Support for TP-Link RE500?

Hi,

is it poosible to support the Repeater TP-Link RE500?

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_RE500_v1.x

At the moment, no.

While the SOC itself (MT7621) is generally supported, the wlan cards (both MT7615) currently aren't (they'll need a new driver, distinct from the existing mt76).

Hi,

I have a question, which relates to this device and is also a bit more general.

Could we use the proviled sources by TP-Link in order to add this device support? I'm talking about the sources that can be downloaded from the device's support pages, which are made available because of GPL licensing.

Should this source code not contain the required device drivers for MT7615 and everything else? Or is there another part not included in those source files?

In this way we could also add support for other devices like RE650 and AP500 for example, or am I missing something?

There are usualy driver blobs but you really cant use those in LEDE

Oh yes, I see, thanks!

Ok, I tried to spot them, but I'm a bit lost there. What I can see is the linux source folder of course. Where are the blobs typically located if they use such? And how are they linked to the kernel? As compiled modules or binary blobs with defined entry points?

In TP Link GPL they are normally outside of kernel folder,usually in a separate folder

It's been awhile. I have seen on github that openwrt added support for the MT7615 cards. Is there a chance that openwrt is able to support TP-Link RE500 and RE650 now?

if it helps - I have a chance to get a hold on an additional device that I can donate.

Actually mt7615 drivers landed in linux-wireless just 3 days ago. I'm personally hyped for this, since the radio seems to be as powerfull as a qca9984, and is usually paired with a well-working mt7621. https://lwn.net/Articles/784038/

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Presumably RE500 and RE650 will come together, since the base hardware is identical. Getting WRT on my RE650 would make it the perfect travel router for hotels with crappy wifi. (I use it with a travel router plugged in to the eth port mostly)

Unfair question, but any guesses on how long might it take from the MT7615 'landing' to there being an OpenWRT to test & play with?

Always sped up by someone with the device in hand, with the skills and motivation to do the work.

(No, I'm not volunteering, between a US$120 device and two projects already on my bench.)

Without that, "never" would be my guess.

@jeff: can you recommend someone with the skills and motivation to do the work? (or someone with even more motivation to teach me how to do it? :slight_smile: ) I have a spare device, that I could send to someone capable. please DM me.

Has anyone tried to install the latest snapshot on that device? I am worried to brick it and won't be able to recover using the described procedure.

see: https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=commit;h=8c51ddeff0876b439ac35a3f492ab719085bfb9c
https://openwrt.org/toh/hwdata/tp-link/tp-link_re650_v1

Any news in the area?

The RE500 v1 is now supported by the snapshots, I have one running and it's working without any issues.

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