I also worked in the development of electronic devices. In my opinion, the only way to unbrick these cameras is to connect to the internal LAN port and manually upload the new firmware, but you need a cable with a special TP link connector.

  @Jaris 

I didn´t know this device would have an internal LAN (IP/ethernet?) and this really could help, but I imagine it works if the IP stack doesn´t depend on the crashed software to be somehow loaded. It´s quite common for engineer samples to have console port with specific pins / eletronics from the vendor. I´ve opened an RMA waint them to validate and confirm it is opened.

  Hello @Jaris 

device doesn't boot at all because of the whatever happend with the false update, it also erased the bootloader, so no way for data communication with any ports. If bootloader was intact would be able to restore the firmware via the SD card.

That's why infrared lights stay on forever and the device gets so hot. I left it like this working as a dummy camera, I hope it will not catch fire some day...

  @Nickatsikas 

indeed. There´s platform you can work with a two stage bootloader, where one ocupy few bytes of the flash and is not upgradable and the other stage is fully upgradable. Whatever happens during the upgrade doesn´t bricck the box. I´ve asked you about the IP stack because depending on the stage of the boot it is still possible to upgrade de box thorugh IP. The same process used for some plataforms in factory for upgrade in batch using multicast carroussel. More than 4 milion boxes with almost no brick or techician visit needed.

  @mcavalcante 

here you can find some usefull info regarding our bricks..

"it is also why it is broken as it is, somthing is very wrong in that update there corrupt damage data on the flash so U-Boot are not able to start the device up"

https://github.com/nervous-inhuman/tplink-tapo-c200-re/issues/4#issuecomment-1850502744

  @Nickatsikas 

great!

  @Solla-topee 

It is unacceptable the argument "network flutuation" once an first year of a enginering in any corner college knows that the network would never be a risk to impact a upgrade. For an equipment like this, sold all over the world, it should have at least a storage for storing the software that would divide the upgrade process into download and upgrade, consequently providing a safer upgrade once the upgrade only would start after the download is done. Have you tested this upgrade process in scenarios like the ones in your 90% customers environments?

 I have the same problem. Today I tried to upgrade my Tapo camera to the newest version, my network is fine, but it failed (i've got message "Update failed" in the app), after that camera stopped responding. I restarted it and now I have the same issue as everyone else in this thread - 4 IR leds are on and the camera is not responding. Upgrading firmware using SD card is also not working. I don't have warranty (I bought it more than 3 years ago). What can I co?

This happened to me too, i can't believe a company like this is not taking the responsability of their mistakes and wants to make people buy another camera, so, that firmware was created on purpose to brick people cameras to make them buying new ones, this is unbelievable and i'll make sure on the forums that anyone will hear that story and people don't buy again anything under the name of tp link.

We have also everybody to file a complaint against this scam company at some authorities, let's see where we can complaint such a scammers, there is no way to threat clients like this.

I had the same issue today! And my network and internet are working CORRECTLY (1GB optical Fiber). Before when upgrading, the app was indicating it was doing it. For update 1.3.6 to 1.3.9 it was just saying update to 1.3.9 then your up to date with 1.3.6... And then you click several time to see how it works.  As many other already wrote here. One of my tapo succeed (the second I launched) and the other failed. I try th "solution" with the sdcard + firmware, followed exactly what is indicated, but nothing... Still red light since 15 min and no green light coming back...

We never had this issue before, If "network fluctuation" was a really issue, then this problem would have arise earlier and many poeple would have complained. If its start with this upgrade, for people around the world, it is definitly and issue of tp-link! Shame one you!