Adding OpenWrt support for Xiaomi "Redmi Router AX6S"/"Xiaomi Router AX3200"

exponentialverteilt · 2022-03-30T09:01:07.157Z

Why would anyone want to waste 160Mhz bandwidth with this device? I can even achieve max out the 1GBit Ethernet connection with 40 MHz. Am I missing something? I haven't even thought about trying.

dekomote · 2022-03-30T09:05:28.023Z

Which package should I install so that the LEDs work? Anyone know which kmod is for these leds?

DDRRE · 2022-03-30T13:22:50.134Z

I can't seem to be able to flash this firmware for some reason (RB03). I managed to flash the closed beta image and booted into it, but any attempt to update the firmware through SSH used aiden_long's binary didn't seem to have any effect. The file transferred without issues using wget, and flashed successfully with mtd. But when rebooting, it still boots into the beta image, SSIDs and everything still configured. What am I missing here?

dsouza · 2022-03-30T15:11:24.373Z

Hi, I just purchased one AX6S with the goal to install OpenWRT, and while I wait it to be delivered I am taking some time to read this topic.

I have one first question: reading the messages here (and also the OpenWRT website) it seems that I should use the OpenWRT sysupgrade image for the initial flash via telnet that should be renamed to "factory.bin" per previous comments (actually I understand that renaming it is not really needed - see below).

So renaming OpenWRT sysupgrade.bin to factory.bin before flashing it via mtd seems a little confuse considering that there is also a factory.bin image available in the OpenWRT website for downloading:

xiaomi_redmi-router-ax6s-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
xiaomi_redmi-router-ax6s-squashfs-factory.bin

So, just double-checking: differently from other routers, the first flash (from stock firmware to OpenWRT) should use the sysupgrade OpenWRT image (and not the OpenWRT factory image), correct? (EDITED: INCORRECT, see below).

Thanks!

EDITED: updating for future reference per discussion below. As expected the xiaomi_redmi-router-ax6s-squashfs-FACTORY.bin must be used for the first flash from stock firmware via telnet

xabolcs · 2022-03-30T15:40:29.730Z

dsouza:

reading the messages here (and also the OpenWRT website) it seems

Last modified: 2022/03/25 07:23 by cewbdex

And it states the same as the commit:
Download and flash image

On computer:

python -m http.server

On router:

cd /tmp
wget http://<IP>:8000/factory.bin
mtd -r write factory.bin firmware

Checking the image recipe:

  IMAGE/factory.bin := append-kernel | pad-to $$(KERNEL_SIZE) | append-ubi
  IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := sysupgrade-tar | append-metadata

The factory.bin has a padding and is in UBI format.
The sysupgrade.bin is just a tar file.

You have to use the factory.bin for initial flashing!

Where did you got your assumption from?

Timbo · 2022-03-30T18:13:58.356Z

Try adding...

nvram set "boot_fw1=run boot_rd_img;bootm"

to the list of nvram commands before doing nvram commit.

The RB03 from my experience will typically boot from the 2nd firmware partition, which we don't touch during the initial mtd write operation.

Timbo · 2022-03-30T18:18:55.718Z

It should be the factory image the first time you go from xiaomi firmware to openwrt.

Sysupgrade is if you are already running openwrt.

dsouza · 2022-03-30T19:43:40.775Z

xabolcs:

(...)
You have to use the factory.bin for initial flashing!
Where did you got your assumption from?

Thanks! I've got this from comments like the one below. Anyway, it's clear now that factory image should be used in the first flash via telnet as expected. I will update my post above with this clarification for future reference.

dekomote:

I flashed @namidairo 's single image. Well, not his image, rather I compiled one from his ax6s branch directly, and flashed the sysupgrade.bin to firmware on a fresh router and it works.
(...)

cdoliveira · 2022-03-30T21:07:50.031Z

Hello.
I can't install any package. I get errors of "read-only file system".
Firmware is a recent snapshot.

Status

System

Hostname	OpenWrt
Model	Xiaomi Redmi Router AX6S
Architecture	ARMv8 Processor rev 4
Target Platform	mediatek/mt7622
Firmware Version	OpenWrt SNAPSHOT r19293-1c7e146f7e / LuCI Master git-22.083.68981-15bbe69
Kernel Version	5.10.108
Local Time	2022-03-30 21:06:28
Uptime	1d 2h 29m 4s
Load Average	0.07, 0.05, 0.00

imagem996×825 55.2 KB

Any help?
Thanks

kekesed97 · 2022-03-31T01:09:16.430Z

your build with sqm (7 march) can handle led on RB03 out of box. it even can change its color with 3 selection: red, orange, and blue. btw, I can't update anything with kernel dependency on that firmware as it ask a different kernel version. there must be something broken if I attempt to update anything.
older device with wifi4 (my xiaomi redmi note 5 pro) is having a hard time to connect to wifi (either combined 2.4Ghz/5Ghz or in 2.4Ghz). is it just me with incorrect configuration, or anyone else having this bug?

kekesed97 · 2022-03-31T01:13:20.811Z

@Timbo is right. I executed this command and it success every time.

nvram set ssh_en=1 & nvram set uart_en=1 & nvram set boot_wait=on & nvram set bootdelay=3 & nvram set flag_try_sys1_failed=0 & nvram set flag_try_sys2_failed=1
nvram set flag_boot_rootfs=0 & nvram set "boot_fw1=run boot_rd_img;bootm"
nvram set flag_boot_success=1 & nvram commit & /etc/init.d/dropbear enable & /etc/init.d/dropbear start

Taken from a chinese youtuber that attempted to flash RB03.

DDRRE · 2022-03-31T03:02:06.979Z

That worked, thanks.

Looks like there's an issue with wlan1 not joining the br-lan bridge sometimes, I had to run "brctl addif br-lan wlan1" manually to get it done.

dekomote · 2022-03-31T06:09:07.761Z

dekomote:

Which package should I install so that the LEDs work? Anyone know which kmod is for these leds?

To answer my own question, the package to handle the leds for this router is kmod-leds-gpio

xabolcs · 2022-03-31T06:36:18.256Z

Is this a misconfiguration of the DTS or it was missed from the default package list (DEVICE_PACKAGES)?

Support commit notes nothing about LED limitations.

namidairo · 2022-03-31T06:52:25.665Z

xabolcs:

Is this a misconfiguration of the DTS or it was missed from the default package list (DEVICE_PACKAGES)?

It's already a default package for the entire target as seen here

It's possible they made an oopsie with the .config if they were self-building.

dekomote · 2022-03-31T06:53:37.397Z

Yup, It's completely my fault.

namidairo · 2022-04-01T09:24:44.184Z

DDRRE:

Any updates on 160MHz support? Will it ever work?

Seems fine to me.

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec   407 MBytes   341 Mbits/sec    0             sender
[  5]   0.00-10.06  sec   404 MBytes   337 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[  7]   0.00-10.00  sec   381 MBytes   319 Mbits/sec    3             sender
[  7]   0.00-10.06  sec   378 MBytes   315 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[  9]   0.00-10.00  sec   395 MBytes   331 Mbits/sec    2             sender
[  9]   0.00-10.06  sec   393 MBytes   328 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[ 11]   0.00-10.00  sec   400 MBytes   335 Mbits/sec    0             sender
[ 11]   0.00-10.06  sec   398 MBytes   332 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[ 13]   0.00-10.00  sec   380 MBytes   319 Mbits/sec    2             sender
[ 13]   0.00-10.06  sec   379 MBytes   316 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[SUM]   0.00-10.00  sec  1.92 GBytes  1.65 Gbits/sec    7             sender
[SUM]   0.00-10.06  sec  1.90 GBytes  1.63 Gbits/sec                  receiver

Not much practical use for me though, given the gigabit switch and max output for the only space in 5ghz 160mhz width in my country being 20dbm output.

MaxwellZX · 2022-04-01T10:38:46.511Z

I see this is a quad band device, does it mean the radios are exposed as 4 devices/networks?
Also, any performance comparisons between the redmi ax6s and the xiaomi ax3600? will they work okay in mesh mode?

namidairo · 2022-04-01T12:04:39.988Z

MaxwellZX:

I see this is a quad band device, does it mean the radios are exposed as 4 devices/networks?

It's dual band. 4x4 refers to the spatial streams. There are only two radios.

MaxwellZX · 2022-04-01T13:19:50.713Z

if I use the 5ghz radio for mesh, will it also be available to create an AP? will there be any issues?