De-briking a TP-Link TL-WR841N v13 via TFTP

  • ip address of the router is 192.168.0.2
  • ip address of the laptop is 192.168.0.66

The files are in /srv/tftp/, for me that was file named tp_recovery.bin

Power on router, and press and hold reset button till it the lock icon starts.


ChatGPT’s suggestions:

De-bricking a TP-Link TL-WR841N v13 via TFTP involves using a TFTP server to upload the firmware to the router. Here are the detailed steps to recover your router:

Requirements

  1. Firmware File:

  2. TFTP Server:

    • You need a TFTP server running on your computer. For Windows, you can use Tftpd32 or Tftpd64. For macOS and Linux, you can use tftp-hpa or other TFTP server software.
  3. Ethernet Cable:

    • Connect your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Setup TFTP Server

  1. Install the TFTP Server:

    • Windows: Download and install Tftpd32 or Tftpd64.
    • macOS: Install tftp-hpa using Homebrew: brew install tftp-hpa.
    • Linux: Install tftp-hpa using your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install tftpd-hpa.
  2. Configure the TFTP Server:

    • Set the TFTP server directory to the location where you downloaded the firmware file.
    • Rename the firmware file to wr841nv13_tp_recovery.bin.

Step 2: Configure Your Computer’s IP Address

  1. Set a Static IP Address:
    • Change your computer’s Ethernet interface IP address to a static IP in the 192.168.0.x range (but not 192.168.0.86), for example, 192.168.0.66.
    • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0.

Step 3: De-Bricking the Router

  1. Connect the Router and Prepare for Recovery:

    • Connect your computer to one of the LAN ports of the router using an Ethernet cable.
    • Make sure the router is powered off.
  2. Start the TFTP Server:

    • Start the TFTP server on your computer.
  3. Enter Recovery Mode:

    • Press and hold the Reset button on the router.
    • While holding the Reset button, power on the router.
    • Continue holding the Reset button for about 5-10 seconds until the WPS/Reset button starts blinking, indicating that the router is in TFTP recovery mode.
  4. Upload the Firmware:

    • The router will request the firmware file named wr841nv13_tp_recovery.bin from the TFTP server.
    • The TFTP server should automatically send the firmware file to the router.
  5. Wait for the Recovery Process:

    • The router will begin the recovery process, indicated by the blinking LEDs.
    • Wait for a few minutes until the router reboots automatically.

Step 4: Final Steps

  1. Verify the Recovery:

    • After the router reboots, it should be accessible with the default IP address 192.168.0.1 (or 192.168.1.1 depending on the firmware).
  2. Restore Settings:

    • Log in to the router’s web interface and reconfigure your settings as needed.
  3. Reset Computer’s IP:

    • Change your computer’s IP settings back to obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP).

By following these steps, you should be able to de-brick your TP-Link TL-WR841N v13 router using TFTP.