Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:34 Post subject: Flash from ExpressVPN to DD-WRT?
A Linksys WRT3200ACM has two different versions of ExpressVPN firmware in its two boot partitions. Although years apart, both versions of the ExpressVPN firmware seem to be different customizations of the same DD-WRT r42366 small. But the very limited ExpressVPN GUI expects an IMG firmware file rather than a BIN firmware file for update, which seems more like stock Linksys than DD-WRT. Should we attempt to flash pure DD-WRT from there?
We also can't figure out how to get the DD-WRT GUI to show... Did ExpressVPN remove it?
We've enabled SSH and can open a Putty session, so we can at least bypass the ExpressVPN GUI. But which DD-WRT firmware image should we try to flash, Factory-to-DD-WRT or the normal DD-WRT (both BIN files)?
Or should we instead be asking ExpressVPN if it's safe to revert back to stock Linksys firmware (an IMG file) from their GUI, so we can then proceed to the latest DD-WRT build?
Code:
ExpressVPN version 3.6.1.9779
login as: root
Pre-authentication banner message from server:
| DD-WRT v3.0-r42366 small (c) 2020 NewMedia-NET GmbH
| Release: 02/04/22
| Board: Linksys WRT3200ACM
End of banner message from server
root@192.168.132.1's password:
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Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14126 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:26 Post subject:
I was looking for any hints of anyone who has flashed a Marvell via CLI to get the right steps down as it is not in the sticky, but I would think you could CLI flash from their firmware instead of having to revert to stock or gamble with the factory-to-ddwrt.bin file. Don't know why ExpressVPN wants to lock out returning to DD-WRT proper other than to keep you stuck on their firmware.
Thanks KP! CLI flash direct to full DD-WRT sounds reasonable under the circumstances. I'll probably try the following from the latest ExpressVPN SSH CLI and post up if I have any issues or corrections: