 2: No led, can't access uboot

Routers
1

Hi, Please help me fix my Flint 2 router. I was trying to fix the GPT.

Here are the commands I run.

parted /dev/mmcblk0
(parted) mklabel gpt
(parted) Yes
(parted) Ignore
(parted) unit MB
(parted) mkpart u-boot-env 1.05 1.57
(parted) mkpart factory 2.10 4.19
(parted) mkpart fip 4.19 6.29
(parted) mkpart cfg 6.29 8.39
(parted) mkpart log 8.39 10.5
(parted) mkpart kernel 10.5 44.0
(parted) mkpart rootfs 44.0 7818
(parted) set 7 boot on
(parted) quit
reboot

After this, the device won’t reboot and no light on the LED. I also cannot access UBoot recovery.

4

Hello,

May I know what did you do before brick?

Do not disassemble the casing, and if it meets the warranty conditions, contact the customer service team [email protected] for replacement, please leave your purchase order.

6

I installed OpenWrt 24 firmware with the stock UI. However, I saw the signal coverage became worse based on the SNR from LuCi. So I researched ways to debug it using Google and ChatGPT. I was pretty confident that I won’t brick the device as I run commands from ChatGPT before and it was successful but now I think it was unwise to run commands without knowing what it will affect.

I already disassembled the device :sweat_smile:

7

Removing the case does not meet the warranty conditions, cannot be replaced :melting_face:

Since you mentioned run OpenWRT24 firmware now, you can enter uboot, right? Can it flash GL firmware?

8

No, I can’t enter UBoot. I installed OpenWrt 24 ( GL.iNet download center ) before it was bricked. Now, there’s no led.

Here’s the timeline

  1. I was running stock firmware
  2. I installed OP24 version of the stock firmware - GL.iNet download center
  3. From SNR value, the signal is became worse compared to stock OP21 UI.
  4. Researched ways to fix. Saw an issue with the GPT from the logs.
  5. Tried to fix it by running the commands above.
  6. After reboot, the router does not have internet.
  7. I installed back stock OP21 firmware.
  8. After installation, there are errors on the UI.
  9. Re-run the commands above. Then reboot.
  10. The device didn’t turn on. No led light.
  11. Tried to access UBoot via LAN2 and ethernet cable but unsuccessful.
  12. Current situation - no led light, won’t turn on, can’t access uboot.
9

Hi Bruce, I decided to leave a message here so as not to create additional threads. I have a similar problem based on the symptoms, but the story is a little different.

Knowing that your devices have excellent U-boot functionality for debugging devices, after a long period of operation on stock firmware, I decided to experiment with alternatives. Today I flashed KWRT, the device worked fine, then I flashed owrt 24.10.4 and planned to return to the official GLiNet firmware, but the router stopped responding and showing signs of life when rebooting after flashing owrt 24.10.4. The LED indicator is not working, and I cannot access the U-boot web interface according to the official instructions. What can you advise in this situation? I have not disassembled the device and would like your help.

10

Please contact [email protected] directly and explain your situation to the CS team.
They will communicate with you in accordance with relevant after-sales policies/conditions.

11

Since you have removed the casing, without after-sales policy, only can find other ways to try to unbrick your router.

There is a project on github called mtk_uartboot. You can find relevant information in Google/GPT, connect to the serial port to router, and use that tool to flash uboot.

12

Thank you Bruce, I sent a request to that email address.

But after mentioning mtk_uartboot, I read some information on this forum and came across instructions for debricking MT2500. I have a uart adapter and suspect that I have problems with uboot. It would be very interesting to look at the output during normal boot and try to restore this device myself, without imposing unnecessary financial costs on you for replacing the device, if your team approves it and I don't have any warranty issues.

I have a few questions, please try to answer them:

  1. Is it possible that your team would allow me to look at the uart log (by removing the device cover) without voiding the warranty?
  2. How relevant are the instructions I attached, and most importantly, the files mentioned in them?
  1. Am I correct in understanding that these instructions were prepared by someone from your team?
  2. Is there a newer version of bl2-mt7986-ddr4-ram.bin for MT6000, or is the one dated March 1, 2024 the most recent?
  3. I see that the person in the instructions performs all the manipulations on the MT6000, but uses a uboot file named fip-mt2500.bin. Am I correct in understanding that it is universal?
  4. Assuming that my boot problems are caused by uboot, can I use these instructions without any changes? Do I need any additional files or dumps from you?
13

Hi Bruce, here’s the output on my serial connection. Any idea how to fix this?

F0: 102B 0000
FA: 1040 0000
FA: 1040 0000 [0200]
F9: 103F 0000
F3: 1006 0033 [0200]
F3: 4001 00E0 [0200]
F3: 0000 0000
V0: 0000 0000 [0001]
00: 0000 0000
BP: 2400 0041 [0000]
G0: 1190 0000
EC: 0000 0000 [2000]
T0: 0000 0235 [010F]
Jump to BL

NOTICE: BL2: v2.7(release):d9824494-dirty
NOTICE: BL2: Built : 15:20:24, Jul 14 2023
NOTICE: WDT: disabled
NOTICE: CPU: MT7986 (2000MHz)
NOTICE: EMI: Using DDR4 settings
NOTICE: EMI: Detected DRAM size: 1024MB
NOTICE: EMI: complex R/W mem test passed
ERROR: BL2: Failed to load image id 3 (-2)

14

Even if you have a uart adapter, I still recommend do not disassemble the casing.
Removing the casing will definitely void the warranty, because we cannot later confirm whether the damage was caused by man-made after removing the casing or it did before it was removed.

Just contact our customer service team please.

The docs from the Notion you attach, not written by us, and we are not responsible for it.

15

You can learn about through Google/GPT.

You can try to unbrick with uart and mtk_uartboot first.
Don't worry about these serial port prints. It looks like the BL cannot load uboot.

16

Unfortunately, at the time of my inquiry, my warranty had expired and CS refused to exchange the device.

I connected to the serial port and got the same result as in the message above. Could you please send me the uboot file for MT6000?

17

Please provide me with all the necessary files so that I can restore the device using two options. It is clear that the device is functional and this is only a software issue.

I plan to do the following:

Option 1. Using mtk_uartboot, upload the correct U-BOOT from GliNet, followed by the original firmware. I have already tried to compile U-Boot for MT6000 from your repository ( GitHub - gl-inet/mt798x-boot: U-BOOT for MT2500/MT3000/X3000/XE3000/MT6000 ). However, when I flash it to RAM, there is no effect, the LED does not light up, there is no information coming out of the serial port, and I cannot connect to the router via Ethernet according to your U-BOOT operating instructions. What could have gone wrong? Perhaps you have a modified U-BOOT for such cases? The mtk_uartboot output is below:

.\mtk_uartboot.exe -s COM6 -a -p .\bl2-mt7986-ddr4-ram.bin -f .\u-boot.bin
mtk_uartboot - 0.1.1
Using serial port: COM6
Handshake...
hw code: 0x7986
hw sub code: 0x8a00
hw ver: 0xca01
sw ver: 0x1
Baud rate set to 460800
sending payload to 0x201000...
Checksum: 0xeefd
Setting baudrate back to 115200
Jumping to 0x201000 in aarch64...
Waiting for BL2. Message below:
==================================
NOTICE:  BL2: v2.10.0   (release):v2.10.0-mtk
NOTICE:  BL2: Built : 13:17:14, Mar  1 2024
NOTICE:  WDT: Cold boot
NOTICE:  WDT: disabled
NOTICE:  CPU: MT7986 (2000MHz)
NOTICE:  EMI: Using DDR4 settings
NOTICE:  EMI: Detected DRAM size: 1024MB
NOTICE:  EMI: complex R/W mem test passed
NOTICE:  Starting UART download handshake ...
==================================
BL2 UART DL version: 0x10
Baudrate set to: 921600
FIP sent.
==================================
NOTICE:  Received FIP 0x8eff8 @ 0x40400000 ...
==================================

Option 2. If the first option does not work, I consider the second option as a last resort. Desoldering the emmc and putting the dump directly. I will need a full eMMC dump for my device. Can you provide it if I give you my MAC address and other personal information?

18

@bruce
Ultimately, I gained access to the UBOOT web interface and its console. First, I attempted to load the original firmware, but received a message via serial:

*** Upgrading Firmware *** 
*** Data: 63509973 (0x3c915d5) bytes at 0x440000bc *** 
*** Partition 'rootfs' not found! *** 
*** Please update GPT first! ***

After that, during the next boot, I managed to interrupt the autoload and gain access to the command line via UART.

MT7986> gpt enumerate mmc 0
success!
MT7986> printenv gpt_partition_list
gpt_partition_list=mmcsda1
MT7986> gpt repair mmc 0 
Repairing GPT: success!
MT7986> gpt enumerate mmc 0
success!
MT7986> printenv gpt_partition_list
gpt_partition_list=mmcsda1

In this regard, I exclude the need to desolder the eMMC (the second point in the message above), but I still need a complete factory image for my router, which I could flash using UART, restore the partition table and software.

Looking forward to your reply, thank you in advance.

19

It seems that the partition table is damaged. I will send you several files in PM, which are uboot and GPT partitions. Flash this uboot file first, and flash the gpt emmc file.

I guess your router stock info (MAC/SN/Device ID/etc.) may be lost, so next in gl firmware if you login the router and the overview is not displayed these info, you need to reply to me with the MAC address from router sticker and your purchase order scrennshot.

Your router cannot connect to GoodCloud to remote because stock info lost. The desktop remote will be prepared and shared with me, and I will try to write this info.