ZBT WE826-32M flashing of firmware mtd partition causes bricking

Hello,

in the past, we used to back up the firmware partition and the flash it on new routers:

dd if=/dev/mtdxx of=/tmp/art.bin

(where mtdxx is the firmware partition)

We get the image of 31.7M but flashing it via the " Firmware Recovery Mode" causes the WE826-32M to "brick"?

Any idea how to fix this or how to get a copy of the existing firmware and flash it to new routers?

Thank you

Since your question doesn't appear to be related to openwrt, I doubt you'll get a lot of helpful answers.
A Firmware Recovery Mode it also started before it actually boots the OS.

But, you device appears to have a serial header, depending on what options the boot loader have, it might be a way forward.
Another option could be to create and boot an openwrt initramfs, and dd the image from it.

You might consider creating a custom image, to be flashed. Which also has the advantage to allow firmware upgrades OTA.
Maintaining a fleet of WE826-16 this way.

1 Like

Hello @frollic ,

Thank you for the answer. My guess is that the "Firmware recovery" on the WE826 is some kind of "mtd -r write /tmp/firmnware.bin firmware"

I will actuially try the above command from openwrt in order to see if it is the u-boot "recovery" messing up or the dd if=/dev/mtdxx of=/tmp/art.bin making a bad image

I post the results
DD

Hi @reinerotto ,
Thank you for your answer.

Yes, that is an option.
Even easier is to take a "custom " backup of all the setting you want and restore them on new routers.

However, that was not the question.

As I said to @frollic i will brick another router and see if the problem is with the mtd or the u-boot on the WE826.

I keep this thread posted.

DD

so....
an dd if=/dev/mtd3 of=/tmp/art.bin gives a file size 33,226,752 bin file
a " Save mtdblock contents" of firmware on luci gives a file size of 26,738,688 bin file

test 1
blocksize write incorrect block#=0!
done. 33226752 bytes written

no u-boot on serial! ...thow away the router (again)

which one is correct, size wise ?
if the router have got a 32MB flash, 33,226,752 bytes would seem to much, if you're not backing up the whole chip.