Totally new here and trying to install on Linksys E8450

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Following guide here: https://github.com/dangowrt/owrt-ubi-installer

Did steps 1-4. Step 5 says " Click exactly inside the radio button to confirm the terms and conditions, then abort the wizard"

How does one "abort the wizard"? My wizard with the terms and conditions has a "Next" button. When I click that, I get a dialog with "Your Ethernet cable is not connected correctly. Check the following .... Click next to try again. "

But "next" doesn't abort the wizard. It just returns to the previous screen with the radio button.

I have my laptop plugged into the router. The router isn't plugged into the Internet modem.

It says I have firmware version 1.2.00

2

The git instructions also say:

(Complete the wizard if you are running stock firmware version 1.2.x)

3

How do I "Complete the wizard"?

4

Allow the device to access internet ?

5

Is the answer that the device must have access to the internet? I would have thought that would be in the instructions.

Can I plug it into my existing router for the purposes of doing the setup? That router also uses 192.168.1.1

6

Give it a shot... I suspect it will work for the initial setup, but not positive. No harm in trying.

7

It went through a couple of screens asking for names and passwords.
Then disconnected.
Now it won't accept a connection.
Not sure where to go from here besides factory reset.

8

if the wizard is theoretically complete, unplug the wan and connect your computer directly to the lan port of the e8450. Make sure wifi is turned off on your computer -- the only connection should be the e8450's lan port to your computer's ethernet port.

Briefly disconnect the ethernet cable from your computer and then plug it back in... once done, check the IP address that your computer gets -- if it is 192.168.1.x, try connecting to the router at 192.168.1.1 -- likewise if it is 192.168.x.y, connect to 192.168.x.1.

9

It still has the address which the instructions said to assign: 192.168.1.254.
And netmask 255.255.255.0

I'll try rebooting computer and router...

No change. Ping says destination host unreachable

10

Set your computer back to DHCP and see if it gets an address from the router.

11

I got the IP address 10.0.1.157
I connected to 10.0.1.1 and got the initial setup wizard.

I went through the wizard again. This time it continued to the finish and then gave a login screen. I logged in.

It says I have firmware 1.2.00.360516, so Im using the firmware file mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-initramfs-recovery-installer_signed.itb

It's installing now...

12

I did an ipconfig release then renew. Now I got a 192.168.1.x address again.
Ping of 192.168.1.1 succeeds.
I opened the browser to that and logged in as admin.

So appears to have succeeded.

It says "System is running in recovery (initramfs) mode. No changes will be stored and are lost after rebooting". I've no idea what that means, nor what I should do now.

13

Now download the sysupgrade image of OpenWrt and install it using the sysupgrade feature (via ssh or the web UI). That will make the installation persistent.

https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?version=23.05.2&target=mediatek%2Fmt7622&id=linksys_e8450-ubi

14

I downloaded the "sysupgrade" on the link you posted.

I get the "Flash image?" Dialog, and it has the below in red

Image check failed:

Thu Jan 1 00:15:35 UTC 1970 upgrade: The device is supported, but this image is incompatible for sysupgrade based on the image version (2.0->1.0). Image check failed.

Force upgrade

Select 'Force upgrade' to flash the image even if the image format check fails. Use only if you are sure that the firmware is correct and meant for your device!

15

Please ssh into the router and provide the output of:

ubus call system board
16

Should I cancel out of that dialog first?

17

Yes... go ahead and cancel out of it.

18 
{
        "kernel": "6.1.78",
        "hostname": "OpenWrt",
        "system": "ARMv8 Processor rev 4",
        "model": "Linksys E8450 (UBI)",
        "board_name": "linksys,e8450-ubi",
        "rootfs_type": "initramfs",
        "release": {
                "distribution": "OpenWrt",
                "version": "SNAPSHOT",
                "revision": "r25239-a3a33f02ce",
                "target": "mediatek/mt7622",
                "description": "OpenWrt SNAPSHOT r25239-a3a33f02ce"
        }
}
19

Ah... it's running a more recent snapshot version.
https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?version=SNAPSHOT&target=mediatek%2Fmt7622&id=linksys_e8450-ubi

20

That is totally wrong.

Based on "kernel": "6.1.78" @intrasight has used the new installer from Daniel, which then requires main/master snapshot.
23.05 is incomtpatible.

PS. The situation is currently rather hazardous for newcomers, as the previous ubi-installers have made the system compatible with 23.05 or old main/master snapshots,
while the new installer 1.1.0 requires main/mastre snapshot with kernel 6.1 etc. (and the new filesystem structure) and 23.05 image are incompatible (at least for MAC and wifi)

1 Like