2600, Ronnmon producing gibberish, Corrupt ROM? 1

[KavaKicks]

Hi,

I was attempting to replace the IOS in a 2600. The existing IOS was hanging immediatly after the image decrompressed and would not proceed any further - no rommon prompt was available, nor was there any response when atempting to type anythig on the console.

In order to replace the IOS, the first thing I did was to load up the router then issue a CTRL-Break command. This worked fine and I was presented with the Rommon command prompt.

I then typed confreg 0x2142 at the rommon 1> prompt to boot from Flash without loading the configuration file. However, I misstyped this command and instead of inputting confreg 0x2142 I actually input confreg 0x2124 instead!

Now the router will not boot properly, nor will it display readable english characters. If I leave the router to boot by itself, the following text is displayed on the screen:

bÁ...Ä$礤"†¥æ‡¤‡¦Å † €aÄ¥ÄbáÄÅÅ"¦†..."¤†Å¥‡Á...ÄÅD§Gó¡..."Ä"åŤ††¤"¥dÅ"‡kẅˆNÌb
ò¤§...†æ"¤ÇÄ"Ä"‡Å"LJ‡Ä†"†"†Å‡‡Ä¦†"C¦"¤Ç¤¤Å§"†Ä†...äôõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõüüõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõüõõõõõõ
üüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõüõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõ
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõü
õõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõõüõõõõõõdcBC

From here, if I press Enter, nothing happens. If I issue a CTRL-Break command, the following additional text is displayed:
¦¥"¥Å$¤ä...†Ä"Ä$€†ÄÅ"¥...C¡..."Ä"åŤ††¤"¥dÅ"...§Äć†æÅCC

If I cycle the power on the router and then interupt the boot sequence by immediatly issuing the CTRL-Break command, the following text is displayed:
bÁ...Ä$礤"†¥æ‡¤‡¦Å † €aÄ¥ÄbáÄÅÅ"¦†..."¤†Å¥‡Á...ÄÅD§Gó Ä"¦¥"¥Å$¤ä...†Ä"Ä$€†ÄÅ"¥"C Ä"¦¥"¥Å$¤ä...†Ä"Ä$€†ÄÅ"¥...C¡..."Ä"åŤ††¤"¥dÅ"...§Äć†æÅCC¤
§...†æ"¤ÇÄ"Ä"‡Å"LJ‡Ä†"†"†Å‡‡Ä¦†"C¦"¤Ç¤¤Å§"†Ä

From here, whatever I type also comes out as gibberish. So typing confreg 0x2142 produces this text on screen:
ç‡á§Ç"¥Äæ...¤å...çg†Ä¥...¤"†...§Ä"†"†Ä"Æ"""eâç$ç冤...Ƨ"
¥§äçC Ä"¦¥"¥Å$¤ä...†Ä"Ä$€†Ä†""¤CCåÆç"äô

I am not sure how to proceed. All of the documentation I can find online refers to the password recovery to resolve boot time issues or to replace a corrupt IOS. I don't see how I can carry out these procedures when I can not enter a 'normal' ronmon prompt. Is the IOS in ROM now corrupt? If so, how can this be recovered?

Thanks,

Antony

 

[jimmyzz]

Antony,
The IOS image may be corrupt, but it would be hard to corrupt the ROM image. Usually if you are getting giberish text means that your console settings do not match the routers speed. Perhaps the router crash has changed the router's default baud speed from 9600 to something else. Try changing your COM port speed from combinations starting at 1200. Be sure to reconnect and restart the router after you switch to different baud speeds. If you are able to get on at another speed, change your router's config-register to 0x2102 to boot in normal mode (change your com port back to 9600).

JimmyZ

 

[KavaKicks]

Hi Jimmyzz,

I wuold have thought it was impossible to corrupt the ROM - it is afterall Read Only - but a few others ahve suggested that is what I might have done.

I will try connecting with different console settings and let you know how I go.

Thanks.

 

[KavaKicks]

Woo hoo!!!!
I did as you suggested and finally got it all working at a Buad rate of 19200. Thanks for your help....thought I had killed it!