Wrt54g router shorted please help !!!!!

[freakazoid123]

hello i accidentally shorted my wrt54g router on the solder pads of the input barrel connector there are three solder point from the barrel connector onto the pcb (+,-,gnd) i think i shorted it with the + or - pin with the gnd ....as a result i saw a spark... and leds from the router went dead...... and after applying power again no leds light up and the big soc chip (broadcom )in the center starts to get hot very fast


my initial thought was that maybe i shorted the 8-pin soc dc-dc convertor hence this is why the broadcom soc is getting very hot as the dc-dc convertor is not converting voltage properly i would like to hear others thoughts and ideas before i go for replacing this soc....... the soc marking says the following
AC
ap1513
0602da
(i will post high res pictures if it will help)
although i see no traces of damage to the pcb or the components like the capacitors

any help is greatly appreciated
thanks in advance

 

[Sceadwian]

I have the access point only version of the router you're talking about, why are you trying to resurrect this thing, the units are almost 10 years old.

 

[unclejed613]

wrt54g routers are current production and about $70.00. if the SOC is getting hot, "it's dead jim...." you probably fried one of the DC-DC converters, and as a result fried the SOC.

question: why were you poking around in there? with something metallic? while it was powered up?

 

[freakazoid123]

well i am gonna replace the dc-dc convertor anyway and i will post my results here .... as for the short circuit well i was a lazy idiot....

 

[Sceadwian]

Didn't realize they still made them, checked Amazon, apparently you can buy them for 41.95 through them. As uncle said it's probably dead you're gonna waste time and money trying to repair it over buying a new one.

 

[OlPhart]

Make an omelet, you already have the toast... It's dumpster food now. By the time you even get Close to fixing it, you've bought 4 others... <<<)))

Only a JTAG link is good reason to get into the hardware... And you need to be Really careful in doing so. BTDT debricked at ROM boot level a wrt54g , but it took 2 DAYS!

 

[unclejed613]

the WRT54gL can be reloaded with linux kernels designed for it, but if you've fried the BCM chip, it's pretty much toasted. desoldering a ball grid array chip isn't my idea of fun. those chips are soldered onto the board with a process where the board is dipped in a pool of solder, not exactly an easy process to do right. too hot and the chip's fried, too cool and all of the pads on the bottom of the chip are shorted together, too long in the solder bath and again, the chip's fried..... you get the idea. a hot air machine won't heat all of the area under the chip evenly, and misalignment of just a tiny bit will be a disaster. the routers are inexpensive, get a new one.

 

[nickelflippr]

Thanks for this topic. It put a bug in my ear, so when I saw a WRT54GL at the thrift store today, I picked it up. Looks to power up O.K. Will have to try open WRT, and If I end up bricking it, then no big loss.

 

[OlPhart]

Debricking a router isn't easy, but satisfying fun. Go into www.dd-wrt.com and be ready for some serious entertainment. <<<)))

 

[nickelflippr]

Will start a new thread if anything else comes up, didn't mean to hijack the thread, other than to say thrift stores, and shopper ads are another source for the O. P. to consider. Mine still had the factory warranty seal, now it's time to break in!

Got Kamikaze 7.09 loaded from Linksys GUI per https://wiki.openwrt.org/oldwiki/openwrtdocs/hardware/linksys/wrt54gl#serial.port

Took me a while to telnet the router, because I'm a total klutz when it comes to PC stuff.

 

[unclejed613]

ok, so i'll hold off on the Yosemite Sam award

unfortunately, the OP's router is far beyond the "brick" stage, and is now a space heater.

 

[Sceadwian]

Shut up jed! I'm getting cold.

 

[freakazoid123]

thanks for all ur reply and views on the topic i will report back if something miraculous happens