OpenWrt on Hitron HT-ENMA MoCA-enabled Wireless Extender

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hi, I need some advice if possible. I have an old MoCA 2.0 device that's a Wireless extender/AP with MoCA 2.0 capabilities. It's not being used anymore so I was thinking about doing a bit of DIY to see if I can get OpenWrt and add a USB port to use it as a NAS. Hitron has pretty much refused to respond to me. It has MediaTek MT7620A+MT7612E chips, a separate controller for the MoCA I/Os by Entronic, and EM6818.

I know there are other routers with a very similar specs, but I'm wondering what is the easiest way to repurpose this thing. Any suggestions, both including or not including OpenWrt?

2

Question: Do you intend to have working MoCA?

I ask because the MoCA drivers are unavailable to the public. Meaning, there's no third-party firmware with working coax Ethernet.

3

It still makes an extender with 2 ethernet ports.

Can you get boot log from OEM web interface?
Link to a place fw upgrades are given to public?
Can you easily open the device and make pictures from insides?

4

Nah I don't care about the MoCA. I just want to find a way to use the chip, it's a waste otherwise.

1 Like
5

Yeah I have it opened up, but boot.log I will try to find a way to get it. Hitron has it pretty locked down. The firmware upgrades are only shared via email from them, there's no public access process.

6

Pcb photos would help identifying diagnostic ports like serial.

7

I will take proper ones later but meanwhile here's the image from FCC. The internal pics of the device

1 Like
8

Etron - 64MB sdram
Mediateks - check
Many cable transformers.
None of photographs show the chip on underside
4 points next to circular jtag are likely serial, but measure voltages.
Could not locate flash rom in pics. If it is 8MB then OpenWrt will discontinue it soon, next release or one later. 16mb has some hope.

9

I hope this helps. Thank you, please let me know if you need any other information. I'll try to re-assemble and get boot.log if possible.

Back of board - alternate
Back of board - alternate1920×1485 254 KB

10

One by one it is.

Back of board - Bond Winbond chip
Back of board - Bond Winbond chip1920×1440 248 KB

11

I would like to use a single reply but I have to put photos up one at a time.

Back of board - closeup of chip
Back of board - closeup of chip1920×2560 418 KB

12

Here goes, just a couple more.

Front of board - Overall V3
Front of board - Overall V31920×2690 506 KB

13

One more after this.

Front of board - near power supply
Front of board - near power supply1920×1440 218 KB

14

Is it me or does it seem like this is very overspecced for a wireless extender?

Front of board - MT7612E shield
Front of board - MT7612E shield1920×1440 159 KB

15

The octagons are amplifiers aka LNA

In your last picture you see that macro on chips works best, look at them if numbers get readable.

on the back
– winbond w25..128: 128M-bit / 16M-byte spi flash.

woohoo your unit has pins solderen on serial header :wink:

16

@brada4 if you're referring to the chip that's next to the 3R3 amp, it's RT7281 GSP4152V.

By the way these things cost like 20 bucks.

17

winbond on the back is 16MB flash. and serial header is soldered. happy hacking, next is to interrupt uboot if possible, back up flash contetnt. binwalk it, etc.
I see only one ethernet port? Not that it is a problem, but limits usability as the router.

18

Yeah that's the issue... but I only intend to use it as a nas so more important I need to add a usb port or two, and figure out how to remove the MoCA stuff. Thanks for the advice! Will start to work on this.

19

measure voltage on pins... Should be 3.3V normally
type help in uboot, there could be a way to netboot OpenWrt.
Then record full boot log (maybe needs removing "quiet" boot option)
If you manage real OpenWrt moca is of zero concern, it will just do nothing.
For soldering USB - first measure if supposed USB power pins are actually powered.