[SOLVED] WRT1900AC - Firmware sizes: webupdate X factory

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DiabboVerdde
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 0:10    Post subject: [SOLVED] WRT1900AC - Firmware sizes: webupdate X factory Reply with quote
I have a curiosity here... when it comes to the WRT1900AC the size of the two firmware files is blatantly different: Around 14MB for the "factory to dd-wrt" version verus 36MB for the "webupdate" version. I assume there's a reason for it, does anyone here knows why? If you check the firmware files for a similar router, say the WRT3200ACM, both files are almost the same size.

is there any requirement or advantage in applying the webupdate version just after the "factory to dd-wrt"? Any new features or anything that justifies the extra size, or is it just compression?
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dale_gribble39
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:01    Post subject: Reply with quote
It seems that wasn't always the case:

https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2015/08-20-2015-r27700/linksys-wrt1900ac/

I wasn't about to read from this page forward in the initial support thread:

https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=256298&start=645

Usually, it is a matter of the limitation on what firmware image size can be flashed to convert to DD-WRT from stock... but hopefully this does not mean that the factory-to-ddwrt.img is broken in newer releases...

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DiabboVerdde
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 4:02    Post subject: Reply with quote
dale_gribble39 wrote:
Usually, it is a matter of the limitation on what firmware image size can be flashed to convert to DD-WRT from stock... but hopefully this does not mean that the factory-to-ddwrt.img is broken in newer releases...


This actually makes sense, but then one can assume the "webupdate" version has additional features and therefore the instructions on migration should include this information, something like "use the factory-to-dd image and then upgrade again with the webupdate version to have all possible features". After all the image for webupdate is about 3 times bigger, there's got to be some extra stuff Very Happy

I just find it strange it's not explicitly written anywhere.

Initially I thought the factory image was broken, but I used it today and it worked OK. That's what prompted this topic.
dale_gribble39
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 15:27    Post subject: Reply with quote
Unfortunately, neither the generic DD-WRT Installation, Upgrade & Basic Setup–Cliff Notes topic nor the Linksys WRT1900AC Wiki may have this information, either, and the only place I could think of was the aforementioned thread, but after 40+ pages of tabbing through, I lost interest in finding a specific post that explained it and used my best educated guess from many other posts regarding initial flash of WRT AC series devices to DD-WRT.
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"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

"I am one of the noticeable ones - notice me" - Dale Frances McKenzie Bozzio

<fact>code knows no gender</fact>

This is me, knowing I've ruffled your feathers, and not giving a ****
Some people are still hard-headed.

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blkt
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 23:50    Post subject: Reply with quote
Over time Marvell DD-WRT builds are larger. Most need small builds to install from Linksys factory stock WebUI.
Models affected: wrt1200ac (v1), wrt1200acv2, wrt1900ac (v1), wrt1900acv2, wrt1900acs (v1), wrt1900acsv2
One model has stripped down factory-to-ddwrt.bin wrt1900ac (v1) but others need an old factory build r34411.
You can always use serial to flash a full-size factory-to-ddwrt.bin. Anyway, known issue with easy workarounds.
dpp3530
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 1:50    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've had to recover my WRT1900AC using serial cable a few times. The factory-to-ddwrt seemed to be a more basic build, with features missing. You need to flash a second time with ddwrt-linksys-wrt1900ac-webflash.
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oliver44
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 20:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
Did I understand correctly, it is better to use webflash.bin to upgrade wrt1900acs v2 to a newer version than to use writing from the original firmware Linksys?
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dpp3530
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 20:46    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, only use Factory-to-DDWRT if you're going from Linksys firmware to DD-WRT. Use Webflash for anything else.
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oliver44
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 21:44    Post subject: Reply with quote
dpp3530 wrote:
Yes, only use Factory-to-DDWRT if you're going from Linksys firmware to DD-WRT. Use Webflash for anything else.


I knew that!

how is it healthier to use DD-Wrt on Linksys routers gen wrt1900 acs v2, it is more correct to use Webflash, or every time to return to the original software and from there to switch to factory?

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https://ipv6.chappell-family.com/ipv6tcptest/
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dale_gribble39
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 22:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
Leaving a factory firmware partition on your WRT AC series is pointless. Unless you really clobber things, there will always be a bootable partition. Hint: The nvram variables between stock and DD-WRT are not 100% the same, you are wasting nvram space by leaving stock firmware on one partition of your router and creating your own problems.
_________________
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

"I am one of the noticeable ones - notice me" - Dale Frances McKenzie Bozzio

<fact>code knows no gender</fact>

This is me, knowing I've ruffled your feathers, and not giving a ****
Some people are still hard-headed.

--------------------------------------
Mac Pro (Mid 2012) - Two 2.4GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5645 processors 64GB 1333MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM OpenSUSE Leap 15.5
blkt
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
oliver44 wrote:
Did I understand correctly, it is better to use webflash.bin to upgrade wrt1900acs v2 to a newer version than to use writing from the original firmware Linksys?
oliver44 wrote:
how is it healthier to use DD-Wrt on Linksys routers gen wrt1900 acs v2, it is more correct to use Webflash, or every time to return to the original software and from there to switch to factory?

Nobody should ever go back to factory stock Linksys firmware. Boot into DD-WRT environment do Factory Defaults.
Upgrade with webflash.bin, webUI or CLI flash. Use DD-WRT webUI Factory Defaults or CLI nvram erase && reboot.
oliver44
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 4:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
I will use your instructions then, thanks for the information!
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https://ipv6.chappell-family.com/ipv6tcptest/
https://en.internet.nl/connection/e91f490fe1c54cb2b78145c0ab0d2b5a/results
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DiabboVerdde
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 1:51    Post subject: Reply with quote
dpp3530 wrote:
I've had to recover my WRT1900AC using serial cable a few times. The factory-to-ddwrt seemed to be a more basic build, with features missing. You need to flash a second time with ddwrt-linksys-wrt1900ac-webflash.


That's the information I was looking for! Thanks a lot for the clarification. So, we get the bigger firmware version but we lose the "backup" partition. Not a bad deal if you're careful.
kernel-panic69
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 2:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
You don't "lose the backup partition". You will still have two partitions. Don't know what makes you think otherwise.
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DiabboVerdde
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 18:21    Post subject: Reply with quote
kernel-panic69 wrote:
You don't "lose the backup partition". You will still have two partitions. Don't know what makes you think otherwise.


two things made me assume it: one was dpp3530's message:

dpp3530 wrote:
I've had to recover my WRT1900AC using serial cable a few times.


The other is the fact we can't upload the "full" version when coming from stock, I assumed it was a space limitation that stock can't handle but DD-WRT can by removing the boundaries between the partitions to create a big one and installing itself "full". But yeah, that was a big mental leap. If the backup partition is still there after installing the "big" DD-WRT over the "small" one, that's even better than I thought, you'll get no complaint from me here Very Happy
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