Do you mean to say that the one he's linked there isn't the correct one? That's the one I am applying, but router isn't getting out of recovery mode.
No, the linked the correct sysupgrade image directly from Daniel's Github.
You can try to flash the one directly from the official OpenWRT downloads page: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/24.10.0/targets/mediatek/mt7622/openwrt-24.10.0-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb
It should be the same file.
If it stills stays on recovery after flashing (make sure you Don't keep settings), then something's wrong and maybe @daniel can chime in.
UPDATE: After physically switch off the router then turning it on, it has now booted into a different firmware:
Firmware VersionοΌOpenWrt 24.10.0 r28427-6df0e3d02a
And the grep command doesn't work anymore too 
root@OpenWrt:~#
login as: root
BusyBox v1.36.1 (2025-02-04 19:21:11 UTC) built-in shell (ash)
_______ ________ __
| |.-----.-----.-----.| | | |.----.| |_
| - || _ | -__| || | | || _|| _|
|_______|| __|_____|__|__||________||__| |____|
|__| W I R E L E S S F R E E D O M
-----------------------------------------------------
OpenWrt 24.10.0, r28427-6df0e3d02a
-----------------------------------------------------
=== WARNING! =====================================
There is no root password defined on this device!
Use the "passwd" command to set up a new password
in order to prevent unauthorized SSH logins.
--------------------------------------------------
root@OpenWrt:~# grep "(release)" /dev/mtd0ro
grep: /dev/mtd0ro: binary file matches <========================
root@OpenWrt:~#
Is the output as expected???
PS: I am not sure why a cold reboot was needed.
Now that's good news. My guess is that when you ran the installer, there was an artifact left in memory that caused it to think something had gone wrong and automatically drop into recovery rather than boot the written firmware. If I recall correctly, we've seen something similar to this reported once or twice before with no identifiable reason for it, but it hasn't persisted or returned for any users so far.
Edit:
As for the grep command, it looks like it's parsing in basic binary mode instead of text mode. Try adding the -a argument to it or alternatively, the command strings /dev/mtd0ro | grep "(release)" will do the same thing.
2 Likes
Nothing broke but I can test and compare the WDS performance with iperf3?
If you have the baseline numbers from 23.05 or earlier somewhere, that would be great.
If theyβd exist itβd be on one of my posts on this forum. Did I message you with them?
This is mine with the 1.1.3 Installer (should be similar with 1.1.4):
root@CharlieNet:~# grep "(release)" /dev/mtd0ro
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
Still don't know why yours doesn't output the version, tho.
You do have an earlier forum post with iperf3 results: WiFi Slow Transfer Rates and High TCP Retransmissions (WDS/iperf3)
I just edited my last post regarding the grep issue. For whatever reason, it's parsing in basic binary mode instead of text mode. Adding the -a argument or piping through the strings command should reliably produce the intended output.
Possibly GNU grep vs busybox grep difference. Try calling busybox grep explicitly:
root@linksys-repeater:~# busybox grep "(release)" /dev/mtd0ro
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
Thank you for all the assistance.
I have tested the two options:
root@OpenWrt:~# grep -a "(release)" /dev/mtd0ro
f`β5βββββββββββββββββββ`ββββHβββββββββββv2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)Built : 22:48:06, Aug 12 2024
And the other one:
root@OpenWrt:~# strings /dev/mtd0ro | grep "(release)"
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
v2.10.0 (release):OpenWrt v2024.01.17~bacca82a-3 (mt7622-snand-ubi-1ddr)
root@OpenWrt:~#
I have manually/selectively restored my config files extracted from my last backup and the router appears to work well. Time to monitor.
TVM!
2 Likes
That's excellent news. Just keep in mind that, when restoring config files, you really don't want to overwrite the new firmware's compat_version flag in the /etc/config/system file with the one in the old/restored config. If you restore the old version number, all new upgrades will complain about being incompatible all over again.
I had done some reading about such pitfalls so what I did was to extract the needed files from the backup from v23.x into a folder and only copy the files from /etc/config/ over to the router.
One more question about this router:
How can I configure the LED for the WAN interface to become blue when the WAN connection is active? I have a Dynalink router sitting next to the Belkin. Although it has only 1 LED, it's solid blue, while the Belkin LED is green (or something). I'd like to see it blinking blue when there is activity and steady blue when idle.
The RT3200 only has 2 colors: Orange and "Blue" (ish) (more like white).
You can set a profile for the WAN led to a color when the trigger is Always ON and Trigger mode, check only Link on.
Then, add another profile with the same LED but change the color and set the Trigger as Network device activity and the trigger mode check Transmit and Receive.
EDIT:
Both profiles should be on Network device activity, but one color uses the trigger mode to Link on, and the other for both transmit and receive.
^^ the above.
The Belkin RT3200 differs from the Linksys e8450 in not having LEDs for the LAN ports and in the color of the power and internet LEDs. For the e8450, Linksys selected amber/blue, but Belkin used amber/white instead. The only way to make the LEDs blue on the Belkin RT3200 is to replace the LEDs and the matching current limit resistors.
The LED configuration in OpenWRT is based on the Linksys color scheme. Where it says "blue", your RT3200 will display white.
3 Likes
hey, I'm going to post a "large rework" of ... well ... MANY of the sections. I've worked your ideas in but adjusted to a more "State - Go to Case" format. I think it better represents the ways "normal" people might interact with the page.
IT WILL NEED MORE INFORMATION. And, I may have royally messed up sectons. BUT ... I was hoping we could maybe work on it until it was "good enough" to post in place of the INSTALLATION and RECOVERY sections.
these changes fundamentally change MOST of the wiki instructions, so before posting them, I'd really appreciate the "big brains" around here with more experience to ensure I've represented things correctly.
I really would insist against purely a how-to/if:A-do:B. Most of the current instructions, readmes, forum posts, etc. already have this knowledge of the possible states your bootloader can be in embedded as part of some other explanation; but what is missing is a map or glossary that makes clear that regardless of anyone's word choice, we are always talking about one of these three formats.
I think this confusion is part of why many people will still post in the thread even after reading the instructions because we need some reassurance that we have an accurate mental model of what is going onβthat mental model verification/sanity-check is what I think my table provides.
I am expecting an e8540 soon. I will see if that works better than the RT3200.
The e8450 is identical to what you already have, aside from the case and the LEDs. It's up to you on whether or not to spend the money, but you won't get any better throughput/performance by switching from the RT3200 to the e8450.