KCorp KLS-575 / KCorp KLS-5810

[studioeng]

Hi,

I did a quick search before I posted, but found nothing, but if this has been already written about, please point me in the right direction.

This may be a really stupid question to all, but hopefully someone will know the answer and be kind enough to share.

Since KCorp no longer support their routers/hardware; is it still possible to find third party firmwares for this router? If so, where can I find said third party firmwares?

I can only asume that the RouterTech firmwares will not work on these routers, but hopefully I can find something similar elsewhere.

There is source code and documents on the KCorp Lifestyle website, but I am not very well versed in writing my own firmwares, using Busybox etc. I have only recently entered the *nix world, so all help and guidance will be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

[biro]

Hi studioeng, Welcome to RouterTech.
Have been watching your 'struggle' on the other forum, If you'd asked about the SWART then we probably could help.

But personally have no idea on the KCORP.
Looks like it's could be a nice bit of kit (for cable) with 8MB FLASH and 16MB RAM but the ISL3893 processor is not one I've come across before
from Applicability of Licenses.doc implies the full source code won't be avaliable.

Googling ISL3893 does show a lot of hits but don't know if any are for a clone of the KCORP

But before attempting any sort of firmware changes would need to find a way to be able to recover from a 'faulty' firmware. (The safecom and other AR7 routers have the PCTool, and most can be JTAG'd if it goes really bad)

[studioeng]

Hi Biro,

I remember you from 'the Others' (Sorry, lame Lost link).

I feel welcome here already

I did have a slight issue with my SWAMR/SWART (or whatever its called now), but i think RouterKiller hit the nail on the head, about the rules not being released for re-use when they are deleted. So I think the rule there (pardon the pun) is to edit the rules, as aposed to deleting and starting again.

I did a factory reset and re-upgraded the firmware (safecom issue) and it seems to be fine now. Although it did bomb out the first time, but I think that is due to me trying to set everything up in one go, and it wasnt too impressed. So I tried again, doing one section at a time. All is good.

The only real issue I have found lately; but I dont know if this is server, Internet or torrent related. After awhile of downloading, my I'net seems to grind to a halt or at least runs very very slow, but after a router reboot it returns to normal. Could this be due to an overflow on the router?

Anyway, enough rambling and going off subject. Thanks for your help Biro, I shall just have to be more persistant on the KCorp router. At the moment I have two of them, as a wireless bridge between two houses, works great, just being greedy and want more features

Cheers

Chris

[studioeng]

I did alittle more research into the KLS-575, obscurely I did a search for 'webfileset' and I discovered (I believe) that Medion use the same hardware.

http://www.medion.co.uk MD 95038 WLAN Router

Could you see that as a plausable clone? Hopefully that opens a door for you aswell.

Upon reading through the 'Idiots Guide' user manual, which seems to be written so a 4 year old can understand it.... So of no real use to us budding *cough* router hackers *cough*; it seems to lack alot of the KCorp current features, such as WPA encryption and also WDS... Which is my router(s) main purpose.

On further inspection... I discovered this gem:
http://www.seattlewireless.net/NetgearWG602v2
This router is based on the same chipset as the KLS-575

http://www.seattlewireless.net/ISL3893

I'm not sure if these are linking me to the right conclusion, it seems there are all talking about wireless access points, nothing about routers. I found a similar image of the actual board inside the KLS-575, if I can find it again I will post it.

** edit **

I found an exact image of the router, this one is a Siemens AP600, I cant find any reference on the Fujitsu-Siemens website.
http://isl3893.sourceforge.net/hardware ... onsole.jpg

[thechief]

... The only real issue I have found lately; but I dont know if this is server, Internet or torrent related. After awhile of downloading, my I'net seems to grind to a halt or at least runs very very slow, but after a router reboot it returns to normal. Could this be due to an overflow on the router? ...

That is probably a problem with the NAT tables being too small. Try this command from the command line:

Code: Select all

echo 12289 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_conntrack_max

[thechief]

I did alittle more research into the KLS-575, obscurely I did a search for 'webfileset' and I discovered (I believe) that Medion use the same hardware ...

I think you've found great information for this platform, including links to firmware and GPL sources and toolchains. Are you proposing to try any of these?

[studioeng]

Hi, welcome to 'my little corner of RouterTech' (as loosly 'mine' as I can make it)

That is probably a problem with the NAT tables being too small. Try this command from the command line:

Code: Select all

echo 12289 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_conntrack_max

Thanks for your input on that one, I wasnt really expecting a suggestion/solution to that one.

Before I try what you've suggested, can I ask what that will do, I'm asuming it will increase the size of ... something ... Just so I know what I'm doing for future reference.

Will I need to reboot the router, or does it affect it immediately, also will the setting remain after a power down/reboot?

I think you've found great information for this platform, including links to firmware and GPL sources and toolchains. Are you proposing to try any of these?

I've just posted a PM to Biro (about other 'business') and mentioned about continuing this thread. I am interested in trying other firmwares on this box, mainly because of KCorp no longer being around to create their own updates.

If I can get some more in-depth help and info about the router, I shall continue to pursue it. Like I said to Biro, if people would like me to continue reporting my findings; and be able to put up with my ramblings, I shall, otherwise I will keep it to myself.

I personally would like to see a print server interface on the router, it does have a USB port, why not use it although, I've not had alot of luck with *nix printing in the past, such as cups and; i forget the name of the other module. So I think I may need to crack that before I can achieve a router/print server.

I need to find out alittle more about the system it uses, obviously with the SWAMR/SWART it uses BusyBox, which is relatively easy to use, and work with. I haven't found any obvious way of getting into the KLS-575, all I know of at the moment is the TFTP recovery utility, which I used with the webfileset.img file when I upgraded it to the version 2.0 firmware, before they 'disappeared'.

Enough rambling me thinks, I could write for England.

Cheers

Chris

[thechief]

...

That is probably a problem with the NAT tables being too small. Try this command from the command line:

Code: Select all

echo 12289 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/netfilter/ip_conntrack_max

Thanks for your input on that one, I wasnt really expecting a suggestion/solution to that one.

Before I try what you've suggested, can I ask what that will do, I'm asuming it will increase the size of ... something ... Just so I know what I'm doing for future reference.

It increases the size of the NAT tables (quite dramatically).

Will I need to reboot the router, or does it affect it immediately, also will the setting remain after a power down/reboot?

No, it will not survive a power down/reboot. You will need to do it again. In the RT firmware we have things like that in the init script.

Good luck with the KCorp firmware!

[studioeng]

Would that affect anything else in the router?

Well, knowing that it will return on a power down/reboot is both good and bad, good as it will return if it 'breaks' (doubtful but still) but bad, as I will have to repeat everytime I power down/reboot.

I shall keep you upto date with the KCorp, as and when I find anything worth making note of.

Thanks for your help.

Chris

[thechief]

No, it won't affect anything else. It will allow your P2P sessios to last far longer.

Edit: Note that there are other things that you need to do to improve your P2P experience. Basically, the settings in the "official" firmware are wrong. You would be better off with the RT firmwares, which use sensible default values.

[studioeng]

Really, what settings are you refering to? Internal ones that are not easily changed or simple things like port forwarding etc.

I use TorrentFlux on a *nix server for my P2P, it doesn't use the standard ports, I'm probably going way off here, but I beleive I've set it up quite well, I have to cap my DOWNLOADS to 100kb/s else I cant do anything else online.

I would leap over to the RT firmware, but unfortunately you haven't got the USB support 'yet', which at times I do need to use, I have an old laptop with no ethernet adaptor and also the odd machine which doesnt have one, rare I know.

Considering you have the support base that you do, no doubt it wont take very long to sort that out, and also it will be THE better firmware solution. Being 'Homegrown' and all.

I am actually looking for a cheap SWAMR/SWART router 2nd hand to test the RT firmware on, so I dont 'brick' my best friend

I'm starting to think this is becoming a general chit chat thread I'll feel sorry for the poor souls in a few months time when they start searching for the KCorp stuff and need to wade through piles of bad befor they find what they need.

Ok, I'm going now.....

[studioeng]

I have just found some more information about the Fujitsu-Siemens AP600RP WLAN USB.

Here is a link to firmware sourcecode:
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/rl/produ ... e-code.zip

Maybe someone who is alittle more apt at sourcecode could take a quick gander and see if it's any good or a waste of time.

I have also downloaded a firmware update for the AP600RP device.

OK OK..... drats I'm really excited now :D

I have just SUCCESSFULLY put the AP600RP firmware Version 7.0 onto the KCorp KLS-575....

I will document what I did shortly, when I have finished fiddling with my new toy

** Edit **

Within the F/S firmware there is a print server enabled. At first attempt I did get the router talking to an Epson Stylus C66 printer, but the print failed for an unknown reason... It just stopped printing

Second attempt, after disabling Bi-Directional support, print works perfectly.

Only problem(s) I have encountered thus far, is the lack of help files installed on the router (obviously not being true Fujitsu-Siemens).

The WLAN light seems to be 'broken'. Does not light up, nor show any signs of traffic.

[studioeng]

Ok, I have finished my first draft of the write up. For anyone who is interested. Any edits/changes are welcome. Enjoy.

EDIT: I have now re-published a version 2.0 draft of the firmware upgrade process.

[SyBorg]

The more info people have on these types of routers the better. Keep posting and I'm sure we'll all join in when we have something useful to add

For me it's a case that the majority of the real firmware techie stuff is beyond me and thechief and biro are the people in the know. It doesn't stop me asking for more functionality and getting involved in the testing and support

I do like the idea of a print server in the firmware.......

As to the NAT table settings have a look at the telnet scripter that Neo wrote here. You'll find a script that thechief wrote for setting up the NAT tables correctly. These settings are in the RT firmware as the defaults.

[SyBorg]

I forgot to say that the WAN light not coming on I expect is down to a file called LED.conf. There has been a similar discussion before and I believe the answer is to replace the led.conf file with the one from the original firmware for the router....

Of course that may not be so easy if you've just overwritten it