Installing OpenWRT into Linksys E8450 with 1.2.00 firmware

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I have just purchased a Linksys E8450 to replace my Netgear.

I found the GitHub site, as discussed on the Table of Hardware, https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer and have been trying to follow the instructions there.

The video on that page does not seem to want to work for me, using either Brave or Chrome, so I am going by the instructions on that page.

I can connect to the box, using just my machine, and do get a web page, showing Firmware version 1.2.00, and a page asking me to accept the Terms, etc.

I click "Next," and get told that the WAN cable is not connected. There is NO Cancel button on that page. I click Next, and get taken back to the Terms page and Next from there goes back to the "No WAN" page.

I do not seem to find any way to continue.

Help, please?

Thanks,
Brian

2

First things first, try an old version of Firefox from around 2020-2021. There should be portable versions available for most computing platforms. Many of the stock firmwares for this device and others used old coding techniques that violate security standards of modern browsers, leading to “forgetfulness” and loops like this. It most often presents as an unending circle of successful login which will immediately drop back to the login prompt.

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3

I found a Mozilla page that seemed to have several different versions, some apparently going back to 2004!

I have unpacked quite a few tarballs, and tried to run "firefox-bin" from those, and many of them have instant Tab Crashes for any new tab.

Unfortunately, that does not help. "Fixes" that are recommended include turning off "performance optimization," but nothing seems to help.

Can you recommend a particular version that might work for me?

Thanks,
Brian

4

Sadly, different operating systems and computer configurations can sometimes make finding the perfect older version difficult. If you’re running Linux, you might actually do better trying to run an appimage-packaged version (or even the Windows version via WINE) to avoid issues with conflicting dependencies. If you’re running Windows, a “portable” version of Firefox ESR around version 78 might be a safe option.

Worst case, you can always open the case, connect to the router’s serial console, and use the U-Boot (bootloader) menu to instruct the router to install the OpenWRT UBI installer as its firmware image. The only downsides to that method are that it takes a bit of extra work, and you need a 3.3v serial to USB adapter. It also voids your warranty, but installing OpenWRT via any means will likely count toward that.

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5

Thank you. Yes, I did not say that I am running Linux ( Ubuntu ) in the machine where I am trying to do this.

I will try searching for Appimage, although your WINE version might work, too.

Brian

6

I have been hunting for older browsers that will work, with no success.

I have found a whole series of older versions of Firefox and either the tabs crash on opening, or the web page is the same as a modern browser.

Appimage only offered me the current version. I also tried various versions of Windows Firefox, and had no success, there, either.

I am going to try disconnecting the working system from the incoming WAN port and plugging that in to the new box, as a last resort.

Frustrated,
Brian

7

OK, sort of.

I was able to get through the Wizard by doing the above.

From GitHUB, I had downloaded the three files shown:
openwrt-mediatek-filogic-asus_zenwifi-bt8-ubootmod-initramfs-recovery-installer.trx
openwrt-mediatek-filogic-asus_zenwifi-bt8-ubootmod-initramfs-recovery.itb
openwrt-mediatek-filogic-asus_zenwifi-bt8-ubootmod-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb

Following the instructions, I went to Administration->FirmwareUpgrade and selected:
openwrt-mediatek-filogic-asus_zenwifi-bt8-ubootmod-initramfs-recovery-installer.trx

And was told that the Image File was Incorrect.

I also tried uploading the other two files, and was told the same thing.

Is it time to give up and try to find another router that can do Gigabit on the LAN side and will actually load OpenWRT?

If so, what does everybody recommend?

More frustrated,
Brian

8

These aren't the files you you should use - like the filenames say, they're for an Asus ZenWifi BT8, not your Linksys E8450.

I guess, https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer/releases/tag/v1.1.4 is the right path, but @daniel will know better.

Edit:
Because the Belkin RT3200 is the same device as your E8450, the instructions for this model are linking to these files:

There you'll find the files (linksys_e8450-...) for the actual release.

9

@elder_tinkerer is correct. V. 1.1.4 is what you need. You’ll want the files

https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer/releases/download/v1.1.4/openwrt-24.10.0-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-initramfs-recovery-installer.itb

https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer/releases/download/v1.1.4/openwrt-24.10.0-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb

The first file is the UBI installer. That is the one you need to load first. That one will reboot a couple of times before it finishes. When it is done (solid blue power LED), connect to the new web page with your regular browser and install the -sysupgrade.itb file. That will leave you on OpenWRT 24.10.0. Alternatively, you can use the above linked file with -installer- in the name and then the most up-to-date sysupgrade file from the OpenWRT firmware selector for the e8450 (make sure you chooser the UBI version) and that will give you a working 24.10.4 install. Do not forget to install a sysupgrade file after loading the installer file. The installer file alone will only configure your device with a recovery environment. It does not include a full firmware.

10

Thank you. I trusted the link in the GitHUB page that said that it was for the e8450.

I will try again in the morning.

11

Well, I tried the new "recovery" file, openwrt-24.10.0-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-initramfs-recovery-installer.itb, and, just for fun also tried openwrt-24.10.4-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb and both time was told, again, that the "Image File is Incorrect."

Is there any point in trying to build the software from source, or should I send this back and try something else?

All I need is a box that will connect to WAN and provide multiple 1+GB LAN ports.

Brian

12

Ok, you might have a router on the later version that requires signed binaries. In place of the recovery installer linked above, try the file

https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer/releases/download/v1.1.4/openwrt-24.10.0-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-initramfs-recovery-installer_signed.itb

This file includes the digital signature, so it will work for the versions of stock firmware that require it (1.2.00.273012 or newer).

I do not recommend building OpenWRT from source unless you are looking to get into development testing. Home-built versions will receive little to no support from the community because there are far, far too many ways it could break or differ from the official builds in ways that people have no way to identify.

13

That's why I have been depending on the "pre-made" binaries in all the time that I have been using OpenWRT.

I will try this file and report back.

B

14

Success!!!

In the Linksys, I uploaded that file and clicked "Start Upgrade."

After a while, I got the browser "Your connection is not secure" message, and continued.

At that point, I was in OpenWRT, and was prompted to do a firmware upgrade.

I uploaded the file and appeared to have a working system.

I then told it to upload the backup that I had made from my working Netgear, and can't seem to connect to the system any more.

Two steps forward and one back?

Brian

15

That is a terrible idea, you better not restore with a backup from a different router

See: https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/troubleshooting/failsafe_and_factory_reset

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16

So I see. I thought that I was only uploading configuration files for things like firewall, port forward and the like.

I will do the Failsafe process.

Thank you,
Brian

17

Thank you all for your assistance.

I have regained access to the system, and am working on the manual re-configuration for my network.

Brian

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18

Glad to hear all is well!

If you haven’t done so yet, you may want to log into the device via SSH and take a backup of the ‘factory’ UBI volume and/or the boot_backup data. Although the e8450 can be recovered from nearly any sort of flash corruption, the ‘factory’ volume is unique to each individual device.

The configuration archives tend to contain a lot of device-specific (and sometimes even version-specific) settings. Device/interface names differ between different devices, so restoring a configuration from a completely different piece of hardware will frequently soft-brick a device and require a fail-safe reload. Even across major OpenWRT versions, there can be quirks and breakages when restoring configurations.

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19

Thank you. I also had an old backup from five years ago or so, when I was using OpenWRT last, and was using the configuration files ( things like port forwards ) to remind myself of what my network wanted, when I was building the Netgear, but thought that I could use the Netgear backup to just jump-start this e8450, but I was obviously wrong.

Yes, I will make such a backup.

I am slowly re-learning OpenWRT. I used it for years, but then used commodity routers for a few years, and had forgotten much of what I used to know.

Thanks again,
Brian