How to?... Client + AP. Part 2

:slight_smile: Please, don't worry about the router, I have got more.
Well, I downloaded this one:
lede-snapshot-r4094-961c0ea-brcm63xx-generic-AR5381u-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
And I flashed as usual, from web interface, so I didn't worry about bootloader. should I?
With static IP on PC
10.0.0.253 doesn't respond in any port and...
192,168.1.1 doesn't respond in any port too

Anyway look at this from PING command when I do a OFF/ON:

Haciendo ping a 10.0.0.253 con 32 bytes de datos:
Respuesta desde 10.0.0.222: Host de destino inaccesible.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.

Haciendo ping a 192.168.1.1 con 32 bytes de datos:
Respuesta desde 192.168.1.222: Host de destino inaccesible.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Respuesta desde 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 tiempo<1m TTL=64
Respuesta desde 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 tiempo<1m TTL=64
Respuesta desde 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 tiempo<1m TTL=64
Respuesta desde 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 tiempo=1ms TTL=64
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.
Tiempo de espera agotado para esta solicitud.

With 192.168.1.1, the router responds with four packets and cut. So I suppose router has the IP 192.168.1.1

Do you know a procedure to unbrick it? I tried with tftp without success.

TIA

The TTL=64 indicates your router is not completely bricked. Most CFE based router I works like this:

The default IP address of CFE is almost always 192.168.1.1. You should use a static IP in your PC since there isn't DHCP server available when running CFE.
For accessing the web interface:

Unplug the power source
Press the RESET button at the router, don't release it yet!
Plug the power source
Wait some seconds
Release the RESET button
Browse to http://192.168.1.1
Send the new firmware and wait some minutes until the firmware upgrade finish.

If it doesn't give you a simple webpage, TFTP should work. I will try to find out what static IP it expects your TFTP server and maybe even the required file name.

I see the simple webpage:
Update Software(CFE Version : 1.0.37-106.5-0)
Step 1: Obtain an updated software image file from your ISP.
Step 2: Enter the path to the image file location in the box below or
click the "Browse" button to locate the image file.
Step 3: Click the "Update Software" button once to upload the new image
file.
NOTE: The update process takes about 2 minutes to complete, and your DSL Router
will reboot.
Software File Name:

With "lede-17.01.1-brcm63xx-generic-AR5381u-squashfs-cfe.bin"
DSL Router Software Upgrade
Image uploading failed. The selected file contains an illegal image.

With "lede-17.01.1-brcm63xx-generic-AR5381u-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin"
DSL Router Software Upgrade
New software is being programmed to the flash memory. The DSL
Router will reboot upon completion. This process will take about 2
minutes.
But when finish nothing happens

I have been found this comment at:
https://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/techref/bootloader/cfe
"bcm63xx CFE
bcm63xx CFE is totally different when compared with bcm47xx. The NVRAM
is totally different, without any settings stored outside the CFE
partition, they are totally embedded into CFE. The CLI has different
commands, probably with less options. And almost always there is a web
server available for flashing. Less options but more fool-proof."

Could you please send me a detailled procedure to use tftp with the full bin?

TIA

This simple webpage is designed to get you back to a factory firmware. Depending on the checks your router does, it should be able to accept a factory to lede image.

It seems like you have to put an official (factory) firmware first. After that you could upgrade to Lede like you did in the beginning.

The good thing is, as long as you don't flash directly from within a CFE prompt/console (like I did), it's pretty much fool proof to recovery the device without to many tricks.

:sweat_smile: Get it!
As you said, I flashed the official firmware first, and then lede from de official web interface. So I ready to rock again...
What about... recompile the Stable Release build (not Development Snapshot build) changing only the wireless driver for me? Thanks

Hi there
Need help on this topic. We have finally found out that the Broadcom drivers included in LEDE do not support multi-SSID, so it's not posible "Client + AP" configuration. But there are drivers from Broadcom that support multi_SSID, so... can someone compile a firmware with drivers that support multi-SSID to test it? I don't know how to compile a new firmware. I would like...

TIA

Did not forget this project yet. My SPI Flash tool arrived, to tomorrow I can (hopefully) revive my Broadcom router and see why luci doesn't show the official driver.

Ok Thank you. I will be waiting.
Meanwhile... Is it posible to put the driver files with WinSCP inside the router and activate the driver only to test it?

TIA

I have found this:
https://www.gargoyle-router.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1676&p=7546&hilit=brcm63xx#p7546

The important part:
"last days i was struggling with openwrt to make my usr9108 (brcm63xx) a wireless bridge client for my home network, but couldn't make the wifi part work, no way how hard i tried, i couldn't ping the router through wireless on wds.
i was quite disappointed, but as far as i saw gargoyle supported client bridge for chips other than brcm47xx i HAD to try
there is no brcm63xx target, but i first tried a make custom with a 63xx target and brcm wireless but had some difficulties with the packages to be installed, so tried the 'easy' way, copying the brcm47xx target folder to a brcm63xx target folder, changing in the config file the 47xx to 63xx (and the 47xx_b43 to 63xx_broadcom) and, know what? now i have a working gargoyled usr9108 with working wireless bridge!!!
i'd suggest the developers, if possible, to add the 'standard' brcm63xx target, as right now i (and anyone wanting to try this way) will need to compile every package by hand, as of course there is no package folder for 63xx in the repositories"

Some developer reading this...

Thanks in advance

I've got a Technicolor TG582n to which I've loaded OpenWRT 15.1. It has the BCM6328 chip and has been noted this does not support Client + AP which I'd like to use
I believe it is not a hardware issue but a driver issue. Has this been solved yet with LEDE?
Any progress with importing the fixed driver from another source, such as from Gargoyle as Willy mentioned above?
TIA

I'm very sure it's a driver issue. I've installed the same last firmware dd-wrt beta in two different routers, with two different Broadcom chips. Router Linksys WRT54G V3.1 and chip Broadcom 47xx support multi-ssid, but router Linksys E1000 V2 and chip Broadcom 53xx doesn't support multi-ssid. So if the firmware is the same version, and 53xx is more advanced than 47xx, that's not logical. So the question is... Do developers know the problem with Broadcom drivers? If so... Is it in the "list to do"?, if not... Is it something about copyright or whatever? We all would like to know.
May a developer illuminate us about this issue, please?

TIA

You could try replacing kmod-b43 + wpad with kmod-brcm-wl + wlc + nas and see if it works better.

I would like to compile my own firmwares, but I don't know how. I'm afraid I will be waiting... If you could compile only one firmware for me I will be a betatester and publish the results here for all. Could you, please? For example, comtrend AR-5381u with Broadcom 6328.

TIA

It is simple. Basically you just need Linux computer (or virtual one, e.g. in Virtualbox) and a few commands.

https://lede-project.org/docs/guide-developer/build-system
https://lede-project.org/docs/guide-developer/install-buildsystem
https://lede-project.org/docs/guide-developer/use-buildsystem

Thanks hnyman. I will try soon... promised, but meanwhile if someone could compile one for testing multi-ssid with this Broadcom chips, I would be very grateful.

TIA

@Willy
I'm not a developer but I've compiled a Gargoyle image for BRCM63xx using the method described by "succo" on the Gargole forum, you posted above.

I have a AR-5381u version
"gargoyle_1.9.x-brcm63xx-generic-AR-5381u-squashfs-cfe.bin" that I've uploaded here:

_https://www.4shared.com/folder/QxwBSH5y/_online.html

..... if you want to try it. Entirely at you own risk!!! It could well brick your device.

Unfortunately, the version for my TG582N
"gargoyle_1.9.x-brcm63xx-generic-A4001N-squashfs-cfe.bin"
is too big 10.6MB for the unit's 8MB flash so I cannot test it myself.
I'm trying to find out how to compile a smaller version. I am a novice when it comes to cross-compiling in linux.
You may wish to wait for me to test on my router first!

Hopefully, if we can provide proof of concept the developer's here will give LEDE AP+Client support for the BRCM63xx chip routers.

Hi 007.4
Thanks but... I couldn't download your file. All the download links at 4shared.com were "tricky". Do you have a direct download link?
Thanks.

Finally I downloaded the file "gargoyle_1.9.x-brcm63xx-generic-AR-5381u-squashfs-cfe.bin" for my Contrend AR-5381u but it didn't work.
I can access the router and everything seems to work, even I can change the configuration but... when I change the wireless configuration and click on "Save Changes", stay with a screen saving forever and when finally timeout nothing change. So I accessed the the router with WinSCP and I've copied "network" and "wireless" configuration files from another router working on "Client+AP" mode, and it doesn't work too. So things are not so easy and maybe developers here will not give "Client+AP" support for Broadcom 63xx because we can't make it work. As a curiosity, the file "wireless" didn't exist in "config" folder before I copied.
Could someone in this forum help us in this issue? I think there are many routers this chip all over the world :slight_smile:.

Please... could someone compile a firmware for Comtrend AR-5381u with Broadcom 6328 with Jow's instructions "try replacing kmod-b43 + wpad with kmod-brcm-wl + wlc + nas", to test it.

TIA

I couldn't wait. I did it myself with a workaround, without compiling. From "Software" in Luci I've removed kmod-b43 and wpad, and then I've installed kmod-brcm-wl + wlc + nas. It doesn't work.
I used the last snapshot from jun 04 2017, installed Luci gui and then did this changes. Client+AP doesn't work, so now the owners of broadcom 63xx need developers help more than ever, or all of this is over.

TIA