How to flash OpenWrt on E7350 with latest firmware?

Got an E7350 running the latest factory firmware (Ver. 1.1.00.033). I’ve tried to flash openwrt-ramips-mt7621-linksys_e7350-squashfs-factory.bin and it keep failing.

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try doing a reset, see if it downgrades itself.

Already tried that several times with no luck. After doing a little bit of research, I think the openwrt firmware might need to have some sort of embedded signature that a stock firmware file needs in order to accept it but I don't know how. I know it can be done because the E8450/RT3200 newer stock firmware apparently does the same thing and the openwrt developers managed to make a special initial flash file for openwrt to get the stock firmware to accept it.

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Are you getting any error message or is it just rebooting with the stock load?
I read somewhere that only one of the 2 partitions could be flashed....so in my case after trying a few time (it kept on coming back to stock), I ended upgrading with the stock firmware once (to switch used partition) and then it worked right away...
You said yours came back with latest, so not sure if it is an option for you. Not sure if you can flash the same version than the running one....
Hope it helps.

Geraud.

It gets to about 33% on the flash, says “flash unsuccessful” and then reboots. :(. Unfortunately the stock firmware will not let you flash a previous version and any new firmware has to be “signed”.

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Did you ever figure out how to flash it without going through UART serial connection?

This thread may be useful:

There is are a few links to the 1.1.00.015 firmware which does accept OpenWrt -- hopefully one or more of them still work.

EDIT: This one appears to work

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Thanks, the only issue is my device is already on 1.1.00 build 33 Sep 2, 2022 and I don't know how to downgrade :frowning:

does the 1.1.00 build refuse to accept the 1.1.00.015 firmware?

Unfortunately no. I get "upgrade failed" from the UI.

Bummer... I can't really experiment with my device since it is in use and would break things if I took it down.

If there is a 'rescue' flashing method, that might work... otherwise, I think it'll be a serial console that is required to flash the router.

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