I've got an SPNMX42 which in my case is an MX4200v2 running Linksys' firmware with some custom settings for the ISP, Community Fibre.
You can't flash stock firmware from Community Fibre's firmware, currently MX4200CF_2.0.7.213542, but you can flash another ISP's firmware, StarHub's MX42SH_1.0.10.210447, which allows you to flash stock firmware and other firmware like OpenWrt or DD-WRT.
I've tried to flash DD-WRT 09-02-2024-r58283 and 09-09-2024-r58362 for this device from StarHub's firmware and stock firmware and on all 4 occasions the firmware flashes without error, the router reboots but I don’t get an IP address using DHCP. I also manually set up IPs and I couldn’t access or even ping the router so I assume it’s stuck booting up. I don’t have serial access so I can’t tell.
I was able to switch back to the working partition simply switching off the router 3 consecutive times approximately 5 seconds after it starts booting, as it’s customary.
While I have a backup router, the MX4200v2 is still my daily driver and since I don’t have serial access to recover it if I bricked it, I decided to revert to Community Fibre's firmware and ask here about other’s experience.
Has anybody installed DD-WRT on an MX4200v2 successfully? If so, which version of DD-WRT and from which firmware? Did you flash it from the CA support WebUI or from the hidden firmware upgrade page? I used the former.
Maybe related, on a post for the MX4300, sanjonny reports a problem upgrading which, to me, looks as if the router can't successfully boot onto the newly flashed partition and gets back to the partition where he is flashing from. But he/she was able to flash 09-02-2024-r58283 and I can't so maybe it's nothing to do.
Maybe related, on a post for the MX4300, sanjonny reports a problem upgrading which, to me, looks as if the router can't successfully boot onto the newly flashed partition and gets back to the partition where he is flashing from. But he/she was able to flash 09-02-2024-r58283 and I can't so maybe it's nothing to do.
I don't think sanjonny's issue is related to yours. It's either user error or a corrupt file imo, but since he has yet to reply to me, we just don't know. I have four mx4300s and have upgraded at least one of them dozens of times already without experiencing this problem (including back to factory on multiple occasions).
But back to your problem:
- Are you sure you are flashing the factory2ddwrt and not the webupgrade file?
- If the router is indeed boot looping, the light would be constantly changing color as the router cycles between reboots.
- Have you tried running a ping to the router as it boots? Many times whenever I have experienced boot loops, I will get a few ping responses back before the router crashes and reboots. Your PC will need a static IP of 192.168.1.x, but x cannot be a 1.
- Did you do a factory reset before flashing DD-WRT?
That's all I have for now. _________________ - Linksys EA8500: I-Gateway, WAP/VAP 5ghz only. Features: VLANs, Samba, WG, Entware - r60xxx
- Linksys EA8500: 802.11s Secondary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: 802.11s Primary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz. 2.4ghz WAP/VAP only - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: (WAP/VAP (7)) Multiple VLANs over single trunk port. Entware/Samba r60xxx
- Linksys MR7350: WDS Station for extended Ethernet r60xxx
- Linksys MR7500, MX8500: None in production. Just testing. r60xxx
- OSes: Fedora 40, 10 RPis (2,3,4,5), 23 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '95, never having owned a Windows PC.
- Forum member #248
- Are you sure you are flashing the factory2ddwrt and not the webupgrade file?
Yes, 100%.
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- If the router is indeed boot looping, the light would be constantly changing color as the router cycles between reboots.
The router is on a shelf higher up and it didn't occur to me to check the light. I will do that.
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- Have you tried running a ping to the router as it boots? Many times whenever I have experienced boot loops, I will get a few ping responses back before the router crashes and reboots. Your PC will need a static IP of 192.168.1.x, but x cannot be a 1.
I suspect the crash is even before the network is up on the router but I will use a static IP on my PC while troubleshooting.
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- Did you do a factory reset before flashing DD-WRT?
Another one that it didn’t occur to me. I know that the settings are stored on a separate partition so the other 2 with the firmware can share them. I will start the process with a reset.
Do you have any recommendation in regards to using StarHub’s firmware Vs Linksys’? And about using CA or the hidden upgrade page?
Do you have any recommendation in regards to using StarHub’s firmware Vs Linksys’? And about using CA or the hidden upgrade page?
I know nothing about StarHub so no, I cannot give any recommendation there. Regarding CA vs hidden page, I have used both and it seems to make no difference. Either works equally well, at least on the mx4300 anyway. Also something to consider, just because it's a rebranded mx4200v2 doesn't mean it's identical to a standard mx4200v2. Although unlikely, there could be some small differences in the h/w or even the Flash and RAM chips. Without a serial connection, it's impossible to say.
Have you tried searching the openwrt Wiki or forums for this router? That could maybe provide some useful information. _________________ - Linksys EA8500: I-Gateway, WAP/VAP 5ghz only. Features: VLANs, Samba, WG, Entware - r60xxx
- Linksys EA8500: 802.11s Secondary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: 802.11s Primary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz. 2.4ghz WAP/VAP only - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: (WAP/VAP (7)) Multiple VLANs over single trunk port. Entware/Samba r60xxx
- Linksys MR7350: WDS Station for extended Ethernet r60xxx
- Linksys MR7500, MX8500: None in production. Just testing. r60xxx
- OSes: Fedora 40, 10 RPis (2,3,4,5), 23 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '95, never having owned a Windows PC.
- Forum member #248
Here's a thought. Have you tried going from the Starhub FW to the regular Linksys OEM FW for the mx4200v2 first, then try going from there to dd-wrt? _________________ - Linksys EA8500: I-Gateway, WAP/VAP 5ghz only. Features: VLANs, Samba, WG, Entware - r60xxx
- Linksys EA8500: 802.11s Secondary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: 802.11s Primary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz. 2.4ghz WAP/VAP only - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: (WAP/VAP (7)) Multiple VLANs over single trunk port. Entware/Samba r60xxx
- Linksys MR7350: WDS Station for extended Ethernet r60xxx
- Linksys MR7500, MX8500: None in production. Just testing. r60xxx
- OSes: Fedora 40, 10 RPis (2,3,4,5), 23 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '95, never having owned a Windows PC.
- Forum member #248
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 16571 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2024 16:15 Post subject:
From the OP:
TopMandolin wrote:
I've tried to flash DD-WRT 09-02-2024-r58283 and 09-09-2024-r58362 for this device from StarHub's firmware and stock firmware and on all 4 occasions the firmware flashes without error, the router reboots but I don’t get an IP address using DHCP. I also manually set up IPs and I couldn’t access or even ping the router so I assume it’s stuck booting up. I don’t have serial access so I can’t tell.
One thing that must be understood is that if you are using Windows, the networking is finnicky, which is possibly a factor here. You've used static IP on client PC, so, that seems like there is a bigger issue somewhere that may require connecting via WiFi. Since this is an ISP-branded device, serial console access and logging is possibly a must. Flashing stock Linksys firmware and resetting and using CA or hidden firmware upgrade seems like a plausible solution, but there have been no reports on the MX4200 v1 or v2 in the forum, not even from @hebeda. So, here's where we get to have some fun(?)... _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... RSS feed for DD-WRT releases (2025) RSS feed for DD-WRT releases (2024) RSS feed for DD-WRT releases (2023)
----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
Although unlikely, there could be some small differences in the h/w or even the Flash and RAM chips. Without a serial connection, it's impossible to say.
Have you tried searching the openwrt Wiki or forums for this router? That could maybe provide some useful information.
I used OpenWrt on this device for months. I was quite involved in providing feedback to the developers that worked in introducing its support and I also ported it back to their current stable version, 23.05, although that PR never got merged. I’ve never come across any piece of information or comment that suggest that it’s a different hardware or that it requires anything different apart from flashing a firmware that allows flashing non-ISP firmwares.
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Here's a thought. Have you tried going from the Starhub FW to the regular Linksys OEM FW for the mx4200v2 first, then try going from there to dd-wrt?
Yes, I tried that. Maybe I wasn’t very clear but when I said I flashed from stock too, I meant Linksys OEM.
@kernel-panic69
I’ve used Windows 11, Fedora which is my regular OS and Windows 11 on another computer just for good measure. And another Ethernet cable on both computers just in case. All those pick up an IP via DHCP instantly when I switch to the other firmware so it seems more likely to me that the router currently doesn’t boot on DD-WRT.
When you say that there have been no reports on the MX4200 v1 or v2 in the forum, do you mean that there is no confirmation that it works in general or is it just the latest builds?
I used OpenWrt on this device for months. I was quite involved in providing feedback to the developers that worked in introducing its support and I also ported it back to their current stable version, 23.05, although that PR never got merged. I’ve never come across any piece of information or comment that suggest that it’s a different hardware or that it requires anything different apart from flashing a firmware that allows flashing non-ISP firmwares.
Okay, well then I'd say it is definitely not a difference in hardware. I'm not sure if @brainslayer actually has one of these routers in his possession and if not, it was a blind port. Unfortunately I'd guess he's going to need a serial log to find the issue if he doesn't have one.
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Maybe I wasn’t very clear but when I said I flashed from stock too, I meant Linksys OEM.
Okay, understood. I assumed you meant stock as in what came with the router. Thanks for clarifying.
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When you say that there have been no reports on the MX4200 v1 or v2 in the forum, do you mean that there is no confirmation that it works in general or is it just the latest builds?
It appears you are the first to try out any builds for this router. You are the first to report for v2 and we've had none so far for v1.
EDIT: The developer has been informed of this. _________________ - Linksys EA8500: I-Gateway, WAP/VAP 5ghz only. Features: VLANs, Samba, WG, Entware - r60xxx
- Linksys EA8500: 802.11s Secondary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: 802.11s Primary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz. 2.4ghz WAP/VAP only - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: (WAP/VAP (7)) Multiple VLANs over single trunk port. Entware/Samba r60xxx
- Linksys MR7350: WDS Station for extended Ethernet r60xxx
- Linksys MR7500, MX8500: None in production. Just testing. r60xxx
- OSes: Fedora 40, 10 RPis (2,3,4,5), 23 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '95, never having owned a Windows PC.
- Forum member #248
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 16571 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2024 19:03 Post subject:
TopMandolin wrote:
@kernel-panic69
....
When you say that there have been no reports on the MX4200 v1 or v2 in the forum, do you mean that there is no confirmation that it works in general or is it just the latest builds?
I saw those links already, thanks. There is no need for condescending language. It is reasonable to ask for clarification to someone seemingly in the known when they make a statement that could mean something that contradicts what other sources indicate.
Going back to troubleshooting, I asked konrads4 and he kindly confirmed that his is v2. I asked him if it's OEM or another ISP like mine and how he flashed it. Hopefully he will respond.
These are my tests.
- Flashed StarHub's FW_MX42SH_1.0.10.210447_prod.img
- Reset to factory default settings from WebUI
- Laptop connected to router and router to Internet
- Flashed DD-WRT 09-13-2024-r58381 from WebUI
- LED solid blue all the time
- No IP on Ethernet via DHCP
- Changed Ethernet to static IP 192.168.1.2/24 gw 192.168.1.1
- ping -t 192.168.1.1 for a very long time. All timed out
- Router off/on while pinging for a very long time. All timed out
- Switch back to StarHub's partition
- Back to DHCP on Ethernet
- Flashed 08-30-2024-r58244
- Flashed Linksys' FW_MX4200_2.0.6.211172_prod.img to both partitions
- Reset to factory default settings from WebUI
- Flashed DD-WRT 08-30-2024-r58244 from WebUI
- No IP on Ethernet via DHCP
- Changed to static 192.168.1.2/24 gw 192.168.1.1
- Switched back to Linksys' partition
- Flashed DD-WRT 08-30-2024-r58244 from https://192.168.1.1/fwupdate.html. Result OK
- ping -t 192.168.1.1 for a very long time. All timed out
- Switched back to Linksys' partition
- Flashed Linksys' FW_MX4200_2.0.6.211172_prod.img from https://192.168.1.1/fwupdate.html. Result OK
- All obviously back to normal
Since I don’t have serial access, I reckon it’s going to be difficult to troubleshoot this any further and you are not going to be able to get the info that you need from me to help either.
Is it possible to build DD-WRT with WiFi enabled? I do that when I build OpenWRT putting the settings in <buildroot>/files/etc/config/wireless so it’s immediately available after flashing. It’s a yes/no question, I would find the information somewhere if it’s possible.
Wifi is enabled by default but the WAN port is not. Did you check if the SSID is present? It will be ddwrt with no password. _________________ - Linksys EA8500: I-Gateway, WAP/VAP 5ghz only. Features: VLANs, Samba, WG, Entware - r60xxx
- Linksys EA8500: 802.11s Secondary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: 802.11s Primary w/VLAN Trunk over 5ghz. 2.4ghz WAP/VAP only - r60xxx
- Linksys MX4300: (WAP/VAP (7)) Multiple VLANs over single trunk port. Entware/Samba r60xxx
- Linksys MR7350: WDS Station for extended Ethernet r60xxx
- Linksys MR7500, MX8500: None in production. Just testing. r60xxx
- OSes: Fedora 40, 10 RPis (2,3,4,5), 23 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '95, never having owned a Windows PC.
- Forum member #248
Wifi is enabled by default but the WAN port is not. Did you check if the SSID is present? It will be ddwrt with no password.
I see... no, it's not present. I flashed DD-WRT 09-13-2024-r58381 again just to double-check. I guess that is a good indication that my router for whatever reason gets stuck at boot, but we don't know where.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 16571 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2024 0:51 Post subject:
TopMandolin wrote:
kernel-panic69 wrote:
It's amazing what happens when you search:
I saw those links already, thanks. There is no need for condescending language. It is reasonable to ask for clarification to someone seemingly in the known when they make a statement that could mean something that contradicts what other sources indicate.
Then you already had your answer and your question was moot or phishing for said condescending language, point noted.
TopMandolin wrote:
Since I don’t have serial access, I reckon it’s going to be difficult to troubleshoot this any further and you are not going to be able to get the info that you need from me to help either.
You came here seeking help, so I reckon you better get the bobs and bits you need to get serial access or kindly acquire a non-branded v2 from the EU market (i.e. Amazon.de) and ship one to the developer. The former option is cheaper
TopMandolin wrote:
Is it possible to build DD-WRT with WiFi enabled? I do that when I build OpenWRT putting the settings in <buildroot>/files/etc/config/wireless so it’s immediately available after flashing. It’s a yes/no question, I would find the information somewhere if it’s possible.
Fair enough. I came to ask for information in the form of other user’s experience, not help, but I received it and it’s appreciated. Serial access is out of the question because it's a device technically owned by the ISP and I am not going to physically temper with it.
We have confirmation from someone else that an OEM v2 works, so I don’t know how me buying one for the developer would help to solve the problem with this one, if it’s specific to the SPNMX42 or my unit.
I would love to find out why DD-WRT is not booting and if it relates to it actually being different or if it’s something else. OpenWRT boots on OEM and ISP versions with the same firmware after all, and there is nothing in the files that introduced its support handling any difference, that I know. But, giving my limitations and not being able to contribute to solve the mystery I’ll leave it here for the time being.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 16571 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2024 2:02 Post subject:
TopMandolin wrote:
We have confirmation from someone else that an OEM v2 works, so I don’t know how me buying one for the developer would help to solve the problem with this one, if it’s specific to the SPNMX42 or my unit.
Where is this confirmation? Only confirmation known is for the v1 between the developer and the other thread I linked. So now we're just adding assumptions, too. Sorry, but need documented proof via forum post or video or something tangible.
Sorry, but need documented proof via forum post or video or something tangible.