This post has evolved due to user demand and suggestions into some kind of Guide to Your Fonera, so it now resides on it’s own page: Fonera – Debricking and more! Feel free to comment below.
This post has evolved due to user demand and suggestions into some kind of Guide to Your Fonera, so it now resides on it’s own page: Fonera – Debricking and more! Feel free to comment below.
I bricked my Fonera too, but don’t know how. I didn’t do any firmware update, I was just trying things in the SSH console, and it freezed, and never booted again :(
If I manage to get a MAX232 converter, your instructions will be *very* useful for me. Thanks!
Mabe it boots, but not to a point where you could get to it via one of the network interfaces… mine also just kernel panicked somewhere! try serial console to see what’s going on in the first place…
Nice article .
One thing is not so clear to me : how can you tell the ip address of la fonera is 192.168.6.100/24 ???
I wonder that la fonera use default 192.168.10.1 as ip addr.
I just set it via serial console? See step 3! Afterwards when everything boots well you might also set it via “ifconfig eth0″… Hope that helps…
Me dumb . The tty hasn’t an ip address and the command given is to give one !!!
Thanks a lot tiagra.
Bye
As level converter (max232) you can use a serial “datacable” for older mobiles. On eBay they cost less than 5 EUR. I’ve used a cable compatible for Siemens M50.
http://search.ebay.de/search/search.dll?satitle=datenkabel+m50
right… anything that is capable of adjusting the levels to real rs232 should do. amongst a great selection of mobile phone data cables there should also be a lot of commercial interfaces out there. though, considering the price of a max232 (or equivalent…) it almost doesn’t make sense to buy any of these :) additionally, you didn’t learn anything *gg*
unfortnunally http://jauzsi.hu seems to be down :-(
It’s work also with a HTTP server ;) It’s easiest to find a HTTP server ;)
The command is now:
RedBoot> load -r -b %{FREEMEMLO} rootfs.squashfs -m HTTP
Sorry i didn’t finish my previous post
so the command is:
RedBoot> load -r -b %{FREEMEMLO} rootfs.squashfs -m HTTP -h 192.168.6.2
(192.168.6.2 is the server ip adress)
hey, thanx for the hint, i added it to the instructions! tftp is nasty, http is of course a much nicer solution :D
hello, i have Windows installed, where can i do this: ” dd if=fonera_0.7.1.1.fon of=fonera.tar.gz bs=519 skip=1 ” ? That is my Problem !
you have different options: try unixtools for windows, which supposedly includes a “dd.exe”: http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/, use some Linux-LiveCD like http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/ or install Cygwin http://www.cygwin.com/ – anyway, the first hit on google for “dd windows” is this: http://www.chrysocome.net/dd :P
Hello, thanks to put my hint into your post. I think too that http is a nicer solution for many users ;)
Another precision, the best component to make the link is the MAX3233 because it is in 3.3V ;) (and condensers are include). It’s very hazardous to use a MAX232
heehee, yes u are right, but i only had a max232 flying around :D it seems to me – due to popular demand – i should post something on serial cables, as many people don’t seem to be able to figure it out themselves? if yyou have some more info on that, feel free to email me, i’d draw some schemes and put it up along with somes lines of description or so…
whats with vmlinux???
what if i want to reflash the original fon kernel???
asdf: if you’d kindly look into Step 2, you will notice that this IS the original fonera firmware/kernel… my next reaction would have been: “wtf?” :P
briks, how did you figure out the right cables to connect to the pins? could you draw a scheme, plz?
hmm… i wrote down the colors in the picture, did you see? should be enough to connect it. download the datasheet for the level converter, there is the scheme! anyway, dure to popular request i’ll probably put up a scheme, too – very soon, not now… sorry :) check back…
Hello, when i send my bricked Box to you, can you recover it? When yes, how much kost it? Thanks
Since i couldn’t guarantee ANYthing, i will not touch other boxes for money. As i already stated: I’ll put up further instructions on the serial cable soon, then you should be able to do it yourself. Since have the http-version now, it should be fairly easy. If you can’t do that, i’m afraid you should mess with the box THAT much anyway. Just don’t fuck up the box visibly, then FON will exchange it for free! Just email them to support@fon.com!
Hi, I’ve found a way to transfer the rootfs.squashfs without setting up any server, even without working network, just type:
load -r -b %{FREEMEMLO} -m xmodem
now you should see a “C” on the console
then just send the rootfs.squashfs file with the send option (XModem) of your terminal application. I’s kind of slow but you don’t have to go through all the trouble of setting up a server and getting the network running
Blade
ok… seems to me i’m forced to make a complete rewrite of this page very soon :)
@DarkBlade: Thankx for your comment, i’ll include it soon. It also means that you can skip setting the IP, right? That would essentially narrow it down to 4 easy steps :)
tnx, martin
Yeah, if you use the XModem you don’t need to configure the ip_addr.
There is another thing i’ve noticed while debricking my Fonera. I used a MAX232 converter as described on many Websites but my Fonera didn’t do anything while connected to it. It took me 2 days of trying to find out that I had to wait about 5 sec after powering the fonera, then connect the serial… otherwise it wouldn’t boot. Just wanted to mention that if someone else has the problem of not booting while connected to the serial console.
Blade
@DarkBlade
That’s funny, i experienced the same :) Though i narrowed it down to the TX-wire. You can boot with RX connected, then wehn you see the first lines of booting on the terminal you can go ahead to connect the TX. That’s maybe better than waiting some unknown amount of time, because you have to be pretty quick with pressing ctrl+c as far as i remember, right? :) i didn’t mention that as i thought this was due to my crappy serial converter which was actually ust some reused piece of crap from an old GPS project *g* “Glad” that you had the problem, too, i’ll mention it in the next update… :)
.m.
Ok, folks, I worked in some of your comments. The page is getting longer and longer and I have the impression that it is not very user-friendly anymore :) I tried clearing it up a little by introducing a small table of contents, hopefully that will be enough.
I still didn’t write about the pinouts for the serial stuff, hope to get that done soon. Next stuff to come will be a short summary on how to how to manually approve and apply the patches FON is trying to send to you. Most of it very easy stuff, partly described on other websites already, but since we have started off with the “Complete Guide to Your Fonera” already, i’ll just keep adding stuff as much as my time permits :)
Further comments and help are much appreciated!
Selecting and using RS-232 Interface Parts for Your Power Supply Voltages – Maxim/Dallas
http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/836
Personally I’d recommend MAX3221 which works with 3.0V to 5.5V Vcc. On the other hand, the MAX203/MAX233 use no external components, thus you only need a 20P DIP IC socket and a couple of wires.
+5V Only
MAX202/E family
MAX232/E family
MAX221/E
+3.0V to 5.5V Only
MAX3221/E family
MAX3222/E family
Universal (generic) serial data / flash mobile phone cable schematic pinout and signals @ pinouts.ru
http://pinouts.ru/CellularPhonesCables/cell_cable_pinout.shtml
And some cheap replacements to replace MAX232
http://www.mcu99.com/Article/UploadFile/200502/20050220101755305.gif
Please refer to the mobile phone cable scheme above to create the +5V Vcc from DTR/RTS.
A tiny RS232 adapter using a Maxim’s Max233.
http://www.compsys1.com/workbench/On_top_of_the_Bench/Max233_Adapter/max233_adapter.html
Documents for AD233AK/A232DB(r4)
http://www.compsys1.com/support/docs/
hey, FYI, it seems to me i don’t have to write about that stuff any more, thank you very much :)
You’re welcome. And to put some final words.
After doing some search, I think the easiest way to make your own cable is to get MAX232 compatible chips like HIN232, ICL232, SP232, etc. Next, I found some schematics which replace the L7805 and two capacitors with only one 5V Zener diode in order to get +5V from DTR/RTS.
Remote control of computer
http://www.cesko.host.sk/girderplugin.htm
“Integrated circuit is supplied directly from computer serial port – from pin RTS. Stabilization of voltage to 5V makes Zener diode D1. It is without limiting resistor, because it used fact, that serial port has current limiting cca 10mA. In first version was used limiting resistor, but there was problem with insufficient voltage in case of notebooks using. In notebooks are signal levels about +/-6V and voltage loss on resistor causes receiving unreliability (same reason is impossibility to use stabilization with circuits of type 7805, which have min. voltage loss about 2V).”
Have fun.
Hiya, it seems to me you are mastering from in “RS232 Connection” from “Serial Console University, Computerland” :D I personally like the MAX3222 variant best, as you can skip all the 5V stuff and simply use the 3V VCC pin on the Fonera connector! This is especially usefull for people who want to (have to) use usb2serial adaptors, because there you somestimes don’t even get 5V VCC but only RX/TX and maaaybe handshake. I wonder how i could compile all your information in a proper way into the whole text? I’m already afraid of overloading it with too many detail. For now i just put links to these comments everywhere, hope that helps. Anyway, thanx again, greatly appreciated! :)
.m.
Hallo.
I have a an old Nokia8210 serial F/Mbus cable (3 wires Mbus/GND/TXorRX) but I dont know which MAX ttl converter is inside. How can I know (impossible to open)? How to connect? I need some ext power supply?
Also I found some difference in fonera pinout in this tutorial an the one in dd-wrt forum ( http://wiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs/Hardware/Fon/Fonera#head-f67f402ba755bfd031ad6558b2ced842698f1949 ) , which is the right one?
Thanks in advance
hiya,
look at this: http://pinouts.ru/CellularPhones-Nokia/nokia_8210_pinout.shtml i don’t think u need to know more :) though you have to make sure, that you don’t use usb2serial converter or one that outputs 5V to your nokia cable…
about the rx/tx thingy: just test it. the problem is: depending on which way you see it, rx/tx of course are interchangeable. i guess my version was view from the level converter, the others specified the pinout of the fonera itself – though i’m not sure anymore which version is which :) just connect only one cable while booting until you see messages :)
good luck and tnx for the comment…
.m.
Thanks for fast reply, I have already see that link, but my doubt is that nokia cable use FMbus protocoll (the same wire for RX or TX this is swithced from one pin to the other if rx or tx is need). Please look at the cable schema here (http://digilander.libero.it/coffeeplease/Nokia/Schema_8210_mbus.jpg) and here (http://digilander.libero.it/coffeeplease//Nokia/Photo_8210.jpg) I don’t think is usable with the 3 wires provided…
As far as i know you didnt break the warrenty by opening the fonera. In law aspects. But the Fon-people might make problems :)
Happy Hacking!
Hi , i flashed the fonera for putting the dd-wrt firmware on. ( and preserve the fon wifi ) , but the firware that i putted on seems to have some problem with chilli spot. So i decided to flash it again and put on the newest firmware of fon.. But when i tryed to do it i typed:
cd /tmp
wget http://coppercore.net/~kevin/fon/openwrt-ar531x-2.4-vmlinux-CAMICIA.lzma
mtd -e vmlinux.bin.l7 write openwrt-ar531x-2.4-vmlinux-CAMICIA.lzma vmlinux.bin.l7
reboot
And everything was ok until the fonera didn’t reboot as it should be..
So i tryed to look over tcpdump and it said to me that the fonera has t192.168.1.254 ip so i connected to it with:
telnet ip 9000
and the fonera tells me this:
== Executing boot script in 8.040 seconds – enter ^C to abort
so i thought .. Fiuuu Everything ok.. and i tryed to type Ctrl+C … but … No redboot console , no any menu .. nothing…
i can’t do nothing… ..
PLEASE HELP ME
you wanted to flash back to fonera firmware, right? so why are you using some crazy openwrt from unknows sources? use the stuff directly from fon and follow my guide… then everything should be ok…
Hey guys, have you ever considered using your fonera on another hotspot network like worldspot.net which would be better than fon? I don’t have a fonera, but would like to know if someone ever tried to change the chillispot settings to worldspot.net’s?
That would make a hotspot that would share for everybody, not only the “community”. For bills, worldspot seems to pay 75% instead of fon’s 50%.
Just an idea.
hey, have you read the terms and conditions of FON? they give it to you for “free” ONLY, if you participate in their system. sorry.
I have the exact same problem as veke. A few seconds after the fon is turned on I can telnet 192.168.1.254 9000 into it but all it says something like
== Executing boot script in 8.040 seconds – enter ^C to abort
I type ctrl-c but nothing happens. What do I do now? I did have dd-wrt working but I don’t remember the change I made that locked me out of ssh and the web gui console. I hope it’s not bricked for good.
i have the same problem as the guy above me, it gives me the whole booting script thing, but I can’t seem to press control c fast enough or something to have any effect.
Hmm… one of you is using telnet, the other I don’t know. Maybe CTRL+C over telnet is not supported and/or reserved for special purposes? Maybe your telnet client doesn’t support it? Maybe it requires some different keystroke to actually send a CTRL+C to the remote side as it could actually be used locally, too? I suggest debugging that first. If nothing helps, use serial console with a proper terminal program and it will work. As you are still loading RedBoot without problems, I assume you’d both be able to recover according to the guide. If I press CTRL+C on my console, it terminates my telnet client :P Use serial, that’s a safe bet if everything else fails. Good luck, both of you :)
ok you gues should know that you don’t have too hit ^C as just waiting will give you the redboot>
I flashed my ron and ennabled redboot and then flashed it with openwrt and when I talneted to set the pwd for ssh It seid bad pw and I also edited the nework cnfig (using cmd below)
cd /etc/config
vi network
on the 2ed static to dhcp and now It will allow me to connect thru the wlan (erm I see it) and It will not give me an i so I told it 192.168.1.254 :255.255.255.0 ; blank and well as the dns info I can’t connect is there a way to reset it so I can get in thru ssh or telnet or redboot I dont rember what the settings I changed were so (did I f@#& up)
I have the same problem as veke and op. After I did:
cd /tmp
wget http://coppercore.net/~kevin/fon/openwrt-ar531x-2.4-vmlinux-CAMICIA.lzma
mtd -e vmlinux.bin.l7 write openwrt-ar531x-2.4-vmlinux-CAMICIA.lzma vmlinux.bin.l7
reboot
It tried to reboot and just the power light has come on. I left it on for quite a while thinking that maybe it would take some time to do what it needed, but now it doesn’t have wan or anything. It just sits there with the power button on and responds to nothing. I really hope I don’t have to go the serial cable route, anyone know stores that sell them or are they web order only?
Oh, I also forgot to mention that the reset button does nothing so I cannot even reset it back to the factory firmware like other people in forums have suggested.
I tested the “iwconfig txpower” thing on my two Foneras. Both have the same firmware but it works only on one of them. The other one ignores this setting. I check it with netstumbler, Fonera #1 got -90dbm with 1mw TX, Fonera #2 got -30dbm. Any idea? Console shows 1mw tx power on both of them. And btw this setting is lost after rebooting.
chris: the only thing i can think of, is that your TX is not wired up correctly as you can see boot messages via serial console running, yes? check again, wiring setup is in the datasheet and some guy posted nice links about this some comments above, too. i also once encountered broken serial port on computer and usb2serial adapter. other than that… don’t know :/
.martin
Thanks for the great rightup. I have set my up using tftp and I have transfered the extracted fw to the router. After it transfers I get the message “Raw file loaded 0×80040800-0x801c07ff, assumed entry at 0×800408″. On the directions it says that the last set of numbers should be 0×80040800. I type fis create rootfs and wait about 5 min for it to finish the reboot by unpluging and by typing reset. The router still won’t fully boot up. Here is a list of my final commands.
RedBoot> ip_addr -h 192.168.0.103 -l 192.168.0.106/24
IP: 192.168.0.106/255.255.255.0, Gateway: 0.0.0.0
Default server: 192.168.0.103
RedBoot> load -r -b %{FREEMEMLO} rootfs.squashfs
Using default protocol (TFTP)
Raw file loaded 0×80040800-0x801c07ff, assumed entry at 0×800408
RedBoot>
RedBoot>
RedBoot> fis create rootfs
An image named ‘rootfs’ exists – continue (y/n)? y
… Erase from 0xa8030000-0xa8730000: ……………………………………
…………………………………………………………….
… Program from 0×80040800-0x801c0800 at 0xa8030000: ……………………
…àErase from 0xa87e0000-0xa87f0000: .
… Programàfrom 0x80ff0000-0×81000000 at 0xa87e0000: .
RedBoot>
Here is what I get on bootup
+PHY ID is 0022:5521
Ethernet eth0: MACàaddress 00:18:84:26:03:68
IP: 0.0.0.0/255.255.255.255, Gateway: 0.0.0.0
Default server: 0.0.0.0
RedBoot(tm)àbootstrap andàdebug environment [ROMRAM]
Non-certified release, version v1.3.0 – builtà16:57:58, Aug 7 2006
Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004àRed Hat, Inc.
Board: ap51
RAM: 0×80000000-0×81000000, [0x80040450-0x80fe1000] available
FLASH: 0xa8000000 – 0xa87f0000, 128 blocks of 0×00010000 bytesàeach.
== Executing boot script in 1.000 seconds – enterà^C to abort
RedBoot> fis load -l vmlinux.bin.l7
stream version is not supported.
lzma_decode failed. res=1
RedBoot> exec
Now booting linux kernel:
àBase address 0×80030000 Entry 0×80041000
Cmdline :
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?