Archer C7 unable to sysupgrade to 17.01.2 [SOLVED]

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello all,
I've been using LEDE on an Archer C7 AC1750 v2 for several months quite successfully as a main household router that also handles DDNS and acts as an openVPN server. Today I attempted to update it to 17.0.2 to see if it would resolve a weird IPv4 vs IPv6 routing issue that I see with some of my devices. Unfortunately, when I attempt to apply the sysupgrade package, I get:

root@archer-c7:/tmp# sysupgrade lede-17.01.2-ar71xx-generic-archer-c7-v2-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
Image metadata not found
Invalid image, hardware ID mismatch, hw:c7000002 494c0001 image:c7000002 00000001.
Image check 'platform_check_image' failed.

My system does report it's running the same architecture and architecture:
LEDE Reboot 17.01.1 r3316-7eb58cf109 / LuCI lede-17.01 branch (git-17.100.70571-29fabe2)

root@archer-c7:/tmp# cat /proc/cpuinfo
system type : Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558 ver 1 rev 0
machine : TP-LINK Archer C7
processor : 0
cpu model : MIPS 74Kc V5.0

This looks suspiciously like another issue reported against the Linksys EA4500:

But before I go and do the double-secret aftp recovery trick, I wanted to check here to a) see if there were any totally obvious things/steps I'm overlooking (based on the Netgear thread it looks like probably not), and b) report this instance in case it's a sign of a larger issue.

Thanks!

2

It looks like you have an Israel region located model from your hw code.

Can you try to sysupgrade using:
https://downloads.lede-project.org/releases/17.01.2/targets/ar71xx/generic/lede-17.01.2-ar71xx-generic-archer-c7-v2-il-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

3

Thanks, that worked! Now, how I got an Israel region model is another question - I'm in the US and bought it directly from Amazon, not even a 3rd party seller.

4

What could be worst is that ART partition might contain calibration data that aren't from the US but IL. Maybe you can compare the output of the command iw list | grep "\[.*\]" with my Archer C7 v2:

* 2412 MHz [1] (25.0 dBm)
* 2417 MHz [2] (25.0 dBm)
* 2422 MHz [3] (25.0 dBm)
* 2427 MHz [4] (25.0 dBm)
* 2432 MHz [5] (25.0 dBm)
* 2437 MHz [6] (25.0 dBm)
* 2442 MHz [7] (25.0 dBm)
* 2447 MHz [8] (25.0 dBm)
* 2452 MHz [9] (25.0 dBm)
* 2457 MHz [10] (25.0 dBm)
* 2462 MHz [11] (25.0 dBm)
* 2467 MHz [12] (disabled)
* 2472 MHz [13] (disabled)
* 2484 MHz [14] (disabled)
* 5180 MHz [36] (17.0 dBm)
* 5200 MHz [40] (17.0 dBm)
* 5220 MHz [44] (17.0 dBm)
* 5240 MHz [48] (17.0 dBm)
* 5260 MHz [52] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5280 MHz [56] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5300 MHz [60] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5320 MHz [64] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5500 MHz [100] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5520 MHz [104] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5540 MHz [108] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5560 MHz [112] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5580 MHz [116] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5600 MHz [120] (disabled)
* 5620 MHz [124] (disabled)
* 5640 MHz [128] (disabled)
* 5660 MHz [132] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5680 MHz [136] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5700 MHz [140] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5720 MHz [144] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5745 MHz [149] (30.0 dBm)
* 5765 MHz [153] (30.0 dBm)
* 5785 MHz [157] (30.0 dBm)
* 5805 MHz [161] (30.0 dBm)
* 5825 MHz [165] (30.0 dBm)
* 5845 MHz [169] (disabled)
5

The MHz ranges appear to line up. Some dBm and other text don't match exactly. Not sure what that indicates, if anything:

                    * 2412 MHz [1] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2417 MHz [2] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2422 MHz [3] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2427 MHz [4] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2432 MHz [5] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2437 MHz [6] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2442 MHz [7] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2447 MHz [8] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2452 MHz [9] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2457 MHz [10] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2462 MHz [11] (25.0 dBm)
                    * 2467 MHz [12] (disabled)
                    * 2472 MHz [13] (disabled)
                    * 2484 MHz [14] (disabled)
                    * 5180 MHz [36] (23.0 dBm)
                    * 5200 MHz [40] (23.0 dBm)
                    * 5220 MHz [44] (23.0 dBm)
                    * 5240 MHz [48] (23.0 dBm)
                    * 5260 MHz [52] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5280 MHz [56] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5300 MHz [60] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5320 MHz [64] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5500 MHz [100] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5520 MHz [104] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5540 MHz [108] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5560 MHz [112] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5580 MHz [116] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5600 MHz [120] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5620 MHz [124] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5640 MHz [128] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5660 MHz [132] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5680 MHz [136] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5700 MHz [140] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5720 MHz [144] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
                    * 5745 MHz [149] (30.0 dBm)
                    * 5765 MHz [153] (30.0 dBm)
                    * 5785 MHz [157] (30.0 dBm)
                    * 5805 MHz [161] (30.0 dBm)
                    * 5825 MHz [165] (30.0 dBm)
                    * 5845 MHz [169] (disabled)

Is it possible that I flashed with the wrong version of LEDE (or maybe the original FW) to cause this problem, or is that hardware version number locked in a ROM somewhere in the hardwdare itself?

Thanks again for your help!

6

LEDE doesn't touch the ART partition (it's mounted read-only), and AFAIK the stock firmware don't either. It looks like the hw version comes from some regions of the flash, and most likely not from the ART partition.

All in all, it makes no sense from the stock firmware to touch the hw version/revision... So no, I don't think that you flashed something that altered all that at once. You've just got yourself a real IL router. Do you have anything on the labels at the back of the router that would tip you off ?

I think that the fact we have the same device but different results is a good indicator that your ART partition is IL localized.

Me                                                You
==                                                ===
* 5180 MHz [36] (17.0 dBm)                        * 5180 MHz [36] (23.0 dBm)
* 5200 MHz [40] (17.0 dBm)                        * 5200 MHz [40] (23.0 dBm)
* 5220 MHz [44] (17.0 dBm)                        * 5220 MHz [44] (23.0 dBm)
* 5240 MHz [48] (17.0 dBm)                        * 5240 MHz [48] (23.0 dBm)
* 5260 MHz [52] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)      * 5260 MHz [52] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5280 MHz [56] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)      * 5280 MHz [56] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5300 MHz [60] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)      * 5300 MHz [60] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5320 MHz [64] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)      * 5320 MHz [64] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5500 MHz [100] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5500 MHz [100] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5520 MHz [104] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5520 MHz [104] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5540 MHz [108] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5540 MHz [108] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5560 MHz [112] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5560 MHz [112] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5580 MHz [116] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5580 MHz [116] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5600 MHz [120] (disabled)                       * 5600 MHz [120] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5620 MHz [124] (disabled)                       * 5620 MHz [124] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5640 MHz [128] (disabled)                       * 5640 MHz [128] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5660 MHz [132] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5660 MHz [132] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5680 MHz [136] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5680 MHz [136] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5700 MHz [140] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5700 MHz [140] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5720 MHz [144] (24.0 dBm) (radar detection)     * 5720 MHz [144] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
7

Well, there are no unusual markings on the product ID sticker or anywhere else. I happened to find the box (no idea why I saved it), and it's in English, with no mention of a particular zone/region. So either Amazon picked up some 3rd party stock, or it was mislabled, I suppose. I'll go ahead and marked this solved, though the "resolution" is a bit unsatisfying. Thanks so much for your help!