Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 42 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:39 Post subject: !?oO
Hello guys I have 3 ddrt routers but the most recent I bought states that the hardware version is WR741N v4.3 Can I do something to help so the build gets released faster?
Finally I got repeater working..but flashing the wr-703n firmware.
Althought it is in chinese, I tried to translate it.
I unpacked the squashfs and extracted it..then tried to translate. There are 120 webpages + 66 help pages = total of 186 pages to translate.
I tried with Chrome's translator but it broke the code in most pages.
They'll show in english in the router, but buttons and few other things won't work as usual.
She only way is manual editing each file's HTML code.
if anyone is interested, here are the squashfs files.
The files to translate would be in:
/web/userRpm (main pages)
/web/localiztion (error strings and other stuff)
/web/help (help pages)
Maybe we can do a "translate team" and distribute the work.
As far as I know this is the only firmware for 4MB ar9331 boards that support repeater mode.
You think that firmware fit on a WR741ND V4 ? Is the same chipset as wr703 , i tried to flahs via web, but no success, error 1800 bad filename
Really, all I tried to make openwrt work as repeater leads to topic "issue with ...." which leads to new bug topics.
I am not a linux programmer nor a system designer. I didn't know that I'd need so to just make it work as repeater.
*edit* I finally got openwrt running as repeater (using relayd). It was hard at first, a lot of reading...
-How to flash firmware over Bootloader-
Valid for TPLINK WR-703N and WR740N v4.
This is valid to flash any firmware you want, but also to recover from bad firmware flashing too!!
(If you didn't damage the bootloader itself, which is very strange to be flashed with common firmwares)
Tested firmwares are 740n v4, 703n,openwrt(choose "Factory" file, not "SysUpgrade"!), and DD-WRT (choose "factory-to-ddwrt" , don't use webflash version).
Things you'll need:
Quote:
Terminal(putty, teraterm, hyperterminal, that's your choice)
Tftpd32: http://tftpd32.jounin.net/
firmware (in .bin format)
Ethernet cable
Solder and soldering iron
Thin cable
Serial adapter
Sorry for the mistake. RX and TX are reversed!
If you can read the console but you can't write anything, and you are sure that the soldering is well done and the cable is working, then try this fix.
Once you got the serial, open a terminal with this settings:
Quote:
115.200 baud
8 bit data
1 bit stop
no parity
no flow control
Don't worry about Tx and Rx pins.
Obviously router's RX goes to computer's TX, and so on. But if you get them reversed you won't break anything.
If you don't see anything on console, maybe they are reversed, so try swapping them.
Power on the router and you will see the console booting up.
You will see
Quote:
Autobooting in 1 seconds
That means that the bootloader waits for you 1 second before continue loading.
So you must power on and type "tpl" as soon as you see anything in the console, to enter the command line.
Quote:
tpl
If sucess you will be in command prompt:
Quote:
hornet>
Now, connect an ethernet cable betweeen your computer and the router, any port will be ok but NOT WAN port.
Configure IP address in ethernet interface of computer as:
Copy "firmware_file.bin" file from into tftpd32's folder. (you can flash any compatible firmware, but in must be in .bin format!)
Now open TFTPF32.
Now, in the bootloader shell, type this and press enter:
Quote:
hornet> tftpboot 0x81000000 firmware_file.bin
(you have to put the same name as the file you copied in TFTPD32's folder)
Then you will see it downloading the file:
Quote:
eth1 link down
dup 1 speed 100
Using eth0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.100; our IP address is 192.168.1.111
Filename 'firmware_file.bin'.
Load address: 0x81000000
Loading: #################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
######################################################
done
Bytes transferred = 3932160 (3c0000 hex)
It should put "3c0000 hex" at the end , check it!!
Otherwise DO NOT continue, a bigger file may overwrite your router factory calibration data and you won't be able to recover them.
At this point, don't worry if it was a different size, the transferred data is stored in RAM, so you can retry with other file, or shutdown the router.
You're still in the safe area, nothing is deleted/flashed yet!
When finished type:
Quote:
hornet> erase 0x9f020000 +0x3c0000
(check twice when typing, this is dangerous, you can brick it if wrong numbers are typed, and there is no JTAG!! )
Now, it should have erased 60 flash sectors as this:
Quote:
First 0x2 last 0x3d sector size 0x10000
61
Erased 60 sectors
Now the last command:
Quote:
hornet> cp.b 0x81000000 0x9f020000 0x3c0000
This will copy the image you downloaded with tftpboot and saved to the RAM into the flash.
Again, type the correct numbers, or you will copy some ramdom data from the memory into flash, thus writing incorrect data, overwriting the factory calibration data or even corrupting the bootloader.
When finished, your router will be flashed and ready:
Quote:
Copy to Flash... write addr: 9f020000
done
Now power off the router, wait 2-3 seconds and power on again.
If you flashed the correct file you will have a working router.
Just for letting the people knowing:
I sucessfully flashed the WR703N firmware onto WR740N v4 with this method (to make it work as repeater while I was learning to setup openwrt ).
Firmware here:
Link to 703N firmware:
http://tplink.cn/downloadfilesuploadfolder/2012110162848.rar
(slow link due chinese server...but only 3.5MB, be patient)
Have fun!
Last edited by dabyd64 on Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:37; edited 21 times in total
Today I got confirmation from dd-wrt that they received my donated router. I am impatiently waiting for a build and hope they come across no difficulties to make it soon.
Thanks checho!
Here in Spain, international shippings are very expensive...sending to Germany 25€ + 3€ per Kg!!
Even more than the router itself...
I hope it gets working soon, thanks to developers too
Last edited by dabyd64 on Wed Feb 15, 2012 21:21; edited 1 time in total
Thanks checho!
Here in Spain, international shippings are very expensive...sending to Germany 25€ + 3€ per Kg!!
Even more than the router itself...
I hope it got working soon, thanks to developers too
I have 5 EUR shipping cost and 17 EUR router cost. This is from Bulgaria.
I have 5 EUR shipping cost and 17 EUR router cost. This is from Bulgaria.
Nice! I got mine in Amazon at just 13,95€...and I was in premium trial, so free shipping, I was lucky
4-6€ here is for just national shipping (cheapest), and small things, over 2KG the price grows a lot.
Really, all I tried to make openwrt work as repeater leads to topic "issue with ...." which leads to new bug topics.
I am not a linux programmer nor a system designer. I didn't know that I'd need so to just make it work as repeater.
How to flash wr703n firmware onto wr-740n v4 //741n v4 (they're the same but the 741 has detachable antenna):
If .bin file doesn't work in the web upgrade, you should flash it through the bootloader.
Things you'll need:
Code:
Terminal(putty, teraterm, hyperterminal, that's your choice)
Tftpd32: http://tftpd32.jounin.net/
firmware: http://tplink.cn/downloadfilesuploadfolder/2012110162848.rar
Ethernet cable
Solder
Thin cable
Serial adapter.
(slow link due chinese server...but only 3.5MB, be patient)
Once you got the serial, open a terminal with 115.200baud, 8bit, 1 stop, no parity, no flow control.
Power on the router and you will see the console booting up.
Quick!! Type "tpl" between the first 2 seconds from powerup (without quotes) to enter the comand line.
Now, connect an ethernet cable betweeen your computer and the router, any port will be ok but NOT WAN port.
Configure IP address in ethernet interface of computer as:
Code:
IP 192.168.100.1
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Open tftpd32, copy "wr703nv1.bin" file from firmware zip into tftpd32's folder.
Now, in the bootloader shell, enter this
Code:
tftpboot 0x81000000 wr703nv1.bin
you'll se it downloading the file.
It should put "3c0000" at the end , check it!!
Otherwise DO NOT continue, shutdown router if you don't know what you're doing! You're still in the safe area!
When finished type:
Code:
erase 0x9f020000 +0x3c0000
(check twice when typing, this is dangerous, you can brick it if wrong numbers are typed)
Now, it should have erased 60 flash sectors.
The last command:
Code:
cp.b 0x81000000 0x9f020000 0x3c0000
This will copy the image you downloaded with tftpbooy, to the flash.
When finished, you'll have finished.
Now reboot router and you can use as a wr703n, except no USB.
I am doing a wireless repeater this way, pretty happy for now, no lags, no reboots, no strage issues.
Good news are that dd-wrt will start to support these starting from the next build. I am glad I could help with my router donated for that purpose. Waiting for the compiled software with no patience at all.
yes! That is fast!
I will donate some cash when I get a job (such a hard thing here), I was fired few weeks ago because there was no job incoming, so no money to maintain all the workers .
Thanks BS, checho