Need Cisco guru - screwed up 871 router

[boeckelr]

Hi - I really screwed up my Cisco 871 router.

I was trying to delete SDM Express so I could install CCP Express onto it..so I erased the SDM Express files - home.sthml, sdm-8xx.config, home.tar, es.tar and common.tar.

I then tried to reboot the router, but it no longer was assigning an ip address to my laptop. I tried manually setting my ip address but i couldnt telnet in.

I tried connecting to the console but all I see is gibberish.

So I next tried resetting the router via the reset button - I pressed it within 5 seconds of booting it...

Still the sane problems - wont assign ip address, cant telnet into it, cant use console because there is gibberish.

The WAN TXD light is also on - I cant remember if it was this way before or not.

I have IOS 12.4 11T2 on it.

Please help. I have a sick feeling that this cant be fixed.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Emulex]

tftp? console gibberish? like wrong baud rate gibberish?

 

[Pheran]

You are not going to get anywhere if you can't get the serial console to work. If you are seeing gibberish, your baud rate is probably wrong as Emulex suggested. If you can get the console working, we may be able to help.

 

[Cooky]

Start w/ baud rate 9600, then start increasing/decreasing the value until you get good console output.
Assuming data bits/parity/stop bits are set to 8/none/1.

 

[Agamar]

Yep. Just the fact that you are seeing gibberish means that there is still something left of the router software. Resetting it should have set it back to 9600/8/N/1 though, if it is like the 2600 series.

 

[spidey07]

Sounds like it can't boot because you deleted some files it needed. It's likely stuck in ROMMON mode and you need to get a console connection to it to recover so do as others have said. I don't know about the 871 but there may be an image recovery procedure that would allow you to assign a PC a specific IP address and the recovery procedure would force the router to TFTP a specific file/code in order for it to boot.

Here's a link on how to recover if it won't boot. What you'll want to do normally is boot the router with an IOS image via TFTP and then use native IOS to manipulate the file system, put correct image on there, etc and boot variables to make it boot what you want.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps380/products_tech_note09186a008009429e.shtml

 

[Lithium381]

console access is the way to fix this. if it's giving you giberish you've likely set up an incorrect baud rate.....

I've deleted the flash on my 871 before and yes, it does support tftp..... not like the 3600 which only do xmodem.... what a pain!!

you need to get a tftp server, you can get a free one from solarwinds. hopefully you made a backup...




anyway, look into the tftp thing and get the console working... feel free to reach out to me and i'll help with whatever i can

 

[Zargon]

console access is the way to fix this. if it's giving you giberish you've likely set up an incorrect baud rate.....

I've deleted the flash on my 871 before and yes, it does support tftp..... not like the 3600 which only do xmodem.... what a pain!!

you need to get a tftp server, you can get a free one from solarwinds. hopefully you made a backup...




anyway, look into the tftp thing and get the console working... feel free to reach out to me and i'll help with whatever i can

I had a switch that was sending giberish even with the correct terminal settings.

but a reset to factory defaults fixed that right up

 

[MtnMan]

Sounds like it can't boot because you deleted some files it needed. It's likely stuck in ROMMON mode and you need to get a console connection to it to recover so do as others have said. I don't know about the 871 but there may be an image recovery procedure that would allow you to assign a PC a specific IP address and the recovery procedure would force the router to TFTP a specific file/code in order for it to boot.

Here's a link on how to recover if it won't boot. What you'll want to do normally is boot the router with an IOS image via TFTP and then use native IOS to manipulate the file system, put correct image on there, etc and boot variables to make it boot what you want.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps380/products_tech_note09186a008009429e.shtml

First thing he needs to do is get the console connection sorted out. Seeing gibberish, for either normal IOS boot or ROMMON, it's still gibberish.

Then if the IOS has been deleted, recovery can be attempted, but not until the console connection is working properly.

 

[spidey07]

First thing he needs to do is get the console connection sorted out. Seeing gibberish, for either normal IOS boot or ROMMON, it's still gibberish.

Then if the IOS has been deleted, recovery can be attempted, but not until the console connection is working properly.

Some of the lower lines you don't even need console to recover it. You just hold the reset button in for 30 seconds while powering on and it will go look for an image with a specific name and IP address range to boot. It's platform specific though.

 

[boeckelr]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to thank everyone for all of your replies. I had meant to send this earlier, but not long after I posted the message I went on vacation, and am just now going through all of my emails etc.

As for my router - I got it to work! After I posted my initial message on here, and started seeing your responses, I double checked the baud rate and parity etc and everything was ok. I had been using PuTTy when connecting thru the console cable....but I decided to try something else. I downloaded the trial of Hyperterminal for Windows 7 and tried that, but still got gibberish.

Then I tried holding the reset button down for 30 seconds like Spidey07 suggested, and after it reset and reloaded, I was able to use Hyperterminal to connect to the console and set it up. I was also able to install CCP Express, although I havent used it. I just wanted it on there in case I really screwed something up and needed some help. But from past experience I have found that the greatest impediment to learning the Cisco CLI is to have an app like SDM or CCP available.....

I do have another question, which I will post on a new thread. It should be easy for you guys to answer.

Thanks again for all of your help.
Mike