"EA6300V1" (Q87-EA6400) BCM4360

Post new topic   This topic is locked: you cannot edit posts or make replies.    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Broadcom SoC based Hardware
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 66, 67, 68 ... 97, 98, 99  Next
Author Message
DDWWWRT
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 10 Feb 2016
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 17:02    Post subject: Thanks Silent Swift Reply with quote
I successfully flashed the Merlin on the router and I left it there for a few hours. It worked well using the Chinese CFE, I switched to the latest build of DDWRT and it seems run fine as well.

I like the Asus firmware but the fact that it's built by a random dude in China is unsettling.

Anyways, I can confirm that running the Chinese CFE, you can run ASUS, DD WRT, and maybe even stock firmware( when I flashed the mini build I rebooted the router and the stock firmware came up and worked fine).

Now has anybody found a stable overclock for the router, also should I tinker with the Tx power, if so what should I set them at


Thanks everybody
Sponsor
Silent_Swift
DD-WRT User


Joined: 20 Aug 2015
Posts: 102
Location: London

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 17:05    Post subject: Re: Thanks Silent Swift Reply with quote
DDWWWRT wrote:
I successfully flashed the Merlin on the router and I left it there for a few hours. It worked well using the Chinese CFE, I switched to the latest build of DDWRT and it seems run fine as well.

I like the Asus firmware but the fact that it's built by a random dude in China is unsettling.

Anyways, I can confirm that running the Chinese CFE, you can run ASUS, DD WRT, and maybe even stock firmware( when I flashed the mini build I rebooted the router and the stock firmware came up and worked fine).

Now has anybody found a stable overclock for the router, also should I tinker with the Tx power, if so what should I set them at


Thanks everybody


Yep I had the same concerns, quite skeptical about this, which is why I switch back and forth Razz

If you notice in the modules info, it seems that there is a koolshare module which is that Chinese firewall thing which is how they evade their censorship (I'm guessing). I think it's in software center or something, but I'm not touching any of those as I don't want any traffic to be diverted to China (though it seems there may be..).

On DD-Wrt I think it uses the default of around 71-ish. I usually turn this down to 50 or 28-23ish as in my environment it just increases noise with no actual range increase; creating less throughput. Tinker with it as it differs for everyone. I live in a house with lots of concrete walls and thick bricks...

Just google "Linksys Advance Settings Optimum Wireless", you should see community boards suggesting:

Beacon 50, RTS - 2306, Fragmentation - 2307.

https://community.linksys.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/Advanced-Settings-to-Improve-Wireless-Range-Fragmentation-RTS/td-p/218159

I honestly don't know what's best. For DD-Wrt I sticked to the default as they just work. If you don't know your optimal settings, I wouldn't touch them either.

_________________
Linksys EA6400/6300v1 Guide Very Happy



BT Infinity FTTC
BRAS PROFILE: 76.2MBPS DOWN / 20 MBPS UP

BT Smart Business Hub 6A - Modem and AP
Linksys EA6300v1 - Broadcom DD-WRT v3.0-r36104 std
BT HomeHub 5A - Wireless AP Extender
BT Openreach Modem ECI - Unlocked OpenWrt 15.05
maxias
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 27 Nov 2015
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 14:43    Post subject: DD-WRT Reply with quote
is anyone playing with the current dd-wrt version?

do i have to worry about the CFE if i install dd-wrt? or is it just related to the merlin firmware?

is there hardware-acceleration comming in dd-wrt? could that improove the wlan speed?

i tried a few versions of later releases and the AC-Speed was worst.

im looking forward to get proper support for dd-wrt so i can get rid of my old dir-615 router
b3rt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Oct 2014
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 22:19    Post subject: Help setting up TFTP server on router for pxe booting Reply with quote
Hello Community,

I've been trying to learn how to setup PXE booting on my network. I'm running an EA6400 w/ DD-WRT v3.0-r29059 std (02/09/16) after upgarding from, r28942 (2016/01/25).
I've looked around the wiki and several other forum posts and exhausted my google-fu. I feel a bit more confused than I started with Rolling Eyes Opt-Ware, OTRW2, Entware, or NO_Ware--Confused.
My assumption is that I can have dd-wrt host the TFTP server pointing to the PXE images location?

1.> Can the router be the TFTP server too? Do I just add this code under Additional DHCPd options
dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0,,"IP of router"
or do I need to install some sort of package.

2.>Where/how would i need to save my .iso's? I have a NAS connected with 3 partitions
/dev/sda1 mounted to /tmp/mnt/sda1 2.72Tb
/dev/sda2 mounted to swap 256 Mb
/dev/sda3 mounted to /opt 993Mb

Thank you in advance for any information regarding this matter.
Silent_Swift
DD-WRT User


Joined: 20 Aug 2015
Posts: 102
Location: London

PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 17:24    Post subject: Re: DD-WRT Reply with quote
maxias wrote:
is anyone playing with the current dd-wrt version?

do i have to worry about the CFE if i install dd-wrt? or is it just related to the merlin firmware?

is there hardware-acceleration comming in dd-wrt? could that improove the wlan speed?

i tried a few versions of later releases and the AC-Speed was worst.

im looking forward to get proper support for dd-wrt so i can get rid of my old dir-615 router


Hardware acceleration in DD-Wrt; nope. Closed source Broadcom drivers Sad Though, I didn't notice any performance difference compared to stock Linksys.

Hardware acceleration hasn't improved wlan speeds, just wired for me on Merlin. And it's not much of a big difference as well like ~0.4mbps bump up.

AC Speeds depend on your config. Is the security with WPA2 Personal AES? Wifi config should be AC/N with bandwidth at 80MHZ; with a high channel to gain those ac speeds. For me I get full speeds, just like lan over ac. 76.12 ~ 74 down and 16 ~ 20 up. These were close to the router; upstairs its about ~68.11 down and ~17 up.

As for cfe, we're using it as DD-Wrt is in a extreme environment. On stock it was only partially booting DD-WRT and after 3 reboots it would just brick until a 30.30 is done. The cfe fixes that and the 32kb nvram bug brick (going over 32kb, bricks the router).

These notes are from the initial builds, I'm not so sure if they have been fixed. It's unlikely as it's a Linksys cfe bug...

So if you're planning to use dd-wrt anytime soon, you'll need the cfe and it's quite useful to restore a firmware if it bricks through asus recovery utility. Lom's cfe won't allow you to use stock Linksys firmware as you would need the uuid_key, on the koolshare one you can input this and return to stock if you feel this doesn't work right... You'll need to get the uuid_key in the troubleshooting page then some sort of device information section on the Linksys stock firmware. You can also do this whilst using the Linksys cfe on dd-wrt, nvram get uuid_key over command line.

_________________
Linksys EA6400/6300v1 Guide Very Happy



BT Infinity FTTC
BRAS PROFILE: 76.2MBPS DOWN / 20 MBPS UP

BT Smart Business Hub 6A - Modem and AP
Linksys EA6300v1 - Broadcom DD-WRT v3.0-r36104 std
BT HomeHub 5A - Wireless AP Extender
BT Openreach Modem ECI - Unlocked OpenWrt 15.05
<Kong>
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 15 Dec 2010
Posts: 4339
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 18:29    Post subject: Re: DD-WRT Reply with quote
maxias wrote:
is anyone playing with the current dd-wrt version?

do i have to worry about the CFE if i install dd-wrt? or is it just related to the merlin firmware?

is there hardware-acceleration comming in dd-wrt? could that improove the wlan speed?


These units don't have hw acceleration, oem has something like cut through forwarding CTF, which means packages will bypass filerewall rules once they think it is safe. This way cpu load for firewalling is reduced. Since this is all closed source there are doubts about its safeness.

Anyways this has nothing to do with wireless. Wireless speeds under dd-wrt are usually as good as with stock, or better since we use newer kernels.

So again, for those that don't know it yet, oems ship a closed source module, that allows to bypass firewall rules, this allows for faster NAT and thus increases throughput for routers that use IPV4. That's it, hw acceleration is something completely different it means a cpu has special instruction sets for it, or there is an additional chip on board.

IPV6 by default does not use any NAT.

_________________
KONG PB's: http://www.desipro.de/ddwrt/
KONG Info: http://tips.desipro.de/
Silent_Swift
DD-WRT User


Joined: 20 Aug 2015
Posts: 102
Location: London

PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 19:42    Post subject: Re: DD-WRT Reply with quote
<Kong> wrote:
maxias wrote:
is anyone playing with the current dd-wrt version?

do i have to worry about the CFE if i install dd-wrt? or is it just related to the merlin firmware?

is there hardware-acceleration comming in dd-wrt? could that improove the wlan speed?


These units don't have hw acceleration, oem has something like cut through forwarding CTF, which means packages will bypass filerewall rules once they think it is safe. This way cpu load for firewalling is reduced. Since this is all closed source there are doubts about its safeness.

Anyways this has nothing to do with wireless. Wireless speeds under dd-wrt are usually as good as with stock, or better since we use newer kernels.

So again, for those that don't know it yet, oems ship a closed source module, that allows to bypass firewall rules, this allows for faster NAT and thus increases throughput for routers that use IPV4. That's it, hw acceleration is something completely different it means a cpu has special instruction sets for it, or there is an additional chip on board.

IPV6 by default does not use any NAT.


Yep I also agree with Kong; I didn't notice any settings about hardware acceleration (that's not software nat ctf) on stock. And that module I was talking about was CTF.

HW Acceleration on Merlin is most likely a placebo. IMO, 0.4~0.2mbps is nothing.

Merlin does use:

Level 1=CTF Only

Level 2=FA + CTF

So I'm guessing it uses the ctf module. I haven't seen any level 2 hw acceleration; only level 1. CTF is just software optimization and not hardware; it does exactly what Kong says.

HW Acceleration in the form of FA isn't possible unless the router is manufactured with some sort of special hardware design (most likely some chip). CTF does interfere with firewall, qos and sometimes ports...

And in reality, unless your ISP is supplying more than a 100~200+ megabit connection; it simply isn't needed.

_________________
Linksys EA6400/6300v1 Guide Very Happy



BT Infinity FTTC
BRAS PROFILE: 76.2MBPS DOWN / 20 MBPS UP

BT Smart Business Hub 6A - Modem and AP
Linksys EA6300v1 - Broadcom DD-WRT v3.0-r36104 std
BT HomeHub 5A - Wireless AP Extender
BT Openreach Modem ECI - Unlocked OpenWrt 15.05
butterworth
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 22 Feb 2016
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:41    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi all,

Thanks for all your hard work and info. I studied this forum pretty well before working on my EA6400 that I picked up used for $10 (I think I got a pretty good deal). Anyway, I wanted to re-compile and update the instructions to throw DD-WRT onto the device. Feel free to review and comment; it would be nice to set up a Wiki page from this info.

Thanks again!
********************************************
Moderator edit-
spurdy wrote:
The biggest thing to be careful about is not accidentally updating the unit to one of the later official Linksys firmware builds that includes signature verification for any future flashes. That'll lock you out from being able to make the change to DD-WRT. The last build that's safe is 1.1.40.160989, which I found is still available on the Linksys servers (they just don't list a direct link any longer, I found it by manually hunting around and trying the build names listed in the changelog):

http://downloads.linksys.com/downloads/firmware/FW_EA6400_1.1.40.160989_prod.img

If you're on anything earlier, make sure to disable automatic updates while it's still got the Linksys firmware. Even better, just keep it disconnected from the internet entirely until you've completed the whole process.


I have also attached the EA6400 file to this post, just in case -kp69
********************************************
Introduction
Following these instructions might result in a working install of DD-WRT on a Linksys EA6400 (EA6300v1) while retaining the option of reverting back to the native Linksys firmware if you choose. This device is quirky, has poor thermal design, the stock firmware sucks, and it ranks relatively high on the “yeah, it’s supported by DD-WRT, but…” difficulty scale. However, the hardware on this router is solid and fast, provides great value (especially on the used market), and the thermal issues are relatively easy to fix.

Good luck!

Instructions compiled from:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=986429#986429
http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=172389&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=975
https://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://koolshare.cn/thread-9422-1-1.html
http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=137928
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/asuswrt-merlin-tomato-shibby-or-toastman-dd-wrt-on-linksys-ea6900.71718/

Thanks & Credit to: numinit, Devianttwo, Silent_Swift, Malachi, ghoffman, RedRover88, and numerous others in the forums linked above!

Step 0a: Do not 30-30-30 reset this device
Do not 30-30-30 reset this device if it has the original firmware and CFE; you will lose your UUID and be unable to go back to default Linksys firmware. This parameter acts as a key to unlock the Linksys firmware. The UUID only exists in NVRAM on a stock device – if you erase the device’s NVRAM: *poof*, and… it’s gone.

Step 0b: (Optional, see Step 1.1 below) Initial Router Prep
1. Reset the EA6400 to factory defaults: With your router connected to power and turned on, press and hold the Reset button on the back of your router for about 10 seconds (until the power indicator flashes). Do not connect the router to the internet after the factory reset.
2. Download the latest Linksys factory firmware: http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=148498
3. Work through the Linksys GUI to install the Linksys firmware (note that it doesn't matter what firmware you already have installed; for example, you can install FW 1.1.40 again if the router already has 1.1.40 on it). See here for instructions: http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=140365
4. Once the install completes, work through the Linksys GUI to install the Linksys firmware again. (Welcome to the Dual-Firmware-Partition nature of the Linksys EA series routers).
5. Once the second install completes, reset the EA6400 to factory defaults again (with power on, hold reset button for about 10 seconds). Allow the router to reboot, and log into the Linksys GUI again.

Prerequisites:

Step 1: Get your router’s UUID
1. Flash the default stripped down version of DD-WRT (from Linksys Web GUI or ASUS Rescue tool)
http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/download.php?id=36227 (Credit goes to numinit for the Initial WebFlash)
    a. Clear your browser cache (important!) then navigate to 192.168.1.1
    b. There are two ways to accomplish the next step; both appear to work okay. The second method can work as a recovery method if you land in a boot loop.
    c. (choose step c or d here) Using the Linksys GUI to flash the Super Hacky small build of DD-WRT from numinit
    --i. Navigate to the Connectivity tab in the Linksys web gui, then select the appropriate file and click Start.
    --ii. Wait until LED on router is off (and pings to the router are steady <1 ms).
    --iii. Clear your browser cache then navigate to 192.168.1.1
    d. Using Linksys TFTP to flash hacky small build:
    --i. Power router up, wait until LED is solid green for at least 30 seconds.
    --ii. Hold Reset button for 1 minute (according to Linksys website; led starts flashing after about 10 seconds though, so this could be shorter), then release the Reset button.
    --iii. Once LED lights appear to be in a stable state (either flashing or solid, I forget), unplug the router for at least 30 seconds.
    --iv. Prepare the Linksys TFTP tool with the router’s default address and “admin” as the Password, and the hacky-small-build filename and location.
    --v. Plug the router in. (setting up a command line ping of the router is optional, but maybe helpful at this point).
    --vi. Hit the Upgrade button on the firmware tool. If it fails, immediately hit it again. If this step is successful, you will see a loading status bar.
    --vii. Wait until LED on router is off (and pings to the router are steady <1 ms).
    --viii. Clear your browser cache then navigate to 192.168.1.1

---NOTE: If your router reboots several times, then reverts back to the stock Linksys firmware GUI, you may need to perform Step 0b, Initial Router Prep, above. Once the router is prepped, attempt to flash the super-hacky-small-build DD-WRT again. If it succeeds, you will be able to continue with the steps below.---

2. Once the flash completes Log into DD-WRT. Create a User/Password (Suggestion: User = “root” and Password = “admin”; these are just temporary)

---NOTE: You will need the following information if you EVER want to revert back to stock!---

3. Make/save a backup of your stock CFE by browsing to: http://192.168.1.1/backup/cfe.bin. Save the resulting file to your computer.
4. Enable Telnet (enabled by default in the Super Hacky firmware) and SSHd on the router (“Services” tab).
5. Use PuTTY to Telnet (or SSH, using "root" and "admin" for user and password, respectively) to the router and run the following command:
Code:
nvram get uuid_key

6. Copy or write down this UUID_key (it will go in the Xvortex CFE).
7. Back up the entire nvram to a text file on the router using the following command in PuTTY (you will retrieve this file and transfer it to your computer in a later step):
Code:
cd /tmp/root
nvram show >> nvram_dump.txt

*If this is the first time you have flashed DD-WRT to this router, do not unplug or reboot the router yet until Step 3. If you do, there is a risk of rebooting back into the Linksys firmware as there are two firmware partitions on this device.

Step 2: Modify the new CFE file
1. Modify New CFE with unique device parameters.
    a. Open CFEEdit.exe (included with CFE packages linked above).
    b. Click File-> Open CFE… and select the binary file.
    c. Go to the Advanced Mode tab, then modify accordingly as described in the following steps

2. If you have the DD-WRT web GUI still open from the initial Super Hacky Small Build, you can record the specific MAC addresses that should be placed in the CFE binary.

3. Update the MAC information in the CFE.
    • Eth0 gets the router’s MAC, wl0 gets MAC + 2, wl1 gets MAC + 4 (note that these are in HEX; see this link here: http://www.edsim51.com/8051Notes/hex.html).
    • See the conversion table here between what the DD-WRT status page shows, the CFE parameter, and the specific MAC for that parameter:

    dd-wrt GUI => CFEEdit.exe => MAC
    LAN MAC => hw_mac_addr, et0macaddr, lan_hw_addr => Device MAC (on router's base)
    WAN MAC => (automatically set) => Device MAC + 1 (Hex)
    Wireless MAC => 0:macaddr and wl0_hwaddr => Device MAC + 2 (Hex)
    Wireless MAC => 1:macaddr and wl1_hwaddr => Device MAC + 4 (Hex)

    • In the CFE, edit the following parameters accordingly (example shown here):

    hw_mac_addr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:49
    et0macaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:49
    lan_hwaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:49
    1:macaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:4D
    wl1_hwaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:4D
    0:macaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:4B
    wl0_hwaddr=48:F8:xx:xx:xx:4B

4. Other parameters come from the UUID step above and the bottom of the unit. “secret_code” is the WPS Pin. Edit the following parameters in the CFE:

    default_passphrase=xxxxxxxxxx
    default_ssid=Linksysxxxxx
    uuid_key=xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx
    secret_code=xxxxxxxx

5. In CFEEdit.exe, select File -> Save As and save the updated CFE for use in the next step.

NOTE: If you encounter an "Insufficient memory in FLSH segment!" error message at this point, you must delete some extra variables or parameters in the CFE. It is recommended that you delete these parameters one or two at a time until the file size is reduced to the point that it will save.

The following parameters may be safely deleted from the CFE without any apparent effect on router performance (and in fact are not present in the chinese version of the CFE):
    1:rxgains5gelnagaina2=3
    1:rxgains5ghelnagaina1=2
    1:rxgains5ghelnagaina2=3
    1:rxgains5ghtrelnabypa1=1
    1:rxgains5ghtrelnabypa2=1
    1:rxgains5ghtrisoa1=4
    1:rxgains5ghtrisoa2=4
    1:rxgains5gmelnagaina1=2
    1:rxgains5gmelnagaina2=3
    1:rxgains5gmtrelnabypa1=1
    1:rxgains5gmtrelnabypa2=1
    1:rxgains5gmtrisoa1=4
    1:rxgains5gmtrisoa2=4
Alternatively, you may use the parameters in the text file here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/download.php?id=34755


Step 3: Transfer CFE and write it to the Router
1. Enable SSHd on the Services tab of the DD-WRT GUI if you haven’t already.
2. Use WinSCP (use the 192.168.1.1 ip address, and "root" "admin" for username and password) to navigate to the "/tmp/root" folder on the router.
3. Transfer (drag & drop from the right side of the WinSCP window to the left side) the "nvram_dump.txt" file from the router to your computer.

4. Use WinSCP to transfer (drag & drop from the left side of the WinSCP window to the right side) the modified CFE to the router. Take note of the folder to which you transfer the file.

5. Use PuTTY to Telnet or SSH to the router and run the following commands, replacing <directory> and <filename> with the appropriate info:
Code:
mtd unlock /dev/mtd0
cd <directory>
mtd –f write <filename.bin> mtd0

For example, if you transferred “cfe_linksys-ea6400.bin” to “/tmp/root”, then your commands would be:
Code:
mtd unlock /dev/mtd0
cd /tmp/root
mtd –f write cfe_linksys-ea6400.bin mtd0

6. Once done, unplug the router. Hold the WPS button while plugging it in and continue to hold for about 30 to 60 seconds (that’s probably an unecessarily long time, but no sense in rushing things here).
7. The router will hopefully reboot into the DD-WRT username/password page. If you see the DD-WRT web interface after this step, continue to Step 4.

If your router reboots to the factory Linksys firmware:
    a. Repeat Step 1.1 above: Reflash the super-hacky-smaller-version DD-WRT .bin via the linksys web gui.
    b. Repeat Step 1.2 above: Navigate back into the DD-WRT web gui, which should be back at the username/password setup page. Create a User/Password (Suggestion: User = “root” and Password = “admin”).
    c. Optional: Flash the super-hacky-smaller-version DD-WRT .bin again via the Firmware Upgrade page on the Administration tab of the gui.
    d. Continue with Step 4 below.
Step 4: Transfer full DD-WRT build and write it to the Router
1. Enable SSHd on the Services tab of the DD-WRT GUI if you haven’t already.
2. Transfer (drag & drop from the left side of the WinSCP window to the right side) the desired DD-WRT firmware .bin to the router. Take note of the folder to which you transfer the file; the "/tmp/root" folder works great for this step, and you should already be there.
3. Use PuTTY to Telnet or SSH to the router and flash the new firmware. Run the following commands, one line at a time, replacing <directory> and <filename> with the appropriate info:
Code:
cd <directory>
mtd -f write <filename> linux2
(Wait for it to write)
mtd -f write <filename> linux
(Wait for it to write)
erase nvram
reboot

For example, if you transferred “linksys-ea6400-webflash.bin” to “/tmp/root”, then your commands would be:
Code:
cd /tmp/root
mtd -f write linksys-ea6400-webflash.bin linux2
mtd -f write linksys-ea6400-webflash.bin linux
erase nvram
reboot

Each “write” command may take about 5 minutes to run – be patient. Note that you may encounter an error message similar to “Could not unlock MTD device: linux2” or “[e]Erasing mtd failed: linux2” when running this command. This is normal; it actually does work.

*Once again, make sure to point to the CORRECT File name.

**AFTER THIS IS DONE YOUR ROUTER MAY TAKE A VERY LONG TIME TO REBOOT FOR THE FIRST TIME! IT MAY REBOOT MULTIPLE TIMES AND CAN TAKE 2-15 MINUTES OR MORE!! JUST LEAVE IT ALONE AND GO SMOKE A CIGAR, WATCH A MOVIE, OR GET SOMETHING TO DRINK!! (Then again, it may not do all this, but who needs an excuse to go grab a drink?)**

*** It is possible to send pings to the router to watch its status. Wait until they stabilize for a while, and you can then navigate back to the DD-WRT password page. ***

4. Navigate back to http://192.168.1.1 If you see your new firmware then you have successfully flashed to your chosen version of DD-WRT with a working CFE. Configure it how you like it!

Future Firmware Upgrades
The Firmware Upgrade tab in the web GUI may not be reliable for this router. To upgrade, follow the procedure outlined above (note that you should probably always have SSHd enabled on this device):
    Reminder: Username for SSH and WinSCP is always "root" for DD-WRT. Password is the same as your web GUI password.
1. Use WinSCP to transfer new firmware to the /tmp/root/ directory on the router.
2. Use PuTTY to SSH to the router and run the appropriate mtd -f write commands (ensure correct filename, as always).
Code:
cd /tmp/root
mtd -f write linksys-ea6400-webflash.bin linux2
mtd -f write linksys-ea6400-webflash.bin linux
reboot

Comments and Known Issues (Last Updated 3/19/16)
    • The unit’s main LED may not initially work with DD-WRT. Placing "gpio enable 8" in the Administration/Commands tab and saving as startup should re-enable it.
    • The DD-WRT web GUI may not work for upgrading firmware. There have been reports of loading new firmware via the Administration tab, but the router then immediately reverts to the old firmware version on reboot.
    • The WPS PIN may not be imported back to stock firmware after flashing CFE binary.
    • This router has a half-assed thermal design. If you are experiencing CPU die temperatures above 90 deg C, it most likely means that there is poor or no contact between the Broadcom SoC and the heatsink. Follow the Thermal Fix steps below.



macs-for-cfe.jpg
 Description:
Take note of what the initial flash of DD-WRT Super Hacky Small Build says in these fields. These MACs should be used in the CFEEdit process.
 Filesize:  67.63 KB
 Viewed:  120459 Time(s)

macs-for-cfe.jpg



FW_EA6400_1.1.40.160989_prod.img
 Description:

Download
 Filename:  FW_EA6400_1.1.40.160989_prod.img
 Filesize:  14.36 MB
 Downloaded:  559 Time(s)


_________________
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X
Netgear R7000 (stock FW)
Linksys EA6400 (DD-WRT r29396)
D-Link DIR-825 B1 (DD-WRT r29396)


Last edited by butterworth on Tue Apr 05, 2016 19:17; edited 13 times in total
butterworth
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 22 Feb 2016
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:47    Post subject: Reply with quote
I also wrote up the thermal fix.

************************
Thermal Fix
It seems that many of these routers have been built with a gap between the Broadcom SoC and its heatsink. This is awful for temperatures and device longevity. Note that it is not software or firmware or routing traffic that causes high temps in this device – the exterior of the unit will get just as hot (and therefore the SoC will be just as hot) if you are using stock firmware. If your router is experiencing temperatures above 90 C when it’s operating in a room-temperature area, the following steps will likely bring them back down to 70-80 C.

These steps will most definitely void your warranty. Proceed at your own risk - I take no responsibility for your router.

Tools and items required:
    • Small Philips screwdriver
    • Plastic spudger or guitar pick (or other non-sharp but thin tool)
    • Bastard file (flat metal file)
    • Thermal paste such as Arctic Silver AS5
Steps:
1. Remove the four rubber feet from the bottom of the device. They are simply attached with double sided adhesive, and can be pulled or pried off.
2. Remove the four screws that were hidden beneath the rubber feet.
3. Remove the top cover by separating it from the bottom frame. Some notes:
    a. There is nothing important attached to the top cover (The LED is a plastic lightpipe that isn’t attached to the board).
    b. Brute strength is effective for this step.
    c. Pull or pry with anything until you can wedge something between the top cover and the bottom frame, then work your way around.
    d. You will break plastic retainers and tabs. The only purpose I can see that they serve is to lock out the consumer from the device – the plastic chassis seems sacrificial.
    e. Note that the cover will still be firmly secured to the bottom frame when the four screws in the bottom of the device are replaced (they thread into standoffs on the top cover).
    f. Clean up any broken plastic pieces or tabs after the cover is removed. If you don’t, your router will have a nice rattle when moved.
    g. If anyone has any cleaner ways to do this step, by all means, suggest them here.
4. Do not remove any screws from the top side of the motherboard. Take note of the five cables visible around and below the motherboard. There are two that are soldered to the side of the board, and three that connect to the board via miniature coaxial snap on connectors. Access the underside of the board by doing the following steps:

    a. Leave the soldered connections in place.
    b. Gently pry the miniature coax connectors from the three board connectors.
    c. Carefully work the board off the bottom frame of the router by sliding the Ethernet connectors and USB connector away from the frame, then lifting one side and rotating the board around the edge of the board with the soldered connectors. The goal is to avoid stressing the antennas, cables, and solder joints on that side.
5. Remove the two screws on the underside of the board for the large SoC heatsink on top of the motherboard.
6. Remove the SoC Heatsink.
7. Clean the top of the SoC and the surface of the thermal pad on the heatsink. Don’t worry about removing the pad; keep it in place because it’s actually useful to us still to absorb pressure and fill any leftover gap between the heatsink and SoC.
8. File down the threaded standoffs on the heatsink. Don't use a metal file near the router - metal shavings or dust is terrible for circuit boards because it can short adjacent conductors.

9. Apply a small amount of thermal paste to the top of the SoC.
10. Reattach the heatsink to the board (this step is easier with a second set of hands to assist). As the screws get closer to being fully seated, tighten one screw a half turn, then the other a half turn, then back to the first, etc., until they are fully seated. Don’t over torque the screws.
11. Reset the board and Ethernet connectors back into the frame, taking care to make sure that the antenna cables are not pinched and the connectors are accessible.
12. Gently align the three miniature coaxial connectors with the board then firmly apply pressure until the connectors seat onto the board.
13. Make sure the board screw holes are aligned with the chassis.
14. Reattach the cover to the router’s frame and replace the four screws.
15. Replace the rubber feet (the adhesive is probably still ok).
16. Profit.



ea6400_thermal_fix1.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  114.11 KB
 Viewed:  120457 Time(s)

ea6400_thermal_fix1.jpg



ea6400_thermal_fix2.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  59.88 KB
 Viewed:  120457 Time(s)

ea6400_thermal_fix2.jpg



_________________
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X
Netgear R7000 (stock FW)
Linksys EA6400 (DD-WRT r29396)
D-Link DIR-825 B1 (DD-WRT r29396)


Last edited by butterworth on Thu Mar 03, 2016 17:45; edited 3 times in total
butterworth
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 22 Feb 2016
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:06    Post subject: Reply with quote
Also, if anyone knows how to turn on or control the LED on the EA6400/EA6300v1, let me know Very Happy
_________________
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X
Netgear R7000 (stock FW)
Linksys EA6400 (DD-WRT r29396)
D-Link DIR-825 B1 (DD-WRT r29396)
maxias
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 27 Nov 2015
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:17    Post subject: DD-WRT Reply with quote
thanks for the reply

that will move me trying ddwrt again.

and thanks butterworth for your documetation
hnws
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Jun 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:34    Post subject: Reply with quote
I was trying to put ddwrt on EA6300V1.
I successfully flashed the small build and then 20160206 build. But the CPU temp was high at 85C. I know that could be solved by a new CFE but in the meantime, my wife wanted to use network..
So I directly flashed it back to stock.

Now I want to give it another try.
But this time, when I flashed the small build on the same hardware, it went back to stock after rebooting 3 times itself.
I have tried factory reset from UI and also 30secs from the reset button before flash, which did not help.

I dont want to try 30/30/30 as warned before in this thread.
Anything else I should try?

EDIT1: tried TFTP as suggested last page, does not work. After reboot, it comes back with stock..

Thanks.
butterworth
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 22 Feb 2016
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 17:24    Post subject: Reply with quote
hnws wrote:
...successfully flashed the small build and then 20160206 build.

Did you go through all the steps to replace the CFE?
Quote:
But the CPU temp was high at 85C.

That's actually not that bad for this device. "High" for the EA6400 seems to be in the >100C range. But yes, you can probably do better than 85C.
Quote:
I know that could be solved by a new CFE

Nope. This is a hardware issue. See the "Thermal Fix" post on page 67 (near the bottom of the page).
Quote:
but in the meantime, my wife wanted to use network

DD-WRT on the EA6400/EA6300v1 may not be the best option if this is your only or primary router... unless you really need advanced functionality.
Quote:
...this time, when I flashed the small build on the same hardware, it went back to stock after rebooting 3 times itself.

Yep. This device does that - unless you completely follow instructions written all throughout this thread.
Quote:
EDIT1: tried TFTP as suggested last page, does not work. After reboot, it comes back with stock..

My recommendation: if you have not yet replaced the CFE (common firmware environment; think of what a BIOS is on a Windows computer, or what DOS used to be), imagine that you are starting from scratch (because you are. The router does not know or care that you had DD-WRT on it at any point). Follow all the steps on page 67.

If you have replaced the CFE, then flash the Super Hacky Small DD-WRT version to the router, then pick up the instructions on the last page at Step 4. Note that you must transfer DD-WRT to the device (via WinSCP), write the firmware twice (using the web GUI doesn't work reliably, you must use a command line such as PuTTY), then clearing the NVRAM (non-volatile memory, designed to survive reboots), then rebooting the device. Again, see Step 4.

_________________
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X
Netgear R7000 (stock FW)
Linksys EA6400 (DD-WRT r29396)
D-Link DIR-825 B1 (DD-WRT r29396)
Chesterboy
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 24 Feb 2016
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 19:48    Post subject: Flashing to Merlin Build from DD-WRT Build 28589 (12/24/2015 Reply with quote
Hi Guys

I Flashed my EA6300V1 using the "Super Hackey" DD_WRT Build then I flashed to the "DD-WRT Build 28589 (12/24/2015)

I would like to use the Merlin Build mentioned here as I already have a version of XVortex Merlin build on my EA6900 Main router and I like it.

Do I need to go all the way back to Linksys FW and start from scratch? Or can I pick it up somewhere from my current build?
I have no desire to ever go back to Linksys FW again.

Any suggestions/clues as to what I should do?

Thanks for any help

PS. I have read every page of this thread from 1-67,
Malachi
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 17 Jul 2012
Posts: 7209
Location: Columbus, Ohio

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 20:09    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you've read every post in this thread, then you know you have to flash the modified cfe.
_________________
I am far from a guru, I'm barely a novice.
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 66, 67, 68 ... 97, 98, 99  Next Display posts from previous:    Page 67 of 99
Post new topic   This topic is locked: you cannot edit posts or make replies.    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Broadcom SoC based Hardware All times are GMT

Navigation

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum