TP-Link TL-WR740N Recovery

I have an old TP-Link TL-WR740N that was given to me by a friend. After installing OpenWrt I used it as a wireless client to bridge internet connection next door.

Couldn’t install much software though with very limited flash storage and no external USB port.

We removed it some time after I purchased outdoor ethernet cables.

Thing died probably after an interrupted reset.

Good thing there was a recovery guide OpenWrt TP-Link TL-WR740N

Very dusty

Soldering twisted pair as cables so we can have serial console

TX pin is not connected to the CPU. In order to make the TX line working, the two points on the bottom side of the PCB must be connected with a small wire. The pin at the SOC is labeled TP18, the one at the serial connector is labeled TP28.

A look at my workbench

Hooking it up to my computer

dnsmasq tftp config

dhcp-range=192.168.1.2,192.168.1.254,12h
enable-tftp
tftp-root=/home/kbeflo/tftp

start dnsmasq

sudo dnsmasq -C tftboot.conf

start tftpboot on the device etc.

Success~