Installing OpenWrt on Bright Box (R) Wireless Router EE

Hi.
I played lately with Bright Box (R) Wireless Router EE. It's probably the missing device from https://openwrt.org/toh/arcadyan/ar7516 (standing version produced since 2016). It has different hardware than previous version of Bright Box 1 but i managed to install OpenWrt version from Comtrend AR-5315u (it has same main hardware). I thought this will be good place to put info on this hardware:
PROCESSOR BCM6318KMMLG
FLASH MX25L12835FMI
RAM EM6AB160TSE-5G
WIFI BCM43217TKMLG
There is serial port (3v3) on board like on picture (Tx and Rx might be other way)


Bootloader is CFE. CFE web page and serial console is secured with password, login "bootloader", password "ji3Ao6u.3". To unlock console you just type password. Bootloader checks for magic string and CRC at the end of bootloader binary. There is possibility that adding string and CRC to OpenWrt image would allow to install it on unmodified CFE but i preferred to change CFE (modified from AR-5315u) and use pure images. So CFE is https://yadi.sk/d/kOttEQ3CUnXz5g md5sum:6ab54cfc5fd77dec26aba3fa431db628.
Installation process is similar to other devices with CFE bootloader:
turn off
press reset
turn on and keep reset about 5s
enter into browser 192.168.1.1 (you should have interface on your computer from this subnet like 192.168.1.100)
login:bootloader
password:ji3Ao6u.3
upgrade bootloader with CFE_BBR.bin (similar to CFE-AR5315u-OEM-nvr.bin with added part to pass brightboxr validity check)
after reboot enter new CFE webpage and install openwrt image (I used openwrt-19.07.4-brcm63xx-generic-AR5315u-squashfs-cfe.bin)

OpenWrt seems to work ok after this, but there are few things that could be fixed:

  1. LED and switches are wrong, Reset switch is on WIFI switch.
  2. MAC address is stored in bootloader part, so it is replaced after installing CFE. Best solution for now is to force it on interface in OpenWrt.

Bootloader from earlier Bright Box 1 have the same validation method so it will be recognized as proper binary, but it's build for different chip so it will brick your device. Unbricking after flashing bad bootloader will require desoldering flash memory and programming it externally (best with original software) so before playing with that it's better to make own copy.
If I have some free time in future (haha good joke :slight_smile: ) I'll try to build proper image but if someone have this hardware and skills please feel free :).

1 Like

wow, that's very useful. managed to install OpenWRT 19.07.6 using instructions and the Comtrend image. cheers