Flashing ASUS RT-N12 VP B1 with latest OpenWRT release

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I've tried following https://openwrt.org/toh/asus/rt-n12_vp_b1 "OEM installation using the TFTP method" although page is half-baked so not sure how accurate information there is. The odd part is that Factory and Sysupgrade images are the same. Anyway, uploaded tftp.bin (renamed https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/24.10.0/targets/ramips/mt76x8/openwrt-24.10.0-ramips-mt76x8-asus_rt-n12-vp-b1-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin image for clarity) - no errors, router reboots - but instead of OpenWRT I've got stock ASUS firmware again.

Any ideas what went wrong and how to flash it properly?

2

Can you upgrade router to same version as installed? If it is relabeled for provider it may prevent loading "normal" firmware.

3

Indeed, flashing OEM firmware via TFTP gives the same result. Any ideas how this could be bypassed?

4

Can you take a picture of back label of the device, painting over barcodes and other device unique things in white rectangle?
There is a option like "update check" in asus web menu - does it work and show latest fw as on the web.
Ideally youd be able to find provider's firmware to compare to asus firmware and figure out which "magic bit" needs to be altered in openwrt factory file to get accepted. That is one time venture.

5

I don't have access to web UI unfortunately - default admin:admin doesn't work.
FW is 3.0.0.4.380_10809
HW is B1
according to the label.
Now idea how to dump the firmware from the device though.

6

Please make a picture. It has no "FW" on the label
https://www.asus.com/support/article/566/ (wifi is last in page)

7

avito-image
avito-image1280×850 196 KB

It certainly has FW on the label. Unless you mean smth else?

8

Lets try to recover ASUS FW first.

DISCONNECT WAN PORT
First do asus factory reset - let it start and hold down a button that is not reset - like WPS
It should reboot , the AP on label appears and it starts with setup wizard. set any password and go to fw menu (left side last option if my memory serves) and install the fw version from the lable

If that fails next level
https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1000814/

That is oldest firmware possible on the router. Here the proper install guide
https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=commit;h=c3dc52e39ac83704b7a376d8d5610bdb91807e3f

9

That is the oldest version supported on this router.

10

That model got only single button WPS\Reset.
Anyway, the install guide is exactly what I'd followed already to no avail.
I'd tried ASUS' FW Rescue utility - it says that no wireless device in restoration mode found.
Which is odd - the power led is blinking as it should and under Linux I can upload firmware file via tftp in this mode. Although it's not flashed for some reason since after reboot I'm back to old password-protected ASUS web UI. Also, no web UI is available while the device is in this undetectable restoration mode.

Tried both 192.168.1.10 and .75 for laptop ethernet, both LAN1 and LAN4 on the device.

Is there a way to disassemble it and get via UART?

11

Random YT video, looks like N10 or N12
-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvbc3BArOz8

Try to hold that button like 20s when asus wrt has booted - it is their reset to factory settings.

12

That's different HW. Anyway, tried holding reset button for longer - makes no difference :frowning: