Support for new Archer c50 v3.0

vspgarcia · October 7, 2017, 10:34pm

Hello guys

I would like to know if the new TpLink Archer C50 v3.0 supports the LEDE / OpenWrt firmware ? It´s very similar to Archer C50 v1.0 (MT7628A vs MT7620A)

Thanks

tmomas · October 8, 2017, 6:24am

For reference: Hardware specs v1 vs. v3:
https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_Archer_C50_v1.x
https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_Archer_C50_v3.x

vspgarcia · October 12, 2017, 2:18pm

Is anyone working on LEDE firmware for v3.0 Archer c50 ?

Thanks

menkatek · December 14, 2017, 11:11pm

Hopefully not, because the v2 was a disaster. This entire model should be thrown out.

vspgarcia · December 14, 2017, 11:57pm

But while version 2 is equipped with qualcomm chip, version 1 and 3 are with mediatek chips, with small enhancement between them

Vikapone · December 19, 2017, 8:45am

I am also interested in LEDE firmware for this device, maybe there are plans to prepare it?

Holyyshek · December 19, 2017, 6:12pm

Same.. I am also looking for lede for version 3 as it is pretty much a version 1 without USB.

Hope someones working on it.

robimarko · December 19, 2017, 6:44pm

@Holyyshek @Vikapone Its not pretty much as v1 as it uses a lot simpler and cheaper SoC.
Not to mention that mt76 driver is not really good for MT7628

I am working on it,but since I do not have access to one it will be tricky.
Thankfully GPL sources are available.

I got most of the stuff prepared in my source tree but I need bootlog to check if flash layout is correct

Heinz · December 19, 2017, 10:12pm

HI. I Try create test image for this router:
Check my commit:
https://github.com/lede-project/source/commit/e8f9eb7cca196bc7476dd1be1b87552b435bdeb2

Image file:

Please check first MAC address on WAN/LAN/WLAN/WLAN5G interfaces then use firmware upgrade with *factory.bin file.
If This file not working, use recovery image in recovery mode.

Holyyshek · December 22, 2017, 1:02pm

Thank You for the support.

Holyyshek · December 22, 2017, 1:07pm

Hey I tried all the three versions with TFTP. Non of them work.
I am unable to TFTP the original firmware too.
Thank for the effort tho. Maybe the next revision works.

Heinz · December 22, 2017, 3:18pm

Sysupgrade work only when You update firmware from OpenWrt/LEDE.
Recovery TFTP must work or brick Your device. Check Your TFTP server and disable firewall when use recovery mode.
I dont known why factory image is not accepted.

Try again recovery mode:
Server IP 192.168.0.66
rename ****-tftp-recovery.bin file to tp_recovery.bin

Flash instruction in on this commit message:

github.com/lede-project/source

ramips: add support for TP-Link TL-WR840N v4 and TL-WR841N v13

committed 08:37AM - 29 Jun 17 UTC

pepe2k

+287 -1

TP-Link TL-WR840N v4 and TL-WR841N v13 are simple N300 routers with 5-port FE sw…itch and non-detachable antennas. Both are very similar and are based on MediaTek MT7628NN (aka MT7628N) WiSoC. The difference between these two models is in number of available LEDs, buttons and power input switch. This work is partially based on GitHub PR#974. Specification: - MT7628N/N (580 MHz) - 64 MB of RAM (DDR2) - 8 MB of FLASH - 2T2R 2.4 GHz - 5x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet - 2x external, non-detachable antennas - UART (J1) header on PCB (115200 8n1) - TL-WR840N v4: 5x LED (GPIO-controlled), 1x button - TL-WR841N v13: 8x LED (GPIO-controlled*), 2x button, power input switch * WAN LED in TL-WR841N v13 is a dual-color, dual-leads type which isn't (fully) supported by gpio-leds driver. This type of LED requires both GPIOs state change at the same time to select color or turn it off. For now, we support/use only the green part of the LED. Factory image notes: These devices use version 3 of TP-Link header, fortunately without RSA signature (at least in case of devices sold in Europe). The difference lays in the requirement for a non-zero value in "Additional Hardware Version" field. Ideally, it should match the value stored in vendor firmware header on device ("0x4"/"0x13" for these devices) but it seems that anything other than "0" is correct. We are able to prepare factory firwmare file which is accepted and (almost) correctly flashed from the vendor GUI. As it turned out, it accepts files without U-Boot image with second header at the beginning but due to some kind of bug in upgrade routine, flashed image gets corrupted before it's written to flash. Tests showed that the GUI upgrade routine copies value of "Additional Hardware Version" from existing firmware into offset "0x2023c" in provided file, _before_ storing it in flash. In case of vendor firmware upgrade files (which all include U-Boot image and two headers), this offset points to the matching field in kernel+rootfs firmware part header. Unfortunately, in case of LEDE factory image file which contains only one header, it points to the offset "0x2023c" in kernel image. This leads to a corrupted kernel and ends up with a "soft-bricked" device. The good news is that U-Boot in these devices contains well known tftp recovery mode, which can be triggered with "reset" button. What's more, in comparison to some of older MediaTek based TP-Link devices, this recovery mode doesn't write whole file at offset "0x0" in flash, without verifying provided file in advance. In case of recovery mode in these devices, first "0x20000" bytes are always skipped and "0x7a0000" bytes from rest of the file are stored in flash at offset "0x20000". Flash instruction: Until (if at all) TP-Link fixes described problem, the only way to flash LEDE image in these devices is to use tftp recovery mode in U-Boot: 1. Configure PC with static IP 192.168.0.66/24 and tftp server. 2. Rename "lede-ramips-mt7628-tl-wr84...-squashfs-tftp-recovery.bin" to "tp_recovery.bin" and place it in tftp server directory. 3. Connect PC with one of LAN ports, press the reset button, power up the router and keep button pressed for around 6-7 seconds, until device starts downloading the file. 4. Router will download file from server, write it to flash and reboot. To access U-Boot CLI, keep pressed "4" key during boot. Signed-off-by: Piotr Dymacz <pepe2k@gmail.com>

Holyyshek · December 22, 2017, 6:16pm

Hey Heinz thanks for the quick support. Initially I flashed my device from stock firmware to openwrt factory.. The device stopped responding after that.

I then upload the recovery firmware using tftp(after renaming it tp_recovery). The upload was successful.
Still not working. Thanks again for the quick revert.

Holyyshek · December 22, 2017, 7:16pm

Does the EU version have a different open wrt flash file?

Heinz · December 22, 2017, 7:20pm

Hi @Holyyshek,

Bootloop? Or any led is powered? Did You try turn on WiFi using WiFi key?

Here is OEM recovery file:

Holyyshek · December 23, 2017, 8:43am

Hey Heinz
Thanks for the quick response.
The stock firmware recovery file given in the link provided by you does work. Thanks.

After recovering stock firmware I again tried flashing :

openwrt-ramips-mt76x8-c50-v3-squashfs-factory.bin to the router using GUI of the stock firmware.
Result: the router stopped responding with all lights on the routers blinking at regular interval.

I recovered the firmware to stock firmware using TFTP again.
2) Then I flashed the file openwrt-ramips-mt76x8-c50-v3-squashfs-factory.bin to router using TFTP after renaming the file to tp_recovery
Result: Same- the router stopped responding with all lights on the routers blinking at regular interval.

I recovered the firmware to stock firmware using TFTP again.
3) Then I flashed the file openwrt-ramips-mt76x8-c50-v3-squashfs-tftp-recovery.bin to router using TFTP after renaming the file to tp_recovery
Result: only one light is continuously lit(depending on the port in which the Lan is connected) and again no response on both LAN and WIFI.Even if the LAN wire is removed the light stays on.

On the stock firmware router model number is : -
Hardware version:Archer C50 v3 00000001
Firmware version:0.9.1 0.4 v0079.0 Build 170608 Rel.35472n(4555)

On the box my model number is : Archer C50(EU) Ver:3.0

Thank you so much for the help!

Heinz · December 23, 2017, 9:13am

You are using a file downloaded from the tplink site?
You only change the name? or cut something in the file?

Holyyshek · December 23, 2017, 9:15am

No Using the file in the link provided by you. Using TFTP.

Holyyshek · December 23, 2017, 9:15am

I only changed the name. (rename)

Heinz · December 23, 2017, 9:58am

New firmware:

Use only tftp-sysupgrade

new build: https://tplinkforum.pl/t/archer-c50v3-openwrt/9953/3