I've used the USB port for both storage and printer. The port appears to be power-limited and can shut down. I know I had to use a powered hub with a 256GB memory stick. I see I've still got a hub inline with my 2008 Brother printer. I don't remember if that was a requirement or a vestige of earlier experimentation. Maybe there's some software config/control. I remember having to cycle power once the USB port shut down.
Were all the LEDs confirmed working? I have not been able to get red:lan1 or red:lan2 to work. All the others appear to work as expected. Maybe I just don't understand how the LED configuration works.
--David
A brief report on my attempt to load OpenWRT on two brand new (still in shrink wrap) Extreme WS-AP3825i. [I have several older units working perfectly.]
I followed the instructions on the WS-AP3825i Device page and tried to load the 24.10.0 initramfs-kernel.bin on a virgin device. It loaded and unpacked but then hung part way thorugh the boot sequence. My guess would be that the 24.10 kernel is too big for the factory UBoot to handle. None-the-less after several attempts I went back to the 23.05.5 initramfs-kernel.bin and it loaded without any problems. I then did a sysupgrade to 23.05.5 and finally another sysupgrade to 24.10.0. Everything works and I've seen no problems.
For newcomers, don't forget to change the system password between sysupgrades or it won't upgrade. Also, a sysupgrade on the WS-AP3825i takes 8 to 10 minutes, so be patient.
Cheers,
Jim
I hear that the AsiaRF AW7916 WiFi 6e card can replace the WiFi card on this to bring WiFi 6e capability.
Found in the comments on Van Tech Corner:
Has anyone done this apart from the random comment on the video?
I've done it with a similar card. AW7915-NP1
Model Extreme Networks WS-AP3825i WIFI 6 not 6E
Architecture e500v2
Target Platform mpc85xx/p1020
Firmware Version OpenWrt 24.10.1 r28597-0425664679 / LuCI openwrt-24.10
Kernel Version 6.6.86
-----------------------------------------------------------
iperf3 from laptop to server on the lan.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Accepted connection from 192.168.0.109, port 51332
[ 5] local 192.168.0.11 port 5201 connected to 192.168.0.109 port 51344
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate
[ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 97.5 MBytes 817 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 107 MBytes 900 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 106 MBytes 888 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 106 MBytes 892 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 106 MBytes 890 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 108 MBytes 903 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 105 MBytes 884 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 106 MBytes 889 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 106 MBytes 885 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 107 MBytes 899 Mbits/sec
[ 5] 10.00-10.01 sec 768 KBytes 896 Mbits/sec
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 1.03 GBytes 885 Mbits/sec
-----------------------------------------------------------
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I have a simple question. How do you save the stock firmware prior to installing OpenWRT on the 3825i, (or is it a what's the point of having stock firmware question)? I have two of these running the latest snapshot and a third on the way. I'm also waiting on the price of the AW7916-NPD to drop, so I can purchase 3 of them for 6E capability.
Don't you only need two of them? The AW7916-NPD is apparently DBDC-capable, so you could have one for 2x2 2.4GHz and 2x2 (or 2x3; their documentation is a bit unclear) 5GHz and another for 2x2 6GHz. I guess the antennas might not like that.
I'll have my third one hopefully in a week or two.
I unprotected the protected sectors on the 3825i and did an erase all. It looks like the 12 protected sectors are home to U-Boot. This is why I'm asking how to extract the Stock firmware and perhaps be able to boot from USB or reprogram via chip programmer to bring this 3825i back to life. Granted they are extremely cheap, (and I'll be ordering another one off Ebay).
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I managed to unprotect the 12 sectors and erase all, one of my 3825i's. With your microprocessor knowledge, have you ever had to rebuild U-Boot because someone, in this case me, has managed to delete U-Boot? I assume I can purchase a JTAG programmer and either connect to one of my other 3825i and retrieve the U-Boot config then connect to my bricked 3825i and restore it. If this is possible do you have a recommended JTAG programmer and possible instructions to do this?
JTAG is disabled on most production devices (especially those targeted for enterprise/business) for security reasons. Without internal documentation or access to the OEM’s U-Boot source code, rebuilding U-Boot is virtually impossible.
The only viable recovery option is to use a hardware chip programmer: desolder the NAND chips from both the working and non-working devices, clone the NAND contents from the working unit, and flash them onto the non-working one. Then, resolder the chips.
It’s a labor-intensive process and generally not worth the effort—especially for a low-cost device like the WS-AP3825i.
Thank you for this information, I appreciate it. I've learned to not unprotect sectors on device storage at least, and now have a couple of spare radios, should my other 3825i's have any radio issues down the track.
As a side note, if anyone has a previously bricked or broken 3825i, that the flash chip, may still be functioning and would either like to send the chip, or the board with the chip still on it, to me, or conversely would like a relatively cheap 3825i with a clean flash chip. Please reply to this post and we can set something up for delivery either way. I already have 3 more of the 3825i's on order from Ebay, so I'm okay either way. I've been researching chip programmers and it is definitely not cost effective to purchase one that will let me copy an existing working flash to my currently blank one.
Would you have a recommended, yet cheap flash chip programmer that I might purchase to accomplish this? If I am able to purchase it, I might offer debricking services to others that may be in this situation. This device is capable of providing WiFi 6e service if a aw7916-npd is installed and the appropriate software is installed via OpenWRT.
You need to disassemble the WS-AP3825i to identify the form factor of the NAND chip used in the device, and then purchase a compatible chip programmer with an adapter that supports that specific form factor. NAND chips come in many different form factors, so accurate identification is essential.
Here is the Flash chip details:
Flash1 Chip
Intel JS28F512-M29EWH x 1
Flash1 Size
64 MiB (Parallel NOR)
I'm wondering if you know of any relatively inexpensive Programmers that would work for this 56 pin flash.
Xgecu TL866II
You may need to buy the TSOP56 adapter separately as well.
I have purchased an XGecu T48 programmer along with an VER2.0 TSOP56 adapter ADP_F56_EX-C for the specific flash chip, as the Xgecu TL866II is a bit harder to find at this point. Once they arrive, I'll remove the blank chip from my bricked 3825i and make sure the programmer can read it before I remove the flash from my spare 3825i. Reading up on removing this particular flash chip will determine my level of success in unbricking or making an additional brick of my spare.
As it turns out the correct adapter to read and program this flash is the -a not the -c. I purchased the -a and have reliably read and saved the U-Boot, along with whatever current version of OpenWRT was on this flash, installed in my spare 3825i, before breaking pin 28, while attempting to resolder it back to the board. If anyone requires this file let me know. In my attempt to learn hot air resoldering/removal, I think I may have damaged the circuit boards in the process. Thankfully these devices are still relatively cheap. From my perusal of the flash chip, there was no Hi-ROM or config written to it. I will probably purchase a few more 3825i from Ebay, but as of now 3 in my production network is working out great!
The AP3825i uses a NOR chip. A BDI2000 JTAG can initialize the SoC far enough to walk through the rewrite process, because the interface to NOR flash is a hardware one; once the cache is initialized, NOR flash can be accessed via virtual memory addresses like RAM is.
The problems mount, however - a BDI2K is $300-$500 USD, and you'd have to solder the headers on. Unlike MIPS / ARM / RISC-V SoCs, there are no open implementations of PowerPC JTAG stuff.
I would not recommend this path - just buy more AP3825i's. These aren't expensive devices.