Support for RTL838x based managed switches

ZyXEL uses bootstrap GPIOs to tell U-Boot which board it is running on. And their U-Boot reads this and translates it to a variable in the environment:

root@gs1900-10hp:~# fw_printenv boardmodel
boardmodel=ZyXEL_GS1900_10HP

The source doesn't mention rev A1 and B1, but it has "ZyXEL_GS1900_8HP", and "ZyXEL_GS1900_8HPv2". This might refer to those revisions since there only seem to be two.

Might be easier to have the seller send you a picture :slight_smile:

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It looks like the v1, since the v2 looks like the 10HP with the SFP ports left out.

on the console I get an V2

RTL838x# printenv
baudrate=115200
boardmodel=ZyXEL_GS1900_8HPv2
bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200 mem=64M quiet
bootcmd=cst fcTest; boota
bootdelay=0
ethact=rtl8380#0
ethaddr=60:31:97:80:4F:B3
ipaddr=192.168.1.1
netmask=255.255.255.0
serverip=192.168.1.111
stderr=serial
stdin=serial
stdout=serial

I have only 2 times the problem that the interface of one of my Aruba AP's went down. It had around 20 clients on that AP. I go and test it also with the default firmware if it also happens

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with the default firmware, a show running config gives also the version (revision B1)

GS1900# show running-config 
! System Description: ZyXEL GS1900-8HP Switch
! Revision: B1

Also the web interface gives the revision B1

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Thanks. Looks like the 8HP has 64 MiB on both revisions (yours says 64 MiB as well).

Edit: the B1 according to Wikidevi has 128 MiB of RAM?

@kroon040 I've been working on splitting/sharing the DTS stuff. Looks like all these are based on the same RTL8380M SoC:

  • GS1900-8
  • GS1900-8HP v1 (A1)
  • GS1900-8HP v2 (B1)
  • GS1900-10HP

Would you be willing to test the image? It's basically not much more than the DTS for the 10HP, stripped of the SFP stuff. No rush.

I have my v1 on the way, will be testing as well.

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BTW: Just if somebody else is interested in skimming through Zyxel's GPL drop as well.

Thank you for choosing Zyxel product.

The open source code package for GS1900-8HP(2.60(AAHI.2)C0) is ready.

Please download it from the below shared link.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WS0HSb2resbknHUtF2vBgFLuceYyVAQ9?usp=sharing

Please note that the shared link would be expired on January 11th, 2021.

Thank you.

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Lots of those here as well: https://biot.com/switches/gpl_source_drops. Seems like the 8HP v2/10HP models share the same PCB, and it looks like the 8 and 8HP v1 share the same one as well.

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@Borromini, I will check it later today.

I also noticed that the POE total on the GS1900-8HP is not 77W but 70W. so looks like the power source is somehow different

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Yes, it's 70W for the GS1900-8HP apparently. It will be pre-set when I get support merged.

@kroon040 Can you check if yours is using the same BCM59121B0KMLG controller as the GS1900-10HP? In your picture, it would be the bigger chip to the left of the Ethernet magnetic transformers (the four black boxes next to one another).

Just checked, and that's exactly the same files as the ones I got for the GS1900-10HP. As expected.

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Yeah it looks like one big archive for the whole GS1900 series.

It's hard to read but looks like the same

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Thanks, looks so indeed.

Anyone had experience with obtaining GPL source code from HPE? I have a 1910-8-PoE+ (JG537A, so a Realtek) lying around and like to port OpenWrt to it, too, but I haven't even seen any pointers to source code for OfficeConnect family. For ProCurve series I did find only this: https://www.arubanetworks.com/open_source/

As I have a Procurve 1820-24G running too, I'm willing to spend this 10$ for the cause and request the sources for both series, the only caveat is living in EU where mailing checks or cash looks a bit out of hand.

As for 1910-8-PoE+, I'm working to get a full flash dump first.

I'm currently in contact with HPE to get source code for the JG927A (1920-48G). Finding contact details hasn't been easy and I'm currently corresponding with someone from the security team. Which shouldn't be necessary, but HPE shouldn't be making this so hard...

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@bmork Any advice on naming for the GS1900-8HP versions in OpenWrt?

My v1 prints boardmodel=ZyXEL_GS1900_8HP, so it aligns with the source (this is a v1). I was thinking about using v1 and v2 (and probably separate 'top' DTS?).

Not sure if I'm the right person to answer this.

But are there any differences we need to put in the dts at all? Except for the board layout, the hardware seems to be the same?

The more I look at it the more it looks like, yes. this v1 is running the latest firmware (September 2020), and the v1 came onto the market around 2013 or 2014. I just figured out the RAM chip and it's 128 MiB as well, so just like the v2 and the 10HP.

Only question left would be if a firmware upgrade from the OEM interface (if it ever gets to that) would differentiate between v1 and v2? Would that warrant split out DTSes? Or is that a problem that can be tackled when it presents itself? :slight_smile:

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Ah, yes. HPE played Mikrotik game.

Anyway, that's some good news, I would be grateful if you'd share your findings here, when you're done. I'd very much like to get in touch with them as well. Or you could possibly also mention JG537A while at that :wink:
Not sure though if the people you're discussing with would be right for "ex-Aruba" hardware like my J9980A, but.. who knows. It introduces itself this way:
HPE OfficeConnect Switch 1820 24G J9980A, PT.02.09, Linux 3.6.5, U-Boot 2012.10-00116 (Jul 30 2014 - 10:52:01)
So for me it looks like a worthy candidate for porting. Same goes for Netgear S3300-28X, one of which I also have, but enough of this offtopic, they're not Realtek devices. :wink: