Newb trying to install to a XR500/R7800 help

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I must be doing something wrong but a little unsure what that might be :joy:

I have a XR500 with V2.3.2.134 (DumaOS). I want to install OpenWrt and I have tried several times which results in the router going into a boot loop.
I have tried by using the GUI within Duma to flash and also tried Tftpd which results in the same issue so I end up using Tftpd to get back to V2.3.2.134.

I cant seem to find any info on what I might be doing wrong which may be down to my newbish aproach.

The file i am using is the one on the techdata for the XR500 https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/23.05.5/targets/ipq806x/generic/openwrt-23.05.5-ipq806x-generic-netgear_xr500-squashfs-factory.img

Any help would be much appreciated :+1:

2

Maybe try v24.10.rc4 and do check the sha256sum of the file
as it maybe, your downloaded file is bad
seem like everything else is working
do look up it's brother R7800 for tips as well

allso a note here https://openwrt.org/toh/netgear/r7800#broken_nand_chipsblocks

3

Thanks for the info Lucky1, I am guessing I have a bad nand.....
Editing the file is a little to complicated for me at the mo so I will just stick with Duma for now.

Thanks for the info :+1:

4

It's only a possibility, that's what it is
in some of these cases, the fix was to flash the initrams image
and flash sysupgrade from there
but I had a look, and it's not the same format as factory "factory has added header"
so hopefully someone out there with more intimate knowledge of these devices
can shed more light on this

if you could add R7800 to the title say XR500/R7800 more would look at it that know

1 Like
5

Thanks Lucky1, added R7800 to the title :+1:

6

Tftp is your best friend. I have flashed my R7800 with that for over 20 times during the past eight years when debugging my builds.

If you after tftp ended back to the previous firmware, the flashing process did not even start. (If it woul have started and got interrupted, your router would have no firmware. So, flashing did not start.) Likely the file was rejected.

You need to use the openwrt factory image with the tftp process, like you apparently did. So, it might be just the FTP transfer that fails / gets interrupted. Tftpd64 has worked for me as the windows client.

Read the instructions carefully.
https://openwrt.org/toh/netgear/r7800#prerequisites_for_tftp_flashing

1 Like
7

Thanks for your reply hnyman, I think Tftp was working correctly. When flashing OpenWrt factory it is showing the blocks been written and it confirms at the end of the flash.
Once complete the router power light goes solid and all the port lights flash once and around 30 seconds it repeats the led flash sequence and so on. I am unable to connect to the router in this state as connection is lost due to router being in reboot loop.
If I reflash with stock OEM the router is fine and back to normal. Thanks for the help :+1: