[SOLVED] Belkin RT3200 - return to stable from snapshot and no wifi 5 Ghz

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello,
maybe this is a dumb question but I can't figure it out. It's the first time I want to use OpenWrt as main router. Before I used it only as dumb ap

I bought online a used Belkin RT3200 which came with a openwrt snapshot.
As it will be my main router, i flashed a sysupgrade of the stable release 23.5.05. I forced it cause of an error on something about 1.x 2.x

Now in the status i see correctly the stable version string but I'm missing radio1 interface, the 5ghz wifi.

I started searching for a solution and the all my doubs cames out.

I made a mistake flashing that?
How can I bring back 5ghz wifi?
maybe a fresh install of the stable? I saw however that the procedure didn't have a case like mine Snapshot => stable...

I'm concerned because this will be my production router and i need maximum stability
Thanks

2

You have to flash without keeping configuration, probably from failsafe mode.
Configs are never downgraded.

3

I've done that but from luci, not failsafe. So you are saying that normally that should work? I'll give a try.

Edit: in fail safe I see the the firmware is the previous snapshot…

4

Do you see network card in lspci?

5

I get a "lspci not found" in ssh.

In fail safe mode i see thet there is a snapshot version that is not there in normal boot.

6

no lspci on default install?

Anyway 5ghz radio is at '1a143000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0' 


config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path 'platform/18000000.wmac'
	option channel '13'
	option channels '1,5,9,13'
	option band '2g'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '0'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path '1a143000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
	option channel 'auto'
	option channels '36-64'
	option band '5g'
	option htmode 'HE40'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '1'
	option txpower '17'


root@OpenWrt-RT3200:/sys/devices/platform/1a143000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0# ls
aer_dev_correctable       device                    local_cpulist             power_state               resource4
aer_dev_fatal             devspec                   local_cpus                remove                    resource4_wc
aer_dev_nonfatal          dma_mask_bits             max_link_speed            rescan                    revision
ari_enabled               driver                    max_link_width            reset                     subsystem
broken_parity_status      driver_override           modalias                  reset_method              subsystem_device
class                     enable                    msi_bus                   resource                  subsystem_vendor
config                    ieee80211                 msi_irqs                  resource0                 uevent
consistent_dma_mask_bits  irq                       net                       resource0_wc              vendor
current_link_speed        leds                      of_node                   resource2
current_link_width        link                      power                     resource2_wc
root@OpenWrt-RT3200:/sys/devices/platform/1a143000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0#
7

That's why I can't sort it out.

I tried to put back a snapshot and the radio 1 5ghz came out again and it's working. I obviously had to reinstall manually Luci but setting stayed there. lspci always gives me the "not found" error.

What I would like it's a full restore on a stable release but i don't know how at this point. And I'm wondering why the failsalfe mode stayed with its own version on the system.

8

lspci command is part of pciutils package to list installed PCI devices.

Moving from snapshot to stable always needs full configuration reset. Just like any downgrade.

9

I never kept configuration during these test. There i something more I have to do?

10

Usually not, but no explanation why fresh boot did not detect wifi.

11

So, any suggestion?

Not a smooth start with a snapshot for my idea to have this main router with no problems and needs to touch it least possible :sweat_smile:

12

Suggestions on what? I think you left checkbox to preserve config.

13

Not when doing snapshot => stable. ONly in the last flash "stable" => snapshot I kept configs as the destination was not my desired one.

14

0.1% chance the card was shut down so well in snapshot that release could not recover it without poweroff. Like dual-booting windows to linux case.

15

Delete /etc/config/wireless and reboot. This will create a basic "firstboot" wireless config. Now configure your wifi from scratch.

1 Like
16

Thanks, i'll try that. But how can I know that this is the only thing incorrect after downgrading?
Iìs like to try a complete "first boot" not only for wireless... Is that possible?

17

If only the 5 GHz radio doesn't work I wouldn't worry about other configs. From my experience there's always a lot changing with WiFi, but other things are pretty stable. Usually device paths change or some options are renamed. I could give you some troubleshooting steps if you want or just reset the wireless config and redo it.

18

First boot after config reset generates new /etc/config/wireless
Out of consequence or coincidence 5ghz adapter did not start up
Option one:
rmmod/insmod
Option two
reset again
Option three
cold boot then reset

19

Thanks. In the meanwhile I took a screenshot of the error during flash of the stable. Maybe this is part of the problem?

Screenshot 2024-10-30 000454
Screenshot 2024-10-30 000454700×680 36.1 KB

20

Grow up, seriously, message says everything - you have to lose config but you demonstratively keep the config preservation checkbox on.