Netgear Nighthawk X4S R7800 as Master-WDS-AP

After I have installed a TP-Link Archer C7 as WDS-Client with a TP -Link TL-WR1043ND as Master-AP, the TL-WR1043ND should be exchanged by a Netgear Nighthawk X4S R7800.

https://openwrt.org/toh/hwdata/netgear/netgear_r7800 doesn't have a link for installation and https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=commit;h=823242185b56ea518568296f1a5834f736f12076 doesn't help me too.

First I would like to know, if there are different versions of the R7800? With the C7 I flashed a bin-file.

https://openwrt.org/toh/views/toh_available_864?dataflt[Model*~]=r7800 leads to https://openwrt.org/toh/netgear/r7800

Is http://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/18.06.1/targets/ipq806x/generic/openwrt-18.06.1-ipq806x-netgear_r7800-squashfs-factory.img the right file for a brandnew router?

Does the R7800 need a tftp-server on the pc? Or contains the R7800 a server itself? When I read https://openwrt.org/toh/netgear/r7800 it looks like the R7800 works as a client and as a server.

What do you recommend? I use an Ubuntu 18.04 netbook for flashing.

I think to configure the R7800 as WDS-master should be very easy.

In the Netgear recovery mode the router becomes a TFTP server at 192.168.1.1. You would use a TFTP client to send firmware to it. Your PC must be configured with a static IP in the 192.168.1.X range. Ubuntu comes with a CLI tftp client called tftp.

tftp -b 192.168.1.1
put firmware.img

Thanks for your reply!

https://openwrt.org/toh/netgear/r7800

  • Turn off the power, push and hold the reset button (in a hole on backside) with a pin

  • Turn on the power and wait till power led starts flashing white (after it first flashes orange for a while)

  • Release the reset button

How long do I have time to enter the tftp-command? Must it be fast?

Is tftp-hpa ok as client or must it be tftp?

Do I have to rename the img-file openwrt-18.06.1-ipq806x-netgear_r7800-squashfs-factory.img to a shorter name?

A few seconds, yes - in case of problems, put a simple unmanaged switch between your computer and the router (to avoid the link-down event and new link training).

Any tftp client should do.

Note for others, it worked fine, but

tftp -b 192.168.1.1
Usage: tftp [-4][-6][-v][-l][-m mode] [host [port]] [-c command]

$ dpkg -l | grep tftp
ii  tftp-hpa                               5.2+20150808-1ubuntu1.16.04.1              i386         HPA's tftp client
ii  tftpd-hpa                              5.2+20150808-1ubuntu1.16.04.1              i386         HPA's tftp server

I use tftp-hpa because tftpd-hpa worked for me out-of-the-box with Ubuntu 18.04. I needed the server to flash the Archer C7, in this case a client is needed only.

So it depends on the tftp-server if -b can be used. Prepared for this, since you are in a hurry executing the command after relesasing the needle. But I hat time enough after I entered the command with -b first.

I renamed the download to firmware.img

$ tftp  192.168.1.1
tftp> bin
tftp> put firmware.img
tftp> quit

Model
Netgear Nighthawk X4S R7800

Architecture
ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)

Firmware Version
OpenWrt 18.06.1 r7258-5eb055306f / LuCI openwrt-18.06 branch (git-18.228.31946-f64b152)

Kernel Version
4.14.63

root@R7800:~# iw list
Wiphy phy1
	max # scan SSIDs: 16
	max scan IEs length: 209 bytes
	max # sched scan SSIDs: 0
	max # match sets: 0
	max # scan plans: 1
	max scan plan interval: -1
	max scan plan iterations: 0
	Retry short limit: 7
	Retry long limit: 4
	Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
	Device supports AP-side u-APSD.
	Available Antennas: TX 0xf RX 0xf
	Configured Antennas: TX 0xf RX 0xf
	Supported interface modes:
		 * managed
		 * AP
		 * AP/VLAN
		 * monitor
		 * mesh point
	Band 1:
		Capabilities: 0x19ef
			RX LDPC
			HT20/HT40
			SM Power Save disabled
			RX HT20 SGI
			RX HT40 SGI
			TX STBC
			RX STBC 1-stream
			Max AMSDU length: 7935 bytes
			DSSS/CCK HT40
		Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
		Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 8 usec (0x06)
		HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-31
		Frequencies:
			* 2412 MHz [1] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2417 MHz [2] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2422 MHz [3] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2427 MHz [4] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2432 MHz [5] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2437 MHz [6] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2442 MHz [7] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2447 MHz [8] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2452 MHz [9] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2457 MHz [10] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2462 MHz [11] (30.0 dBm)
			* 2467 MHz [12] (disabled)
			* 2472 MHz [13] (disabled)
			* 2484 MHz [14] (disabled)
	valid interface combinations:
		 * #{ managed } <= 1, #{ AP, mesh point } <= 16,
		   total <= 16, #channels <= 1, STA/AP BI must match, radar detect widths: { 20 MHz (no HT), 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz }

	HT Capability overrides:
		 * MCS: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
		 * maximum A-MSDU length
		 * supported channel width
		 * short GI for 40 MHz
		 * max A-MPDU length exponent
		 * min MPDU start spacing
	Device supports VHT-IBSS.
Wiphy phy0
	max # scan SSIDs: 16
	max scan IEs length: 199 bytes
	max # sched scan SSIDs: 0
	max # match sets: 0
	max # scan plans: 1
	max scan plan interval: -1
	max scan plan iterations: 0
	Retry short limit: 7
	Retry long limit: 4
	Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
	Device supports AP-side u-APSD.
	Available Antennas: TX 0xf RX 0xf
	Configured Antennas: TX 0xf RX 0xf
	Supported interface modes:
		 * managed
		 * AP
		 * AP/VLAN
		 * monitor
		 * mesh point
	Band 2:
		Capabilities: 0x19ef
			RX LDPC
			HT20/HT40
			SM Power Save disabled
			RX HT20 SGI
			RX HT40 SGI
			TX STBC
			RX STBC 1-stream
			Max AMSDU length: 7935 bytes
			DSSS/CCK HT40
		Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
		Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 8 usec (0x06)
		HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-31
		VHT Capabilities (0x339b79fa):
			Max MPDU length: 11454
			Supported Channel Width: 160 MHz, 80+80 MHz
			RX LDPC
			short GI (80 MHz)
			short GI (160/80+80 MHz)
			TX STBC
			SU Beamformer
			SU Beamformee
			MU Beamformer
			MU Beamformee
			RX antenna pattern consistency
			TX antenna pattern consistency
		VHT RX MCS set:
			1 streams: MCS 0-9
			2 streams: MCS 0-9
			3 streams: MCS 0-9
			4 streams: MCS 0-9
			5 streams: not supported
			6 streams: not supported
			7 streams: not supported
			8 streams: not supported
		VHT RX highest supported: 1560 Mbps
		VHT TX MCS set:
			1 streams: MCS 0-9
			2 streams: MCS 0-9
			3 streams: MCS 0-9
			4 streams: MCS 0-9
			5 streams: not supported
			6 streams: not supported
			7 streams: not supported
			8 streams: not supported
		VHT TX highest supported: 1560 Mbps
		Frequencies:
			* 5180 MHz [36] (23.0 dBm)
			* 5200 MHz [40] (23.0 dBm)
			* 5220 MHz [44] (23.0 dBm)
			* 5240 MHz [48] (23.0 dBm)
			* 5260 MHz [52] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5280 MHz [56] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5300 MHz [60] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5320 MHz [64] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5500 MHz [100] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5520 MHz [104] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5540 MHz [108] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5560 MHz [112] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5580 MHz [116] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5600 MHz [120] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5620 MHz [124] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5640 MHz [128] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5660 MHz [132] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5680 MHz [136] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5700 MHz [140] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5720 MHz [144] (23.0 dBm) (radar detection)
			* 5745 MHz [149] (30.0 dBm)
			* 5765 MHz [153] (30.0 dBm)
			* 5785 MHz [157] (30.0 dBm)
			* 5805 MHz [161] (30.0 dBm)
			* 5825 MHz [165] (30.0 dBm)
			* 5845 MHz [169] (disabled)
	valid interface combinations:
		 * #{ managed } <= 1, #{ AP, mesh point } <= 16,
		   total <= 16, #channels <= 1, STA/AP BI must match, radar detect widths: { 20 MHz (no HT), 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz }

	HT Capability overrides:
		 * MCS: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
		 * maximum A-MSDU length
		 * supported channel width
		 * short GI for 40 MHz
		 * max A-MPDU length exponent
		 * min MPDU start spacing
	Device supports VHT-IBSS.

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