Linksys EA7500 V2 Installation Failing

Just to start out: This is my first time using OpenWRT, so I apologize if I am painfully showing my inexperience here.

I am trying to install OpenWRT on my Linksys EA7500 V2. From my understanding, this router has a dual-boot system, where one boot partition keeps the OEM firmware as a backup in the event of a failed flashing of the primary boot partition or three failed reboots.

I've tried to install OpenWRT through the OEM firmware's web-based update feature. I had read that flashing OpenWRT may fail on the first attempt because of the router's dual-boot system. As it happened, I ran into this issue and attempted to resolve it by following the instructions of the EA7500 V2's device page, which suggested reflashing the OEM firmware and then retrying OpenWRT. I've following these instructions several times, but have thus far been unsuccessful. Instead of booting OpenWRT, the router simply reboots to the OEM firmware, as described on the device page. I am using ramips/mt7621 21.02.1 (r16325-88151b8303) factory OpenWRT firmware.

I've done a fair amount of searching, but have been unable to find a solution to this problem, even on these forums. Is there anything else I can try? Please let me know if there are any more pieces of information that I should provide. Any help would be appreciated.

See this post

https://forum.openwrt.org/t/problem-installing-on-linksys-ea7500v2/116253/9

I have read in another post if OpenWrt fails to acquire an IP address on its WAN port using DHCP for EA6350 v4, it may revert back to booting OpenWrt. Is the WAN port of your router connected to your LAN during OpenWrt installation?

Thanks for the response. All the times I've attempted to install the OpenWRT firmware, I've kept the WAN port on my router connected. Maybe it is still failing to acquire an IP address, despite being connected?

Do you have any other spare regular router?

It probably does not need to be connected to internet. Just connect EA7500 v2 WAN port to spare LAN port and perhaps try OpenWrt installation.

Unclear whether or not @scurvybob ever succeeded with installing OpenWrt onto his second EA7500 v2.

Unfortunately I don't. This is the only router I have access to.

Perhaps take the EA7500 round to a friend or relative's house and connect it to their ISP router?

While it would technically work, I'm unfortunately not in a position where I can leave the router offline for extended periods of time, which would be required for me to do that. If my only option is to use an additional router I think I just might be out of luck for using OpenWRT here.

Would it be possible to somehow use a VM running another instance of OpenWRT to assign an IP address to my physical router? Doing something like connecting the WAN port on the router to an Ethernet port which has been passed to the OpenWRT guest?

I've looked at the OpenWRT on VirtualBox HowTo page, but I'm not sure if it would allow me to solve my problem.

Using Virtual box is possible.

I don't know what OS you run? I wonder if it is possible to use a portable DHCP server app to run on a spare computer wired to EA7500 wan port?

Here's one I randomly found for Windows 10 for example.
http://www.dhcpserver.de/cms/

Random Google searched instructions for ubuntu
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-setup-a-dhcp-server-with-ubuntu-server-18-04/

As an alternative, could you ask friends and family to see if they have any unwanted router that you could borrow?

Also as the EA7500 is your only router, have you considered the small risk that if you totally brick the EA7500, it will leave you without internet access until you buy a new router?

I'm currently running Windows 10. I'm in a bit of a weird position right now that results in me only having access to this one router (unless I purchase another, which while its something I'd rather not have to do it's certainly not an impossibility). I have considered the risk of bricking my current EA7500, but from my understanding it is a pretty unlikely outcome, unless of course I've misjudged the risk. Like I said, I'd prefer not to spend the money for a second (or a replacement) router if I don't need to, but if push comes to shove I can.

With regards to running a DHCP server, I am correct in my understanding that I would have to connect the physical router to the server via its WAN port, right? What you're suggesting is doing what I described in my previous reply, just using a DHCP server running on a host machine, rather than a VM guest.

Looking at the wiki page I previously linked, would the correct VM configuration be to bridge my host's Ethernet port as the guest's third network adapter? That is what the wiki page seems to suggest. I tried this, but was met the same unsuccessful result as with my previous attempts. Perhaps I configured the VM incorrectly. What I had done was configure the first adapter to be host-only, the second to be NAT, and the third to be a bridge to the Ethernet port.

Sorry, I can't help with OpenWrt on VirtualBox.

I suggested DHCP server app on a spare PC, because using VirtualBox seemed like 'overkill', provided you can get it working.

This may be helpfull. It's not the same device, but the software and issue should be almost identical.

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Fair enough. I had originally thought to look to VirtualBox because it was a tool set I already had set up, so why not try it? If you think using a simple DHCP server and connecting the router via the WAN port is my best bet, that's what I'll go with. I really appreciate your help. Thank you!

I'll provide my procedure here for others in the future with this problem if I get it working.

I had looked over that page and aside from the odd bootcounter bug with the EA7300 V2 the EA7500 V2 looks nearly identical. From my understanding of the bootcounter issue, it is possible to install OpenWRT (after manually reflashing the OEM firmware), but unless the S_ENV partition is removed OpenWRT will become unbootable after three power cycles, meaning that the bootcounter is incorrectly incremented on successful boots of OpenWRT. There is no mention of this issue on the EA7500 V2 wiki page, but if I run into it I'll reference the EA7300 V2's page. Thanks for the link!

Despite being flashed and bootable, the OpenWrt partition is not declared as valid. And so after three boots, the booloader switch to the other partition. The goal is to install OpenWrt on partition A while Linksys firmware is on B.
Of course I can't guarantee that this trick will work onto the EA7500v2, but it may be a clue.

Ahh. Alright that makes sense to me. I had misinterpreted what that page said. I'm glad I restated it so you could point out I was wrong. I imagine that if I go this route I run the risk of bricking the router because I won't be able to "reset" or boot back to the OEM firmware, right? Like you said, this fix may not even apply to the EA7500 V2, or at least my situation.

no I never got it installed. I suspected somethings up with this particular hardware so need to add a serial cable to debug.

Although, come to think of it I did the original working install on my other device via a snapshot build (as at the time, the 7500v2 wasn't yet fully supported). I'm wondering now if maybe something got broke in the latest official release... it's not a high priority for me now but maybe I'll try using an old snapshot or something one time.

Yes I can't guarante that the fix could apply to the EA7500v2, although both devices are very close.
If you flash OpenWrt on both partitions, I don't know if any will still be declared valid after three reboots. I didn't dare to try, I don't have much experience with Linksys double partitions. The only other Linksys device I have (MR8300) has no such issue.

I wanted to leave a final reply for anyone in the future encountering the same issues as I did with the EA7500 V2. As it currently stands, I've given up/postponed installing OpenWRT on my router. If at some point in the future I try again and manage to get OpenWRT installed successfully, I'll share what worked for me and update the EA7500 V2 wiki page. Until then, assume I haven't tried @badulesia's suggestion or otherwise gotten OpenWRT to work on my device. Thank you all so much for your help!

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I flashed EA7500 V2 with OpenWRT factory version successfully today with the instructions here I found. 1. Flash back the OEM firmware. 2. Reset the router to original setting in GUI. 3. Flash the OpenWRT firmware, the router will restart and wait for the light to be stable. Logging with 192.168.1.1, then the OpenWRT GUI came out.

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