Support for Strong 1200

[hupzona]

This is the point why I was "stopped" to install it; I have seen you need to do 2 times fw install, first time with the "openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-initramfs-kernel.bin", after than the sysupgrade (openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin). But this was not described in details; for sure you wont have "normal" interface, only ssh; but what is the level of this firmware compared to having a full-functional openwrt. I would like to ask as well some more details;
If you succeed please share!
I planned to follow this info:https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/sysupgrade.cli
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/generic.sysupgrade
Thank you,

[hupzona]

Do you think it is safe to upgrade this to a Strong? I have downloaded it, but I am waiting for someone confirmation with more experience to avoid bricking my main router. Actually only one thing is badly configurable in Strong (for me) - the MAC filtering rules only allow 16 entries (why???); otherwise everything is "acceptable"; [but really far-far the possible options compared with my old TP-Link 1043ND]

[marcelhdhd]

Thanks tmomas for your fast answer,

I was under the impression that I had to use the snapshot builds since they were included in the main post.

However I don't understand how I can revert the process now. I tried to edit /etc/config/network to change the ip (to install Luci from command line) but got an error saying that I don't have any space left on the device. So I only have read access?

Then I changed the ip of my main router. Because both were 192.168.1.1

Now I had internet access on the Strong router.

I tried

opkg update

success

opkg install luci

error no space left

Thanks for your help

[vk496]

@hupzona

Dear vk496,
I would like to know, if the image is safely flashable to the device without any serial connection jig / equipment available.
I do not want to "open" the case of the router, nor solder it.

Thank you for your answer,

Yes, is safe. Only be sure of flashing the images from Drive (to have LuCi during the process). If you are comfortable with console and ssh, snapshots are fine.

@bdleonard

No need to open the router to access the serial to be able to flash it, but you need to be comfortable with ssh and the linux shell in order to do it. You install kmod-mtd-rw from opkg, load the mtd-rw module with the proper command, and use the mtd command to write the patched bootloader to the proper mtd partition containing the bootloader. When you reboot the router it will come up showing the full 2C/4T.

!!!!! If you do it wrong, you can brick the router. Especially if you don't check that the bootloader partition sha256 is correct (matching either "original" or "mod") BEFORE you reboot the router. !!!!!

Modifying the bootloader IS NOT PART of the process to install OpenWrt. Is completely optional and up to each one.

@hupzona

Thank you for the answer; this will be for me only the second step. First I would like to go from Strong fw to Openwrt one; with luci etc...
In case the bootloader is not modified the router performance will be "less" than previously with the orignal fw?

If you are not sure what you are doing, better stay away from the MOD (which is COMPLETLY OPTIONAL and UNRELATED to the OpenWrt flash process).

If you want LuCi after flashing, please, make sure you continue the process with images hosted on Google Drive and not the snapshots.

@hupzona

This is the point why I was "stopped" to install it; I have seen you need to do 2 times fw install, first time with the "openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-initramfs-kernel.bin", after than the sysupgrade (openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin). But this was not described in details; for sure you wont have "normal" interface, only ssh; but what is the level of this firmware compared to having a full-functional openwrt. I would like to ask as well some more details;
If you succeed please share!
I planned to follow this info:https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/sysupgrade.cli
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/generic.sysupgrade
Thank you,

First post edited with clarifications. Flashing through SSH the second image is pretty simple:

1. Copy the sysupgrade image from Drive to /tmp path of the router (other locations probably will not work)
2. Flash the new firmware: sysupgrade -n /tmp/openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

[marcelhdhd]

First post edited with clarifications. Flashing through SSH the second image is pretty simple:

1. Copy the sysupgrade image from Drive to /tmp path of the router (other locations probably will not work)
2. Flash the new firmware: sysupgrade -n /tmp/openwrt-ramips-mt7621-mtc_wr1201-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

Thanks for your reply. I started sysupgrade but sadly no open port besides 22/ssh on the router.

How can I reset the router with the factory image?

Is it
sysupgrade -n openwrt*revert-oem.bin?

[vk496]

You need to connect to the router through SSH and execute the commands there.

For going back to OEM firmware you need to do exactly the same, but using the OEM firmware provided in the Drive folder

[vk496]

Hello,

You flashed the firmware from snapahot builds and not from the Drive folder, this is why you don' have LuCi.

Don't use mtd. Let OpenWrt to decide what to do:

sysupgrade -n /tmp/sysupgrade.bin

BR

[bdleonard]

If you do nothing, the CPU performance would be the same as stock. Since the stock boot loader configuration does not initialize the second core, the stock firmware cannot use it either.

[hupzona]

Thank you; I will give a try later on.

[PianoTamer]

I have the HooToo variant, and applied the CPU Core Enable mod. Happy with the CPU performance with SQM!

Are the wireless drivers iffy right now for MTK? I noticed the 5GHz cuts out a lot for me. 2.4GHz is more stable, but less speed. I built from the latest git code and not sure if I should have selected a different driver aside from what it automatically selected (ex. my last router, I have been using the *-ct version since I can remember).

[vk496]

Hello,

Welcome to the forum!

Which 5Ghz channel do you use? Remember that channel 50 and above use Radar Detection (DFS). Maybe this could be the problem (radars in your zone).

BR

[PianoTamer]

I've used the default at 36 and the default channel I had on stock firmware (149).

I'm aware of the "restricted" channels in the middle of the band, so I do avoid those. I'm currently doing a fresh build to make sure there's no odd carry over from experimenting.

[anon50098793]

I see alot of empty capacitor banks on that board.

Might be a good idea for users of this device who have enabled the extra core .... to keep and eye on heat and voltage sag... etc.... with intention to add some better regulation and power delivery to go with it..... plus dissipation.....

Hate to see the things start melting in 3 months time

The only reason I can think of for not enabling it... is saving on external components / production.... Well I suppose it could have been development saving too.....

Seems like a cool device tho' and great job on it too.

[bdleonard]

Make sure that you've selected your region in the "Advanced" area of the settings for your wireless network. Otherwise, I've found power output to be sub-optimal. Presumably due to the regulatory lookup tables in the device.

[CodeFetch]

@vk496 OpenWrt accepts pull-request only for the real device name. This seems to be a MTC WR1201. Strong is only a reseller. The only thing you can do is to create an alias for Strong 1200.
E.g. Digineo resells some ZBT routers. Their patch was removed/the device was renamed after someone found out that it was a ZBT, so please do it correctly right from the beginning.

[vk496]

I don't understand why are you telling me this months after the pull-request...

[CodeFetch]

@vk496 I didn't see that you've submitted a patch already. Your patch is looking good. How about tagging this thread as resolved then?

[tmomas]

I'd like to keep this topic open until we are past snapshot release, ie. until we have an official release (19.x? perhaps). Therefore no need to mark this topic as solved now.

[tmomas]

@vk496 Can you please show screenshots of where MTC WR1201 is available at amazon.es, amazon.de, jacob.de?

Reason for asking: I have found zero offers for this device.

[vk496]

@tmomas

@vk496 Can you please show screenshots of where MTC WR1201 is available at amazon.es, amazon.de, jacob.de?

Reason for asking: I have found zero offers for this device.

amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/Strong-Router-Gigabit-2-4GHz-Blanco/dp/B06WVM9VCQ
amazon.de: 404 ^^
amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/Strong-Router-1200-867-Mbit-GHz/dp/B06WVM9VCQ
jacob.de: https://www.jacob.de/produkte/strong-dual-band-router-1200-artnr-3601979.html
ebay.com (HooToo): https://www.ebay.com/p/HooToo-Wireless-Router-Ac1200-4-Antennas-USB-3-0-Port-WiFi-Dual-Band-2-4ghz-5ghz/1387250116