Revert back to stock TP-link firmware from custom firmware

Official firmwares from TP-Link website contain bootloader section

According to TP-Link website, a firmware update can resolve issues that the previous firmware version may have and improve its current performance. To prevent upgrade failures, please read the following before proceeding with the upgrade process.

The issue is if you want to revert back to stock TP-link firmware from custom firmware. Sometimes you are not able to flash the official TP-link firmware directly from the official TP-link website into your device. The reason for this is that most of the downloadable firmware from the TP-link website contains a so called bootloader section in front of the actual firmware.

Here the example for my Archer D7 Modem/Router:
www.tp-link.com/download/Archer-D7.html#Firmware

Also pay attention to:

  • Do NOT turn off the power during the upgrade process, as it may cause permanent damage to the product.
  • Do NOT upgrade the firmware through wireless connection unless there is no LAN/Ethernet port on the TP-link device.
  • It’s recommended that users stop all Internet applications on the computer, or simply disconnect Internet line from the device before the upgrade.

To solve the bootloader issue, an amazing guy decided to create an unofficial TP-link firmware download page that has no boot loader part anymmore. This means that the image can be flashed without worrying if there is still a bootloader within the image or not.

Here the golden link:
http://www.friedzombie.com/tplink-stripped-firmware/

Thanks to FriedZombie!

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