TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?

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TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-01-15 19:05:45
Model :

Hardware Version :

Firmware Version :

ISP :

Good afternoon,
I made a mistake in upload the rigth firmware into one of the unit (I uploaded v2 instead of v1) - to do it I used the software provided in the box (powerlineutility). The unit is now a brick since it does not show any ligth and it does not seem to start. I installed the tpPLC software available on the internet and the tpPLC software does not recognise it.
What can I do to restore the previous firmware or a correct one? Since the tpPLC software does not recognise the unit, there is no chance to use it and after some Internet research I did not find any useful information on how to do it.
Thanks in advance for any support you may provide
Regards

PS: While it is clearly my mistake in upgrading the firmware, TP-link softweare(powerlineutility) should not allow to upload a firmware which is not related to the version of the hardware to avoid mistakes like mine's
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#1
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8 Reply
Re:TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-01-16 08:25:27
in this case I suggest you to call up TP-Link support for a replacement
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#2
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another solution?
2017-06-27 21:02:36
Hello, is there another solution?
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#3
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Re:TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-07-04 17:24:12
If all the lights are off even the power light, then I think no other ways to try.
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#4
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Re:TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-07-05 17:23:13
https://wolfgangherget.de/powerline-coupler-firmware-rescue/ I found the solution for same issue on my 4010 here if you want to try it at your own risk. I've added a post to document this however it's waiting approval.

PowerLine coupler firmware rescue

So, I just botched a firmware update on one of my PowerLine couplers. The model I had trouble with is a TP-Link TL-PA4020P. However, this quick guide should work with pretty much any Atheros-based PLC device.

Steps to Reproduce


Download manufacturer’s setup tool
[*]Download firmware files (“nvm” and “pib” files)
[*]Refrain from directly connecting the PLC to the computer, instead leave it hooked up to a switch and other hardware.
[*]Start firmware update using the aforementioned setup tool
[*]Have a bit of bad luck

Result


“Firmware Upgrade failed” error message.
[*]Next up, “Local device not connected” error message.
[*]After unplugging and re-plugging the PLC, no lights light up.
[*]Faint hissing from the device, in normal operation it is silent.

Diagnosis

OK, keep calm. This is a modern piece of hardware, surely it wouldn’t need to be disassembled to flash a firmware. Right? Or so my hopes went as I started panicking. Looks like I’m not getting the manufacturer tool to retry the update on the (hopefully just) soft-bricked device. That piece of software only tells me that it can’t find the local device. A quick web search (“TP-Link PowerLine failed firmware fix” and similar) didn’t come up with anything good right away.
Well then, I thought, let’s see if it gives off any signs of life. I directly connected the PLC to my trusty MacBook and fired up WireShark. When the first packets started appearing I breathed a sigh of relief. The PLC still manages to get an ethernet link up. Amidst the stuff the Mac fires off when detecting a link (DHCP, MDNS, etc.) I finally found what I was looking for: Broadcast packets, “HomePlug AV” protocol, “Atheros_something” MAC, “Action Required Notification (Bootloader)”. Awesome! This thing is even politely asking me to remote-boot it. Let’s figure out how.
Armed with the right keywords to feed to my preferred search engine, I finally found “Qualcomm Atheros Open Powerline Toolkit” aka “ open-plc-utils“. BSD-Licensed tools to set up Atheros-based PLC equipment. And, not really surprisingly, that includes a “plcboot” tool, which does just that – feed the PLC a firmware such that it can proceed to boot.

The Fix


Rename the .nvm and .pib files from the manufacturer firmware package to nvm and pib (The atheros utilities are picky when it comes to file names, something I only found out after head-scratchingly reading the code.)
[*]
git clone https://github.com/qca/open-plc-utils.git cd open-plc-utils make plc/plcboot -N nvm -P pib
[*]Finally, flash the firmware again, using the manufacturer tool. plcboot only performs a one-time boot when given the options above. To make the firmware permanent again, the flash needs to be rewritten. (Allegedly, plcboot can do that too, but it needs a “softloader” file, which I couldn’t be bothered to extract from the TP-Link software.)

Conclusions

I love the fact that chip manufacturers are building in sensible bootloaders, and that there is open source software available to access these. This is for example also the case with the Atmel ARM processor families of Arduino Due fame. I, for one, welcome this trend, making it increasingly hard to turn your hardware into a paperweight. On the downside, OEMs like TP-Link try to hide these as best as they can: the manual just says to return the device to the distributor for service when experiencing the symptoms I’ve encountered.
Bottom line: When a firmware update goes bad, don’t panic. It’s just a matter of finding the right tools. Also, it helps a lot having a general grasp of how things work on the inside to actually know what may or may not be possible.
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#5
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light is ok
2017-07-05 21:47:07
Dear, the light is ok.
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#6
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Re:TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-07-06 10:59:21

demerivas wrote

Dear, the light is ok.


Oh, ok, I thought your unit is now a brick, too. If the ligths are ok, can you pair them via the pair button or the utility? If the utility can't detect the unit, and nothing happens after the pair button(normally the power light will flash after you press the pair button for 1s), then I don't think there is another solution for it.
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#7
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i lost
2017-07-06 19:04:22
Dear, the light is ok but the system does not go up. unfortunately. I think this one is dead, I already lost.
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#8
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Re:TP-link TL-PA7020P KIT error in firmware update: how to restore the original firmware or a correct one?
2017-07-28 04:58:13
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#9
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