Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:02 Post subject: HELP!! DD-WRT on Netgear Archer 7 v5 or Linksys EA8500
Hello my fellow forum participants.
I had a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router successfully running DD-WRT.
This router died during a firmware update.
So I purchased another router, a Netgear Archer v7 after reading these forums, and not realising a v5 is incompatible...
So, I just bought a Linksys EA8500, before realising the NEW firmware releases don't allow third-party firmwares!
So, I'm after a kindly tech-minded person to PLEASE help me upgrade either router, preferably the Linksys.
I am not very tech-savvy, like, I don't know how to telnet or do much of anything without the web-interface, so I would really appreciate an easy to follow guide if there is one. I have attempted to follow the wiki, but as soon as it starts to diverge based on chipset etc, I get lost.
So, how do I determine chipset, then can anyone help me, please.
I'm getting MUCH grief from my significant other due to the, now two, routers I have purchased with no idea on how to do what I want.
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 12889 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:53 Post subject:
The EA8500 is a very capable router but hard to get 3rd party firmware on.
If the instructions of @mrjcd are a bit too much for you, return the router and get yourself a router which is well supported and easy to install ddwrt on (mind you a lot of vendors are progressively blocking 3rd party firmware, so what you can upgrade at the moment can be hard to upgrade in near future).
Recommendations, but this is just personal:
low end: Netgear R6400v2 (Broadcom);
high(er) end: Netgear R7800 (Atheros/Qualcomm)
Ok, I bit the bullet and did the upgrade. DD-WRT firmware now on my EA8500, thank you.
My only quibble now, is that wireless performance is seriously lousy, and it's only keeping a PPTP connection for 30mins or so before disconnecting. (and needs a manual reconnect each time)
I'm really lamenting the death of my TP-Link WR1043ND router now. (died during a reflash - some have said it could be resurrected, but I know not how.....)
As for the recommended R7800? End of line, and thus not for sale, here in Oz, unfortunately....
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14222 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:02 Post subject:
You can still find used R7800s online. In regards to your TP-Link, recovering it, Google "TP-Link WR1043ND recovery". There is a forum thread here somewhere about it. There are also these two linked articles out of the results I got:
