Add support for TP-Link Archer A10

[youngt2]

log continued due to post length limit:

[   14.406413] mount_root: switching to ubifs overlay
[   14.433922] urandom-seed: Seeding with /etc/urandom.seed
[   14.557474] procd: - early -
[   14.560590] procd: - watchdog -
[   15.181578] procd: - watchdog -
[   15.185456] procd: - ubus -
[   15.270576] random: ubusd: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   15.279413] random: ubusd: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   15.286436] random: ubusd: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   15.300068] procd: - init -
Please press Enter to activate this console.
[   15.976571] kmodloader: loading kernel modules from /etc/modules.d/*
[   16.174898] Loading modules backported from Linux version v6.1.24-0-g0102425a                                                                      c76b
[   16.182389] Backport generated by backports.git v5.15.92-1-44-gd6ea70fafd36
[   16.431921] pci 0000:00:00.0: enabling device (0006 -> 0007)
[   16.437638] mt7615e 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[   16.452613] mt7615e 0000:01:00.0: Invalid MAC address, using random address a                                                                      a:b9:44:29:78:3e
[   16.472311] pci 0000:00:01.0: enabling device (0006 -> 0007)
[   16.478107] mt7615e 0000:02:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[   16.483859] mt7615e 0000:01:00.0: HW/SW Version: 0x8a108a10, Build Time: 2018                                                                      0518100604a
[   16.483859]
[   16.495609] mt7615e 0000:02:00.0: Invalid MAC address, using random address 4                                                                      2:c9:24:3a:d1:6a
[   16.553332] mt7615e 0000:02:00.0: HW/SW Version: 0x8a108a10, Build Time: 2018                                                                      0518100604a
[   16.553332]
[   16.648509] PPP generic driver version 2.4.2
[   16.656333] NET: Registered PF_PPPOX protocol family
[   16.675511] kmodloader: done loading kernel modules from /etc/modules.d/*
[   16.882792] mt7615e 0000:01:00.0: N9 Firmware Version: _reserved_, Build Time                                                                      : 20200814163649
[   16.882836] mt7615e 0000:02:00.0: N9 Firmware Version: _reserved_, Build Time                                                                      : 20200814163649
[   16.888066] random: jshn: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   16.975552] mt7615e 0000:02:00.0: CR4 Firmware Version: _reserved_, Build Tim                                                                      e: 20190415154149
[   16.977797] mt7615e 0000:01:00.0: CR4 Firmware Version: _reserved_, Build Tim                                                                      e: 20190415154149
[   17.467600] urngd: v1.0.2 started.
[   17.598849] random: jshn: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   17.616959] random: ubusd: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   18.115673] random: jshn: uninitialized urandom read (4 bytes read)
[   18.629216] random: crng init done
[   18.632847] random: 42 urandom warning(s) missed due to ratelimiting
[   25.296672] mtk_soc_eth 1e100000.ethernet eth0: Link is Down
[   25.322442] mtk_soc_eth 1e100000.ethernet eth0: configuring for fixed/rgmii l                                                                      ink mode
[   25.330893] mtk_soc_eth 1e100000.ethernet eth0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flo                                                                      w control rx/tx
[   25.339565] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[   25.351215] mt7530-mdio mdio-bus:1f lan1: configuring for phy/gmii link mode
[   25.360976] br-lan: port 1(lan1) entered blocking state
[   25.366441] br-lan: port 1(lan1) entered disabled state
[   25.374384] device lan1 entered promiscuous mode
[   25.379069] device eth0 entered promiscuous mode
[   25.417215] mt7530-mdio mdio-bus:1f lan2: configuring for phy/gmii link mode
[   25.428258] br-lan: port 2(lan2) entered blocking state
[   25.433616] br-lan: port 2(lan2) entered disabled state
[   25.440801] device lan2 entered promiscuous mode
[   25.460997] mt7530-mdio mdio-bus:1f lan3: configuring for phy/gmii link mode
[   25.469962] br-lan: port 3(lan3) entered blocking state
[   25.475322] br-lan: port 3(lan3) entered disabled state
[   25.483632] device lan3 entered promiscuous mode
[   25.502542] mt7530-mdio mdio-bus:1f lan4: configuring for phy/gmii link mode
[   25.512098] br-lan: port 4(lan4) entered blocking state
[   25.517603] br-lan: port 4(lan4) entered disabled state
[   25.526033] device lan4 entered promiscuous mode
[   25.554237] mtk_soc_eth 1e100000.ethernet wan: PHY [mdio-bus:00] driver [Gene                                                                      ric PHY] (irq=POLL)
[   25.563098] mtk_soc_eth 1e100000.ethernet wan: configuring for phy/rgmii link                                                                       mode
[   28.319980] mt7530-mdio mdio-bus:1f lan4: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow cont                                                                      rol rx/tx
[   29.354888] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered blocking state
[   29.360496] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered disabled state
[   29.366536] device phy0-ap0 entered promiscuous mode
[   29.371795] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered blocking state
[   29.377459] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered forwarding state
[   29.383581] br-lan: port 4(lan4) entered blocking state
[   29.388854] br-lan: port 4(lan4) entered forwarding state
[   29.395320] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered disabled state
[   29.401824] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): br-lan: link becomes ready
[   29.419471] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): phy0-ap0: link becomes ready
[   29.426488] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered blocking state
[   29.432074] br-lan: port 5(phy0-ap0) entered forwarding state
[   30.887650] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered blocking state
[   30.893338] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered disabled state
[   30.899660] device phy1-ap0 entered promiscuous mode
[   30.905315] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered blocking state
[   30.910935] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered forwarding state
[   30.917845] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered disabled state
[   30.932839] device phy1-ap0 left promiscuous mode
[   30.937905] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered disabled state
[   30.998933] br-lan: port 6(phy1-ap0) entered blocking state

[FanOfOpenWRT]

Considering this device seems to be entirely mt76 based, which has excellent support in OpenWrt already — especially in SNAPSHOT — shouldn't it be a tad easier to add this router as an officially supported device?

[FanOfOpenWRT]

I got my hands on an Archer A10 again.

I have lots of experience as a software developer for web and Windows, and I want to tackle building OpenWrt for this router.

Do I need to be running a Linux 6.6 kernel somewhere in order to compile SNAPSHOT (which is on 6.6)? Is that possible through Windows/WSL2 or a virtual machine?

(Not a great time to start this as Microsoft just reverted from kernel 6.6 to 5.15 in WSL2 pre-release.)

Thanks.

[slh]

A reasonably recent general purpose linux distribution will do, including virtualized ones and/ or WSL2.

[frollic]

All of the big cloud providers have free Linux VMs, sign up, spin up, and compile.
It'll take some time though.

[FanOfOpenWRT]

@youngt2

I tried the serial flashing instruction from the EC330-G5U page.

It seems to have worked

May I ask how you securely connected pins to the UART holes (hopefully without soldering)?

[frollic]

Wire, and a toothpick to keep it in place.

[FanOfOpenWRT]

The jumper wires for my USB-TTL device look like this

I was thinking of getting this off Amazon:

[erayrafet]

That's indeed what you gotta do.

[FanOfOpenWRT]

@erayrafet

That's indeed what you gotta do.

Thanks, I'm much more of a software person than hardware, but I'm looking forward to attempting this. (I have a theory that the SNAPSHOT branch will work better on this device, and that's my main objective and motivation.)

[FanOfOpenWRT]

Anyone know where the screws are on this thing? I can't even open mine.

[frollic]

often hidden under the rubber feet.

internal photos (of a v2) are at https://fccid.io/TE7A10V2/

[FanOfOpenWRT]

Thanks, I had already consulted the FCC pictures (I have a V1) and YouTube and Google.

I hoped the person who did it here via serial might be able to say how they got the case open.

[erayrafet]

My Archer C50 V4 has very strong plastic clips. I had to fight them hard. A jimmy tool might be necessary. The credit card method doesn't work that well.
Similar story with my Xiaomi AX3000T.

[FanOfOpenWRT]

I think these two photos from the FCC docs show only clips, but I can't be sure.

I'll try brute force and hope I don't break anything.

[FanOfOpenWRT]

You're right, there were four tiny rubber nubs on the bottom covering up four small screws. Going in now.

Edit: After unscrewing the bottom four screws, a little elbow grease and a flat-head screwdriver was able to pry the top cover off, which is secured by plastic clips.

I've gotten to the goods, now waiting for Amazon to deliver (in the next hour or so):

[FanOfOpenWRT]

I'm making a Hyper-V instance of Ubuntu (to run on Windows 11 Pro) and am still confused by kernel versions.

The latest Ubuntu LTS (24.04.1) says it features Linux kernel 6.8, skipping over 6.6.

Will I be able to compile OpenWrt SNAPSHOT (which is kernel 6.6) while running kernel 6.8, or will I need to get kernel 6.6 in Ubuntu somehow?

[frollic]

OS kernel have nothing to do with the kernel version of openwrt.