Using the Firmware Recovery Tool

Released On: 2021-02-05 17:26:14Last update time: 2023-12-01 17:42:12

There are two methods to recover the Deco if it becomes brick: one is using the HTTP Uboot web-based interface to recover and the second is using the TFTP tool to recover.

 

Firmware Recovery Method

Supported Models

HTTP Uboot Method

Deco E4
Deco M4
Deco P9
Deco M9 Plus
Deco X20/X60 V1 (firmware 1.2.5 or later version)
Deco X20 V1.2 and later version
Deco X60 V2 and later 

Deco S4

TFTP Tool

Deco M5

Deco P7

 

Note: The X20 v1.0/X60 v1.0 with the factory default firmware 1.2.5 and later could support the HTTP Uboot method if it is upgraded to the latest firmware version. The X20 v1.0/X60 v1.0 with the factory default firmware early than 1.2.5 cannot support firmware recovery no matter the cx has upgraded the firmware or not.

 

Method 1: Tftp tool( Taking Deco P7 as an example)

 

You can go to http://tftpd32.jounin.net/tftpd32_download.html to download the TFTP tool and install it.

 

Step 1

Go to the TP-Link official website to download the latest new firmware and extract the firmware zip file on the desktop, then connect a Windows computer wired to the LAN port of a Deco unit. (It’s suggested to use a new and better quality Ethernet cable otherwise you will not see any info under the log viewer page). Please change the bin file name to M5v1_tp_recovery.bin or P7v1_tp_recovery.bin, If your bin file name is incorrect (for example, I entered the name as M5 1.0_tp_recovery), you will see the error message on the tftpd64 page like this:

 

 

 

Step 2

 

Set up a static IP address on the Windows computer:

 

Firstly, find the PC icon at the bottom right of the Desktop, right-click the icon and choose Open Network and Sharing Center, choose Local Area Connection (or Ethernet).

 

Secondly, click Properties, double click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), choose Use the following IP address, then input the IP address as 192.168.0.66, and the Subnet as 255.255.255.0. Click OK (two OK options).

 

 

Step 3

Search and download the TFTP software for your Windows PC. If you are using 64bit please install the tftpd64 application and launch it. Click Browse and choose the Deco M5 or P7’s firmware folder. Then switch to the Log Viewer window.

 

 

 

Step 4

With the PC still plugged into the Deco with a cable, power off the Deco unit, press and hold the RESET button on the back panel firstly, then power on the unit while still holding the RESET button. Wait for about 10 seconds until a file transferring process occurs in the Log Viewer window. Then release the RESET button.

 

 

 

Step 5

The LED will be blinking green-blue, just wait for about 2 minutes until the unit recovers to solid green, which indicates it has successfully updated the latest firmware.

 

Step 6

Just connect the computer wired to another Deco unit, then repeat the above steps until all the units are upgraded to the new firmware.

 

Note: The upgrade will not require re-setup of your Deco system. You can install the new firmware one by one in different orders, but it’s recommended to upgrade the main Deco at first, then the second, and then the third one.

 

 

Method 2: HTTP Uboot web-based interface (Taking Deco M4 as an example)

 

Community link: https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/stories/detail/672

 

Step 1

Go to the TP-Link official website to download the latest new firmware and extract the firmware zip file on the desktop, then connect a Windows computer wired to the LAN port of a Deco unit. (It’s suggested to use a new and better quality Ethernet cable otherwise you will not see any info under the log viewer page). Setup static IP as 192.168.0.xxx/24 on the PC.

 

Step 2

With the PC still plugged into the Deco with a cable, power off the Deco unit, press and hold the RESET button on the back panel firstly, then power on the unit while still holding the RESET button. Wait for about 10 seconds until the Deco LED from solid Yellow to blinking Yellow. Open a web browser and login 192.168.0.1, you will see the following upgrade page:

 

 

Firmware Upgrade

Choose the firmware file from your local disk and click Upgrade.

Choose File  Upgrade

Tips:

  • Do NOT power off your Decos during the upgrade.
  • Make sure the firmware file you choose is correct.

 

Step 3

If you chose the wrong update firmware file, then you will see the following error message. If you want to choose again the correct firmware file, you need to enter again the 192.168.0.1 in the address bar but not just refresh this page.

 

Upgrade Failed

Failed to upgrade your Decos. You might have chosen the wrong file. Please enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar and try again.

 

You will see this following page if firmware updated successfully:

 

Successful Upgrade

Your Decos have been successfully upgraded.

Please wait for Decos to reboot and close this webpage.

 

Step 4

When you see the M4 has a white LED solid on then you can just close the web-based interface and the whole firmware recovery is finished now. The Deco can be working fine again and you can repeat the whole process for your other Decos.

 

Here is a detailed explanation for the LED changing on the M4 during the whole process:

1. Press the RESET button and power on the Deco M4------>Solid yellow(last for about 5-6 sec), then blinking yellow.

2. Click on Upgrade on the web-based interface and you will see the progress bar is running------->flash white for once, then solid yellow again(last for 15sec), LED becoming red blinking(last for 3-5sec), solid yellow again.

3. Page says successfully upgrade------>Solid white.

0
Comment

I cannot connect to the Deco X60 under Method 2 with ip address 192.168.0.1. My X60 was used as an access point until it became a brick. Is there a way to find what the lasp ip address was before it became a brick?

The UBOOT method is not working as I cannot connect to the ipaddress of the Deco - 192.168.0.1 after I set my pc ipaddress to 192.168.0.2 with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

 

Has anyone tried this solution for sure?

 

I can't even ping to the 0.1 address from my iMac.

 

I would be glad to have someone walk me thru if I am making any silly mistake.

Thanks.

I've download firmware from official web and follow the steps for http uboot method and i always get this error:

 

Failed to upgrade your Decos. You might have chosen a wrong file. Please enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar and try again.

 

I've tried different versions...and no way to flash firmware :(

 

Could you help me?

Hey Saoul12_, did you manage to solve your issue?

 

I'm experiencing the same thing here. I enter recovery mode, select the correct file (tried all 3 available), but I keep getting a failure message: 

 

Upgrade FailedUpgrade Failed

Failed to upgrade your Decos. 

You might have chosen a wrong file. Please enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar and try again.Failed to upgrade your Decos. You might have chosen a wrong file. Please enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar and try again.

 

One thing I noticed is that the Deco M4 isn't flashing its lights as it should. It just turns on in solid green and then quickly goes off, whether I press the pin or not.

Hi @ildegardes

 

No, it's impossible to flash firmware. Recovery mode is absolutely useless. If you take a look into html code, recovery web is a static web with a countdown and the error message, it doesn't do anything when you try to upload the file...

You can find the address of your unit using a free program like advanced ip scanner. If you don't see it you may want to set your ip address to a 192.168.1.x address and then scan that network.  it really could be any class c network but unless it was purposely changed should be in the 192.168.0.x. mine are at 146 and 135 but I am in access point mode so they are dhcp clients.  I have noticed even if I reboot everything they have a tendency to re-aquire the same ip's unless you tell the dhcp server to assign something specific to its Mac address.  Anyway.  I am having issues resetting my m4r as well. One doesn't even get an ip address and just sits with a solid yellow. It is sort of a yellow green so I'm. not sure.  was able to get the main one reset with little issue.  the third one would not get past solid yellow either until one day after it had been sitting like that for a couple days while I was away, I came back and it was flashing white for about 30 seconds, then back to solid yellow.  there was no consistent amount of time but after 5 or 20 minutes it would flash again from 10 to 30 seconds and during that window I could see it in my wireless available list as a Deco with numbers behind it so I got the app to where it was ready to add a deco and I would click as soon as it started flashing white.  it sometimes would see it but not long enough.  after somewhere around the 4698th try it took and added the unit.  it worked until we list power and now it sits with a solid  yellow. I hook it to my switch and cannot see it on the wired interface plugged wire into the main deco, nothing.  I don't see it's wireless connection either and the main deco cannot find it nowhere.  I have reset it with the button. I tried the firmware recovery.  nothing.  I am beginning to think it's just got a hardware failure going on.  the other two units are singing along happily.  this one was difficult to get detected even when I hooked it up initially.  its been a little less than a year and it sort of slowly started dropping devices off the wireless and you would power cycle and it worked again for a while.  one day it just showed in the deco app as not connected.  power cycle no longer helped.  it would randomly appear from time to time and about the time you were downloading something for work it would drop off again.  so I am pretty well to where I think it's replacement time.  if you can't get in the web interface or get it into setup mode there isn't really much else to do that I can tell.  the deco app seems to only look for clients via the wireless but maybe it does but the lan isn't functioning either.  I get a link light when I plug it into my switch.  1000 mbps

Any suggestions or am I probably right thinking it's hardware?

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