TP-Link Archer C9 User manual

Contents
1 Hardware
Specifications
•
2 How to install
DD-WRT
2.1 TP-Link
Archer C9 v1
♦
2.2 TP-Link
Archer C9 v2
♦
2.3 TP-Link
Archer C9 v3,
v4
♦
•
3 Troubleshooting
3.1 Bricked
Router
♦
3.2 Recovery
Mode
♦
•
Hardware Specifications
FCC ID TE7C9
Industry Canada ID 8853A-C9
Power 12 VDC, 3.3 A
CPU Broadcom BCM4709 @1 GHz
Architecture ARM Cortex A9 (2 cores)
RAM / Flash (ROM) 128 MiB / 16 MiB
Switch Broadcom BCM4709
LAN/WAN ports 4 /1 @ 1 Gb/s
USB Ports 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0
JTAG internal
Serial internal, 4-pin header, 3.3V TTL
WI1 chip Broadcom BCM4360
WI1 protocols an+ac
WI1 MIMO config 3x3:3
WI1 antenna connector U.FL, RP-SMA
WI2 chip Broadcom BCM4360
WI2 protocols bgn
WI2 MIMO config 3x3:3
WI2 antenna connector U.FL, RP-SMA
The Archer C1900 is identical.
TP_Link_Archer_C9
Contents 1

How to install DD-WRT
TP-Link Archer C9 v1
Ensure you have latest firmware from TP-Link• Download factory-to-ddwrt.bin from the tplink_archer-c9v1 directory from one of the links here.• Read New Build and model-specific threads to determine the stability of a given build.•
E.g. build 04-05-2016-r29409 factory-to-ddwrt.bin◊
Upload the dd-wrt firmware using the standard TP-Link UI and wait until router reboots• Do a normal reset or nvram erase via telnet/ssh (Do not 30/30/30 an ARM router!)•
TP-Link Archer C9 v2
Ensure you have the latest firmware from TP-Link (tested with Archer C9(UN)_V2_160517)• Download factory-to-ddwrt.bin from the tplink_archer-c9v2 directory from one of the links here.• Read New Build and model-specific threads to determine the stability of a given build.•
E.g. build 04-05-2016-r29409 factory-to-ddwrt.bin◊
Upload the dd-wrt firmware using the standard TP-Link UI and wait until router reboots• Download the last appropriate dd-wrt firmware here• Upload the latest good webflash.bin build using the dd-wrt GUI found under
Administration->Firmware Upgrade
•
DD-WRT v3.0-r30385 std (08/12/16) has been tested stable◊
TP-Link Archer C9 v3, v4
Device thread: https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=305884
Do not use builds since 34080 (15088 KB, while 33772 was 13796 KB):
http://svn.dd-wrt.com/ticket/6144
Seems fixed since 35452♦
•
WARNING: Enabling JFFS bricks the router: "That seems to nuke all the way up to 0xFEFFFF in the SPI
flash."
TheDoc's fix for bricked v3/v4 is here.•
Troubleshooting
Device Forum Thread: https://dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=282831
TP_Link_Archer_C9
Troubleshooting 2

Bricked Router
Symptoms: all the LEDs are ON, and you can't access to UI
Follow these steps:
Switch off the router• Download a complete binary-image of firmware
From the official v1-page OR v2-page♦ From the dd-wrt beta downloads (not tested)♦
•
Rename the downloaded firmware with the following name: archerc9v1_tp_recovery.bin or
"archerc9v2_tp_recovery.bin" if you have a v2 router
•
Serve as TFTP server the renamed firmware on the following IP: 192.168.0.66• Switch on the router, holding the RESET button for 2-4 seconds• The firmware will be automatically downloaded and installed by the router•
Symptoms: after the dd-wrt installation the MACs are changed!
https://dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=282831&start=345• https://www.dd-wrt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1003571• https://www.dd-wrt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1116768•
Recovery Mode
The v3 CFE has a built-in Webpage Firmware Recovery mode for bricked routers: see TP-Link article.
TP_Link_Archer_C9
Bricked Router 3