Hi, I updated to openwrt/luci latest stable release (non-snapshot) and I can't get the device to work as it's intended (wifi repeater.) I followed the https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/relay_configuration luci method here but I can't get the device to have internet to download relayd files.
I connected the device to my router via ethernet in with re200 in dhcp client mode and finally got internet access to the device, download the relayd packages then I tried to do the insturctions from scratch but it doesn't work.
My TPLink Archer c7 v1 (stock) is on 192.168.0.1 network. My openwrt re200 connects to its 5ghz wifi network (as per the instructions) but it's not accessing internet. Also DHCP isn't forwarded, my mobile devices don't get IP when I connect to RE200's master/APnetworks. If I do static IP on my mobiles, I get kicked out in seconds.
I know the going back to stock is a very challenging task with this so I'm asking someone to either create a pre-configured repeater openwrt luci software or write better insturctions then on the official pages.
I'll get back to you guys tomorrow. I'm too tired to try all the steps from scratch and +WDS from stock firmware. Thank you for your interest in trying to help.
@andyboeh I have the possibility to do that however it beats the purpose, I had to use a 10m lan cable, hide it under the carpets just to get coverage in the far away rooms. Still, access points of the openwrt on re200 are finicky. They disconnect.
Nope. Just wasted another hour. WDS mode doesn't work either. Followed the link in @andyboeh 's post.
Considering this is a device witha specific purpose, can someone just be kind enough to create an openwrt/luci firmware just makes it work like as it is intended? Preconfigured settings with minimal meddling? Returning to stock is pretty much no option for me currently.
I consider OpenWrt the exact opposite: It's a firmware without a specific purpose, and that's the reason to flash it. There is no need/advantage in doing any pre-configuration as you can do everything on the device.
That said: We can help you get it running. I just read the Wiki article you mentioned first (https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/relay_configuration), this seems the way to go in your case. Remember that it is not complete, it is for connecting wired devices to an upstream WiFi network. You need to add an access point on top of the instructions.
Try to follow it once more and then please post the content of the files /etc/config/wireless, /etc/config/dhcp and /etc/config/network. Please make sure to cover any sensitive information.
To sum up: You would like your RE200 to connect to your main router and provide the same WiFi network to other wireless clients. The LAN port is not required.
I know, but if the official instructions are not working, and going back to stock is too hard, perhaps the open source community should take a gander at how the retail/for profit companies doing UX-wise.
"You need to add an access point on top of the instructions."
I don't understand this? I followed the instructions to the t. Even if the device got internet with AP wifi to re200 wifi (which it doesn't as per the diagnostics section), the firmware I think is borked because both 2.4 and 5 ghz channels kick me out of connection after a few seconds. DHCP doesn't give me IP, when I set static I got disconnectedin a few seconds.
Sorry, this is not how you do things. The main page should have disclosed this.
If you think you messed up the settings, just hit reset button and start over again. It's easy this way.
As I understood, you need install relayd package but you got no internet. So just reset the router and use mobile hotspot as access point temporarily and connect router with it. Then download the required packages then start setting it up again.
I did try that. The instructions don't work and the wifi access point from re200 don't let any device stay connected.
I used re200 as dhcp client with cable connected to main archer router and got internet that way and downloaded the relayd package, as stated in my first post. Then I switched it back to static as per the instructions but nope, nothing works. Not internet, not wifi connectivity.
Well something is not right... The fact wifi not is not connectable means devices are not receiving ip from main router. I do hope router has been actually connected to main ap. Could be a password typo?
In order to be able to verify that there is no configuration mistake, please post your configuration files: /etc/config/wireless, /etc/config/network and /etc/config/dhcp. Please redact any sensitive information.
The device has been sitting in the drawer for like 2 months, the electricity in it should be gone by now, right? Would it be still capable of deadly shock?
Youtube tutorials show other devices and people connect through ethernet cable. The images you linked have gnd rx tx, do I make a cable (I can cut and piece them together and solder them etc, just tell me how)?
Can you just give me really detailed instructions. Like I don't understand what this is: " Interrupting U-Boot depends on your terminal: for interrupting U-Boot, you must not send a line feed! "
Btw, is there a way to just attach clips to the bios chip and use ch341a to write the firmware? I do my motherboard bioses that way.
Edit: turns out ch341a has usb to ttl mode. Good, I can make the cables and solder pinks on re200.
Sorry, mixed it up. I used live ubuntu now to use the dd command listed in the page. dd if=re200v1_eu_3_14_2_up_boot\(160329\).bin of=re200v1_tftp.bin bs=1 skip=131584
The resulting image is 8.1 MB (8,126,464 bytes).
Sorry. These are not noob user friendly at all. It says press 2 during bootup. 2 on the keyboard? TFTPD software doesn't have a button called 2 on it? Is it putty?
I opened the device and soldered the pins and connected to ch341a with the serial mode. I don't know what to do.
Yes, that is on purpose. Doing this is not for noobs. If you know what you're doing, you easily understand the instructions. If not, then it's not for you.
Hence: Read up on how to recover devices via serial in general. Read about U-Boot and the serial terminal. Once you've figure that out, come back and I will happily help you.
Read about serial consoles and come back once you are able to access U-Boot.
And again: Don't mess around with pins while the device is powered! There are quite a few pins which are under mains voltage! You're doing this on your own risk.
So the way to make the device literally unusable is via user friendly, steve jobsesque (you should read up about UX) webgui but saving it is complicated "on purpose"?
You should remove that firmware from the official page if you don't want to have trouble with standard users. I mean it. A non-existent experience is better than a bad experience. This is half of the reason why A+ devices like iphones don't have sd card slots. The user would buy cheap knock off sd cards and blame the slowness on the iPhone. It would be bad for brand image.
In the same vein, you people provided me SO HORRIBLE experience with this that I'll always remember Openwrt in a bad light.
I sometimes thought you were deliberately trying to be unhelpful and "rtfm" elitist as much as you can. Why man? I believe you have access to wiki. Is it really so hard to type up a return to stock guide AS DETAILED as possible. Like setting up static IP for TFTPd, Comport settings, how to use putty etc?
Can't you people just be emphatetical and assume/extrapolate/guess what kind of troubles a noob could face and write up a guide?
I'm guessing not, and I'm guessing that's not because you don't want to, but because you are not capable of putting yourself in someone else's shoes. I guess that comes with talent and genius.
I give up you won, I'm scouring the internet for tutorials and the "reading up" you mentioned for a huge while, I still couldn't do it (that's why I asked for your help, I can google information, thanks) and I'm throwing the device in the trash.
If you work in a software company, please thank your boss daily for employing you.
I am not sure if I should answer at all, given that you personally attacked and insulted me. But well, we all have bad days.
No, but serial console is. While it should be possible to return to stock via a simple sysupgrade, nobody ever tried. Why? See the next paragraphs.
I don't think that anybody forced you to install or try OpenWrt. Nobody said that it's going to be easy and nobody claimed it would work. There is always a learning curve involved and if you've never worked with embedded devices it's a steep learning curve.
Comparing a community-driven project like OpenWrt with a big tech company is not a fair comparison. Nobody here gets paid for the work, nobody gets revenue from the firmware. Wiki pages are created by ordinary people and the same is true for the people here in the forum.
Why is there an OpenWrt version for the RE200 at all? Because I wanted one and I created a port for it. It was me who created the first version of the Wiki page and who did all the hard work. It was me who found out how to install it via the web interface. And since I wanted others to benefit from my work, I created a PR for this device.
Everybody is free to improve it - please go ahead and type your step by step instructions.
As mentioned above, this is all done in the spare time. I see no point in repeating general instructions (see above for the serial console access) on every single device page - that's simply not maintainable.
No comment on this.
See the link above for a detailed write up on the serial console.
I'm sorry, but you never provided any more information on this. Instead, you are asking questions that are easily answered by reading the very first hit on a search engine.
And just to make matters clear: I'm not trying to win anything or to convince you of anything.
Well ...
EDIT: I invested another hour into your problem, recovered my RE200 from the closet and tried a few things.
You cannot use an SOIC8 clip, because it powers on the main CPU, thus you don't get (exclusive) access to the flash IC.
