Got my Asus RT-N16 today. Without even logging into the default firmware, I got started trying to install Tomato. I'm on a Mac so I used a wired connection and followed the Linux directions. Loosely.
My first mistake was not reading carefully — I tftp'ed, then I think I powered down the router before the .trx file was fully flashed. When I rebooted it just sat there blinking slowly in what looked like Recovery Mode. A few more reboots and it was clear I mucked it up.
So I downloaded the .trx from Asus, renamed it .bin, then tftp'ed that sucker to the router. Used "verbose" and "trace" in tftp to make sure I saw the bits shoved to the router.
Still no love.
I've tried the WDS-button 30/30/30 reset, I've tried waiting 20 minutes after tftp has completed before touching the router, I've read and reread all of the posts that other people have made about "oh crap did I brick it?" and I get the sense that I haven't bricked it, yet I'm in some sort of limbo hell where I'm not sure of the state of the router or how to recover.
Things I've tried:
1. Boot into recovery mode, flash tomato-K26USB-1.28.9054MIPSR2-beta-vpn3.6.trx using tftp
2. Boot into recovery mode, flash RT-N16_3.0.0.4_220.bin using tftp
3. Waited 20 minutes after tftp, device does not "reset" — I just keep pinging it for 20 minutes once a second and it never comes back up
4. Did the 30/30/30 reset using the WDS button, not the Restore button
5. Tried doing things in the "Restore" mode (slow blink power light) to no avail
6. Since the first failed flash, have never had a web server come up on the router on 192.168.1.1, nor have gotten a DHCP address from the router
When I tftp anything to the router, the flashing light turns solid, but never seems to reset or reboot or recover or anything. I don't have a Windows box so I can't use the recovery thingy.
Yours in a world of hurt,
ooglek