Link to the Backup Configuration File That has SSH enabled as per the guide.
If you are going to use the pre-configured router config file that enables SSH (recommended), you can download that from the forum.
Enable SSH on the router (choose either bullet point a OR bullet point b):
Upload the pre-configured router config file that you downloaded in Part 0.
Go to “System Settings” > “Configuration and Reset” tab.
Click “Select file”, choose backup.cfg, then click “Upload”.
Wait for the router to reboot.
Log into the router over SSH:
I am stuck at this part of the guide. 8b. I am installing the latest snapshot due to the device still kinda being under development, according to the guide on it's OpenWRT device page I provided in the previous post.
Change the boot command so it loads the initramfs image on next boot (fallback to OEM firmware is provided):
Before beginning, make sure to get a USB flash drive that you can format (you will lose all data on the flash drive). It will only need ~12MB of total space, so any flash drive should do.
Plug the USB flash drive into your computer and format it to have a FAT32 file system.
Done already as previously shown in the above pictures.
Keep this page open on your computer. You will temporarily lose internet access when you plug in your new router.
I have the page open on a secondary machine that is connected to the net via cellphone hotspot.
Download the three necessary images that will be used during installation. It is recommended to download all 3 images before installation
As shown above I have all the files they requested on the USB drive.
If you are going to use the pre-configured router config file that enables SSH (recommended), you can download that from the forum.
As shown in previous posts/pictures. I have the link, passwords, etc, and everything from this step.
Part 1 - Copy and boot initramfs
Complete 'Part 1 option A' OR 'Part 1 option B' to boot “initramfs”, then use Part 2 to install the “factory” OpenWrt image.
OPTION A
1 Copy the initramfs image to the FAT32-formatted flash drive from Part 0
Done. As shown in the pictures above.
Disconnect the USB flash drive from your computer and plug it into the USB port on the back of the router.
Plug an Ethernet cable into your computer, then plug the other end of the Ethernet cable into your router on one of the four LAN ports (labeled ETH1-ETH4) and NOT the WAN port (labeled INTERNET).
As shown in the previous photo the Ethernet cable is plugged into ETH1.
Enter the credentials found on the bottom of the router.
As you can see I was already logged into the router's GUI interface so I already entered the credentials. In this case since I already attempted this and was successful in loading the back up that enabled ssh my credentials currently are...
admin
askey1234
Enable SSH on the router (choose either bullet point a OR bullet point b):
7a. Upload the pre-configured router config file that you downloaded in Part 0.
I. Go to “System Settings” > “Configuration and Reset” tab.
II. Click “Select file”, choose backup.cfg, then click “Upload”.
III. Wait for the router to reboot.
IV. Log into the router over SSH:
The default LAN IP of the booted initramfs is 192.168.1.1. If you're unable to connect to 192.168.1.1, the initramfs boot failed, and the router is still running the Dynalink firmware.
WinSCP & scp now default to the SFTP protocol, make sure to tell your application to use the scp protocol.
Copy the OpenWrt factory image to the router and store it in /tmp
`$ scp openwrt-23.05.4-ipq807x-generic-dynalink_dl-wrx36-squashfs-factory.ubi root@192.168.1.1:/tmp/factory_image.ubi`
Am I trying to SSH back into the router but this time via the 192.168.1.1 address instead of the 192.168.216.1 address? This is where I am lost as to what to do next. The instructions aren't as obvious or as clear as they were up to this point.
Any help would be appreciated. Hopefully all the pictures and stuff help you get an idea of where I am at and what needs to be done next. I await a reply. Thank you!
My recent previous post has all that information for you to look over and get your bearings as to where I am at. Thank you for posting and trying to help. It is appreciated. I await your reply. Thank you!
Is this why we are scp'ing files? But doesn't that mean I need to have them on the host machine I am using with the router to copy them over shh? Does me copying over these files to the router provide a proper key which then allows me to ssh in again? Sorry just trying to understand what it is I am doing and why I am doing it. I could with everything before this but, this is where I am lost.
EDIT: Yes. You need to have the files for this step on your laptop that is connected to the router and you use the SCP protocol to transfer the files over into the router's /tmp directory. I had tried to do this on my linux laptop but it has very limited space and I couldn't get the image onto the linux laptop so I swapped over to Windows and used the application WinSCP.
Ah there it is. Thank you. I hate that the required information isn't on a single page and is instead spread across several different posts and pages and places, etc. Very disorganized in my opinion. Thank you for that link though.
4.2 If you have ever connected to another router, host key verification
failed may display: “Warning remotehost identification has changed!”
If this happens, run the command: ssh-keygen -f "~/.ssh/known_hosts" -R "192.168.216.1"
or navigate to ~/.ssh/ in your file browser and manually edit the known hosts file removing the conflicting entry.
Moving on to the next step. I will post progress updates.
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UPDATE1:
Since I was already successful with part 1 step 8,9,& 10.
Note the SSH login is now also changed to OpenWRT's root login since OpenWrt is flashed/installed. So the username will become: root instead of admin.
You need to set a temporary password for the router:
1.1 ssh root@192.168.1.1
1.2 passwd and enter a temporary password (Note, typing Passwords is usually not visible in terminal)
1.3 exit
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UPDATE 2:
When installing the SNAPSHOT do not use the normal command.
So on my local machine, not the USB that's plugged into the router??? Or am I trying to get at the USB on the back of the router via the router's terminal in SSH?
Now I am stuck here. How do I access the USB and it's files from the router's terminal? I've never used a linux terminal to navigate to a USB drive. Especially one without lsblk so I can see what is and isn't there.
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UPDATE 4:
Yes you scp from the laptop you are hooked up to the router with and transfer the file from the laptop to the router's /tmp directory. Then continue following the guide's instructions which are very straight forward and easy to follow and understand after that.
I had to switch from my linux laptop to a Windows Laptop and I used the program WINscp to transfer the files. Very easy and intuitive.
