| Firmware Recovery on 877W with 'no service password-recoveryI think I have trashed an 877W :(
To cut a long story short, I have ended up with an 877W without a flash IOS image but that has 'no service password-recovery' enabled from the config. Because of this you can't control-break into ROMMON and load an image to flash from there.
To remove the 'no service password-recovery' you would normally control-break AFTER the IOS was loaded and select the option to erase the config. Then you can get into the ROMMON as usual from the next reboot. But this router has no IOS image so this option isn't open.
All I get is the following:
System Bootstrap, Version 12.3(8r)YI6, RELEASE SOFTWARE
Technical Support: »www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 2009 by cisco Systems, Inc.
C870 series (Board ID: 1-148) platform with 131072 Kbytes of main memory
PASSWORD RECOVERY FUNCTIONALITY IS DISABLED
No bootable image file: flash:/
Unable to open boot file
Followed by a reboot. The reset button doesn't appear to do anything useful either.
Is there any other way I can get an image back onto this router or should I just chuck it in the bin? :( |
|
 OvrQualifiedSlightly Ahead Of TimePremium
join:2002-01-27
Winter Park, FL | How about pulling the CF card and loading an image directly onto it? I've done this one before with an ASA.
--
The enemy of my enemy is my WHAT?! |
|
| There is a removable flash card but I believe that is just the extra 4MB expansion. I think that the main flash is soldered on the board. Correct me anybody if I am wrong. |
|
OvrQualifiedSlightly Ahead Of TimePremium
join:2002-01-27
Winter Park, FL | said by Phraxos:There is a removable flash card but I believe that is just the extra 4MB expansion. I think that the main flash is soldered on the board. Correct me anybody if I am wrong.
Correct. If memory serves, however, if it finds a valid .bin in flash, 800s will boot off of it--you can then reflash onboard EEPROM once you can clear configuration and boot it.
--
The enemy of my enemy is my WHAT?! |
|
aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1
1 edit | said by OvrQualified:said by Phraxos:There is a removable flash card but I believe that is just the extra 4MB expansion. I think that the main flash is soldered on the board. Correct me anybody if I am wrong.
Correct. If memory serves, however, if it finds a valid .bin in flash, 800s will boot off of it--you can then reflash onboard EEPROM once you can clear configuration and boot it. Phraxos  , if you can install working IOS image with file size of 4MB or less to the 4MB expansion, then the router should be able to boot up using the image.
If there is no IOS image with file size of 4MB or less, you need a bigger compact flash with size of 16MB or 32MB to fit the most suitable IOS image file. You can check the following Cisco link to find the 16/32MB compact flash part number.
»www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers···grd.html
Load the 16/32MB with the IOS image file. Replace the default 4MB compact flash with this new 16/32MB compact flash.
Once it boots up, you can do anything you like  |
|
| There are two possible problems with these suggestions (welcome as they are!)
1. The smallest image I can find is about 10MB. If I knew this idea would work though it would be worth splashing out on a 16MB flash upgrade from ebay to save the router.
2. This would only work if the router mapped the flash on the exansion card to the bottom of the memory map (i.e. used the expansion flash first). I would have thought it more likely that the expansion flash would be mapped above the onboard flash and therefore wouldn't appear as a valid image still.
Has anybody ever tried something like this?! |
|
aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1 | I believe Cisco 877 router sees integrated flash chip and compact flash as one entity and not as separate media. Even if they are separate media, by default Cisco router will try to find valid IOS image file to boot up in secondary media should primary media has no valid IOS image file. Therefore there should be no problem installing bigger-sized compact flash. |
|
| 
Flash Expansion Picture |
It isn't CF though, it is a proprietory card. I believe the onbard and expansion flash are seen as a single media and why I suspect this idea won't work. |
|
aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1 | What you show on the picture is called Strataflash. For some reason, Cisco decided to use either Compactflash, Strataflash, or Miniflash for 800 series router. If you can get a 16MB Strataflash, then you should be in good shape. Good luck |
|
|
|
| Still not convinced about this
Let's say I get the Strataflash. I then put it in another 877 and flash a 10MB image. What makes you think it would be saved to the Strataflash rather than the onboard flash? |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:5 Reviews:
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to Phraxos
I could've sworn it would take a linebreak in that situation, even if it is a very narrow window. Another option would be shorting out the NVRAM (RTC) so it cannot read it's config.
I'll toy around with what I can find (1750, 2600) and see what I can do. |
|
aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1
1 edit | reply to Phraxos
said by Phraxos:Still not convinced about this
Let's say I get the Strataflash. I then put it in another 877 and flash a 10MB image. What makes you think it would be saved to the Strataflash rather than the onboard flash?
I admit it's been a while since last time I did this.
If I recall correctly, following is the list of steps you need to do
1. Locate another 877 (or any 870 series) with Strataflash
2. Remove Strataflash off second 877 router
3. Boot up second 877 router (with no Strataflash)
4. Partition the second 877 router flash into two separate logical flash
5. Power down this second 877 router
6. Install 16MB Stratflash into second 877 router
7. Boot back up second 877 router (with 16MB Strataflash)
8. This second 877 router will see the 16MB Strataflash as third logical flash with 16MB flash size
9. Download suitable IOS image file into this third logical flash
10. Power down this second 877 router
11. Move the 16MB Stratflash into the first 877 router
12. Boot up this first 877 router (with 16MB Strataflash)
13. The first 877 router should be able to boot up successfully
Good luck |
|
| OK I've ordered a 16MB flash....will let you know how it goes! |
|
| Struggling with this. Specifically I can't partition the flash.
If I type 'part' and press tab it fills in partition but if I then type '?' it says unrecognized command
Trying 'partition flash 2' I get unrecognized command 
Any suggestions? |
|
 TomS_Git-r-donePremium,MVM
join:2002-07-19
Ireland
kudos:1 | You cant ask the previous owner what the password is?
That or return the goods as "faulty", since you clearly cannot make any use of it. |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:5 | The problem is there's no boot image in flash and password recovery is disabled. Knowing the password is useless at this point. |
|
TomS_Git-r-donePremium,MVM
join:2002-07-19
Ireland
kudos:1 | True.
Well then, unless you want the experience of unbricking a Cisco, I'd just send it back. |
|
aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1 | reply to Phraxos
said by Phraxos:Struggling with this. Specifically I can't partition the flash.
If I type 'part' and press tab it fills in partition but if I then type '?' it says unrecognized command
Trying 'partition flash 2' I get unrecognized command :(
Any suggestions?
The partition command should be under global configuration mode. This is what my router has
R1(config)#partition flash 2 ?
<16-32> Size of partition 1
<cr>
Try different IOS image to use since you might have a "broken" one :) |
|
1 edit | reply to TomS_
said by TomS_:True.
Well then, unless you want the experience of unbricking a Cisco, I'd just send it back.
I bought it second hand about a couple of years ago to have one to play around with - I think it would be pushing my luck to claim it is faulty now 
I messed this up all on my own without any help  |
|
| reply to aryoba
said by aryoba:R1(config)#partition flash 2 ?
<16-32> Size of partition 1
<cr>
Is that from an 877 router (if so what IOS) or another model?
I have to be careful as I need an image that will fit in the 20MB of onboard flash and that limits things a bit. |
|
