README for the RouterTech.Org Custom Firmware (v2.97)

DISCLAIMER: The RouterTech.Org Custom Firmware is supplied WITH NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER.
NEITHER ROUTERTECH.ORG NOR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS ACCEPTS LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE
USE OR THE PURPORTED USE OF THE ROUTERTECH.ORG CUSTOM FIRMWARE, FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER.
YOU USE THE ROUTERTECH.ORG CUSTOM FIRMWARE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

IF THESE TERMS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, THEN YOU MUST NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE FIRMWARE
AND YOU MUST DELETE THE FIRMWARE AND ALL ACCOMPANYING FILES FROM YOUR DISKS IMMEDIATELY.

NOTE: Using unofficial firmwares will void your warranty

PLATFORM SUPPORT

This second release of the RouterTech firmware supports the AR7RD and the AR7WRD platforms, thus:

Development Tools

Since the AR7WRD and AR7RD firmwares are Linux-based, they can be built using a gcc cross-compiler and toolchain targetting the mipsle platform. The gcc cross-compiler used for the RouterTech.Org custom firmware is that released by the Russian D-Link site (particularly, this). Some things (e.g., Busybox-1.x) are built with a hand-crafted gcc-4.1.2 cross-compiler toolchain, based on an OpenWRT AR7-generated toolchain. You will not be able to build these things without a modern version of gcc (the ones based on gcc-2.95.3 are not up to the job). If you are in this situation, then good luck. Please do not ask us for a copy of the toolchain. You are free of course to download and build OpenWRT for yourself, and then do something with the toolchain generated during the build process.

Firmware building is not for the fainthearted. Unless you don't mind converting your router into an expensive brick, you should not mess around with this stuff.

Source Code

With the second (v2.x) release of the RouterTech firmware, we  moved our codebase. Our code is now based on GPL source code from Acorp Russia, to which we have added our own customisations and our own tools and utilities. As required by the GPL, the source code for all asects of our firmware that are covered by the GPL is available for download. Check the release information on our forum for details.

NOTE: we offer absolutely NO SUPPORT for building the firmware from source. Please do NOT ask any question on the RouterTech forum about building the firmware from source. Any such question WILL SIMPLY BE IGNORED.

FEATURES 

UPGRADING

Upgrade instructions are available in the upgrade.html file. Please be sure to read that file carefully (and this current one too) before any attempt to upgrade your firmware.

Routers based on the Texas Instruments AR7* platform

There are many Routers based on the TI AR7WRD and AR7RD platforms, from all sorts of manufacturers (e.g., Netgear, DLink, Linksys, Solwise, Roper, Safecom, Netcomm, and a host of others). 

Some are 100% identical internally to the ones supported by this firmware (with regard to the hardware), and are therefore possibly compatible with this custom firmware. 

Some have significant differences (e.g., different switch, only one ethernet port, instead of four, different flash chips, etc.) and are therefore somewhat incompatible with this custom firmware. 

Some have the same hardware, but use a different boot loader (e.g., Adam2, instead of PSP Boot). The problem with different bootloaders has been resolved with respect to both the AR7WRD and AR7RD routers  in that we now have different versions of the firmwares - for PSP and  for ADAM2. It is crucial to select the right firmware for the right bootloader.

These are the features required for full compatibility with the "standard" RouterTech AR7WRD custom firmwares:

  1. The Texas Instruments AR7WRD platform (SANGAM / AVALANCHE)
  2. TNETD7300GDU - with a MIPS32 processor, DSP-based digital transceiver, ADSL analog
  3. Texas Instruments TNETW1130 wireless (TNETW1130 (ACX111) converged Single-Chip MAC and Baseband Processor
  4. The Marvell 88E6060 switch
  5. The PSPBoot or the ADAM2 boot loader
  6. 4 ethernet ports

These are the features required for full compatibility with the "1350A" RouterTech AR7WRD custom firmwares:

  1. The Texas Instruments AR7WRD platform (SANGAM / AVALANCHE)
  2. TNETD7300GDU - with a MIPS32 processor, DSP-based digital transceiver, ADSL analog
  3. Texas Instruments TNETW1350A wireless converged Single-Chip MAC and Baseband Processor
  4. The Marvell 88E6060, Realtek RTL305SC, or IP175C switch
  5. The PSPBoot boot loader
  6. 4 ethernet ports

These are the features required for full compatibility with the RouterTech AR7RD custom firmwares 

  1. The Texas Instruments AR7RD platform (SANGAM / AVALANCHE)
  2. TNETD7300GDU - with a MIPS32 processor, DSP-based digital transceiver, ADSL analog
  3. The Marvell 88E6060 switch
  4. The PSPBoot or the ADAM2 boot loader
  5. 1 or 4 ethernet ports

COMMENTS:
A. Many routers have some level of compatibility (mainly at the cpu and OS (Linux) level - meaning that programs compiled for the cpu will run on all of them).

B. A significant minority have full compatibility (i.e., at the full hardware and OS level, as described above - meaning that binary firmwares meant for one will work on the others).

C. Some tools are available for AR7WRD routers (e.g., the RUC - see below). Most of these tools require a PC running Windows XP. If you want to mess about with custom firmwares, then make sure that you have an XP computer at your disposal.


WARNINGS
1. For those with wireless routers, there are new batches of AR7WRD routers that do not use the TNETW1130 wireless chip. It is important to ascertain correctly the wireless chip in your router. Routers using the TNETW1130 chip require a different firmware from those using the TNETW1350A.

Therefore, if you have a wireless router, you must first confirm whether your router has the TNETW1130 wireless chip, or the  TNETW1350A wireless chip - e.g., by running "cat /proc/interrupts" at a telnet/ssh login prompt and seeing the "TNETWxxx" value mentioned there - if you do not see TNETW1130 in the output, then you should look for TNETW1150. If you see that, then you must select the firmware image for the TNETW1350A chip (i.e., the AR7WRD_1350A firmware).

The best way to check that your router is compatible, and ascertain what firmware image it needs, is to download and run the Router Upgrade Checker.

2. You must first run the command: "cat /proc/ticfg/env" from a telnet/ssh login prompt, and check (and backup) its output, before doing anything else. If the output of that command includes anything like "WLAN_EEPROM0", "WLAN_EEPROM1", etc., then that is a sure sign that your router has a TNETW1350A wireless chip, and you must select the correct firmware image for that chip - otherwise, you WILL brick your router.

You are VERY STRONGLY advised to first run the Router Upgrade Checker (RUC) before doing anything else, as this will save your environment for you, and will also give you hints as to which firmware image is best suited for your router. If you don't first run the RUC, and you brick your router, you are on your own. In such a case, please do not come and ask any questions in the forum.

3. The upgrade process for the wireless (AR7WRD) routers takes a VERY long time. Particularly, for the AR7WRD_1350A firmwares, it will typically take at least 7 minutes for the upgrade process to complete. At least 3 minutes of this will be AFTER the progress bar has reached 100%. It is important to WAIT FOR AT LEAST 7 MINUTES before doing anything else. If you are installing the AR7WRD_1350A firmwares, you'd better go and boil the kettle, have a cup of tea, and take a little nap while waiting for the firmware upgrade to complete!

4. While our firmwares will, for the time being, continue to support routers with the Adam2 bootloader, please note these points:

5. RouterTech firmwares support both the ADAM2 and PSP bootloaders. These bootloaders require different firmware images. If you flash an Adam2-based firmware on a router with the PSP bootloader, you WILL most certainly brick the router (and vice versa). That is, you must get the bootloader right. Never presume to know the bootloader that your router has. You must verify all things with the Router Upgrade Checker (RUC), or (at the very least) by checking the bootloader version in the router's environment. The RUC is the recommended way of getting this information. If you use any other method, then you are on your own.

AR7WRD

Based on information available on the internet, the routers below would seem to be compatible with the AR7WRD firmwares. 

HOWEVER, YOU MUST ASCERTAIN CORRECTLY THE [a] BOOTLOADER, AND [b] WIRELESS CHIP, AND [c] FLASH CHIP THAT YOUR ROUTER IS USING.

1. PSPBOOT-based ("standard" AR7WRD - using the TNETW1130 wireless chip):


2. PSPBOOT-based (AR7WRD_1350A - using the TNETW1350A wireless chip):
NOTES:

3. ADAM2-based (AR7WRD) - note that the LEDs may not work correctly, as we only have a generic led.conf file, and a specific one for the Solwise:  Note: this firmware has NOT been tested on most of these routers. If you flash it onto your router, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK!

OTHERS - these may have crucial differences (e.g., using a different and unsupported switch) at hardware level (they all seem to use ADAM2). Do NOT try RouterTech firmwares on any of them!


AR7RD

Based on information available on the internet, the routers below would seem to be compatible with the AR7RD firmwares. 

HOWEVER, YOU MUST ASCERTAIN CORRECTLY THE BOOTLOADER THAT YOUR ROUTER IS USING.

PSPBOOT-based (AR7RD):

ADAM2-based (AR7RD) - note that the LEDs may not work correctly, as we only have a generic led.conf file, and a specific one for the Solwise: Note: this firmware has NOT been tested on most of these routers. If you flash it onto your router, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK!


WARNING
  1. No warranties are given as to the accuracy of the above information. 

  2. Some manufacturers have different bootloaders for routers sold under exactly the same name and model, and so the name and model of your router is not a fool-proof guide to the bootloader that it is using. 

  3. The only reliable way to ascertain your router's bootloader is to check the manufacturer's documentation that came with it. If it doesn't contain that information, then you're out of luck.

  4. You should stay well away from tinkering with your router's firmwares, or you may well end up with an expensive brick!

For details of various routers and their internal hardware specifications,  see the hardware tables here: http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware

OTHER WAYS OF ASCERTAINING THE BOOTLOADER

In order to ascertain the bootloader that your router is using, you should telnet or ssh to the router - e.g., by running the command "telnet 192.168.1.1". The username is "root", and the password is the one that you use for the web configuration login (the default is Admin).

Then run the command:  cat /proc/ticfg/env


PRECAUTIONS

BEFORE you try upgrading to this firmware, you are advised to take the following precautions:

1. Run the Router Upgrade Checker (RUC). DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

2. Run the command: "cat /proc/ticfg/env" (as above). Save the output of that command to a file on your PC's hard drive, so that you have a record of the original contents of your router's environment variables in case the need arises to restore them later.

3. Check that the environment variable called "IPA" (or "my_ipaddress" for Adam2-based routers) is set to 192.168.1.1 (or to whatever you use normally) - and, if not, then set it to 192.168.1.1 (or to whatever you use normally). This is how to do it (from the router's shell command line):
Code (for PSP bootloader):
 echo "IPA 192.168.1.1" > /proc/ticfg/env
Code (for ADAM2 bootloader):
 echo "my_ipaddress 192.168.1.1" > /proc/sys/dev/adam2/environment

4. Backup your current firmware (or at least ensure that you have a backup copy of a working firmware), backup your current configuration (config.bin).

5. Obtain and install at least two different versions of the PCTool (not to make any changes but just connect) to the router with it, so that you can get a 'feel' for the timing etc. You will need the PCTool to recover the router if the firmware upgrade process goes wrong, and "bricks" your router. Make sure you are very familiar with using the PCTool, before trying to upgrade. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Note - for Adam2 routers, PC Tool v2.1 is normally the best, while PC Tool v2.3 is normally the best for psp bootloader routers.

You can obtain the PCTool here: http://www.routertech.org/viewtopic.php?t=335

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, and your router becomes a "brick"
You will need to attempt a rescue. See the details here: http://www.routertech.org/viewtopic.php?t=242 (and other instructions in the "PCTool" link above).

NOTES: see these


Visit our forum: http://www.routertech.org/