Why can we not build OpenWrt for Netgear R8500?

For Developers
1

I just curious because DD-WRT and Koolshare-Merlin are supported by R8500. (I don't know how they can do it) After I read this link, (Build for Linksys EA9500) "Build for Linksys EA9500" and "https://serialize.wordpress.com/tag/openwrt/" these solutions might apply to R8500 too, or I missed something.

Netgear R8500 source code "https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GPL/R8500-V1.0.0.20_1.0.11_GPL.zip", It will be good for us to patch our code.
And we can easily access CFE R8500 by USB-TTL too.
I bought two bricked R8500 and de-bricked it by USB-TTL and Minicom.
I use Koolshare-Merlin firmware (https://firmware.koolshare.cn/Koolshare_Merlin_Legacy_380/Netgear/R8500/) for my main router instead of DD-WRT because I like the smart-connect feature, which seems very stable for my use and another one for testing.

After trial build firmware Linksys EA9500 from Npcomplete's GitHub, I think we could do the same thing as he did.
Could anyone please guide me on how to do it?
I can dump whatever data from R8500 to build OpenWRT if you want me to do it.

Thank you.

2

Because NDAs. Because Broadcom.

3

Could you please explain more detail?
I'm a beginner. And why DD-WRT and Koolshare-Merlin can?

4

Use the forum search if you want more information.

1 Like
5

That means Koolshare uses some trick to apply Broadcom's binary drivers for patching Asus-Merlin and transform to Koolshare-Merlin right? Even if I can use that trick to build OpenWRT, I have to use it in private only. That why I cannot see any how-to build openWRT for Netgear R8500 on the internet.

Thank you for the information.

6

Take a look at the kernels they use. Often older 3.x or 4.x versions. Those blobs need to match the kernel. So yeah, with a a lot of tinkering (and reading up) you might be able to use it. It's really not as simple as you think it is; otherwise this forum would be flooded with that kind of hodge-podge firmware.

1 Like
7

Yes, that why Koolshare's kernel stuck with the old kernel version.
Linux R8500-FE84 2.6.36.4brcmarm #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed May 9 17:41:58 CST 2018 armv7l Merlin-Koolshare

8

This is the first time. I flash OpenWRT into Netgear R8500.
Thank you Updateing to point me out.
I just got a used R8500 from eBay today.
I de-bricked it by USB-TTL and flashed Firmware Netgear, DD-WRT, and Koolshare for testing.
After a test run DD-WRT and Koolshare, it seems two 5Ghz channels work just fine but 2.4Gz on this router doesn't work.
I captured some information to prove it.
https://pastebin.com/fDCgjfZe

BusyBox v1.31.1 () built-in shell (ash)

  _______                     ________        __
 |       |.-----.-----.-----.|  |  |  |.----.|  |_
 |   -   ||  _  |  -__|     ||  |  |  ||   _||   _|
 |_______||   __|_____|__|__||________||__|  |____|
          |__| W I R E L E S S   F R E E D O M
 -----------------------------------------------------
 OpenWrt SNAPSHOT, r13889-5aedd5a110
 -----------------------------------------------------
root@OpenWrt:/# uname -a
Linux OpenWrt 4.19.131 #0 SMP Mon Jul 20 03:39:11 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux
root@OpenWrt:/# cat /proc/mtd 
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 00080000 00020000 "boot"
mtd1: 00180000 00020000 "nvram"
mtd2: 07200000 00020000 "firmware"
mtd3: 003fffe4 00020000 "linux"
mtd4: 06e00000 00020000 "ubi"
mtd5: 00080000 00020000 "board_data"
mtd6: 00100000 00020000 "POT"
mtd7: 00680000 00020000 "POT"
mtd8: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd9: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd10: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd11: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd12: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd13: 00080000 00020000 "ML"
mtd14: 00100000 00020000 "ML"
root@OpenWrt:/# cat /proc/cpuinfo 
processor       : 0
model name      : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
BogoMIPS        : 1400.00
Features        : half thumb fastmult edsp tls 
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant     : 0x3
CPU part        : 0xc09
CPU revision    : 0

processor       : 1
model name      : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
BogoMIPS        : 1400.00
Features        : half thumb fastmult edsp tls 
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant     : 0x3
CPU part        : 0xc09
CPU revision    : 0

Hardware        : BCM5301X
Revision        : 0000
Serial          : 0000000000000000
1 Like
9

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