dropbear is the background process, daemon, that answers when you login via SSH from, say, a Windows machine using Putty. That's how you get remote command line access to your router.
It also allows one to transfer files in and out of the router securely using scp.
I would hope that dropbear is installed and running by default in a Linux based firmware. Normally one does not need to mess with it's configuration.
Well, on my Asus wifi router, I had to install Dropbear after loading the Linux image. So I presume it needs to be in this case as well. One can just log in via Telnet and request the Dropbear version to see if it is there. If not, the command line will tell you.
You might have to also install Busybox to get all the useful Unix utilities. These are often omitted in a router installation as they are really useful to anyone that wants to snoop your device.
Sorry I got Dropbear and PuTTY confused. I haven't played around with Linux Router firmware for a few years now.
Installing a daemon is something that is a useful skill to acquire in Linux. After you download and install the software, you have to include it in the schedule of applications to automatically start with a boot.
But once you install Dropbear properly, you will always have to login via SSH, Telnet will no longer communicate with you. So you have to get it right or start completely over with a new firmware reload... if that is possible.
This 703n is a great little wifi link. It also demonstrates how Linux is more open to users to learn about all the levels of computer hardware and software.
nice links loopy. i didn understand the second link.
Dropbear makes all your communications with the wr703n require encryption via SSH. That prevents someone with another wifi computer from watching your login and hacking into your network at a later time.
Don't feel rushed to install Dropbear if you feel you have a lot to learn. You can do it later, after you feel more confident with Linux and getting some useful things do. It is a security feature and can backfire and shut you completely out if you do it wrong.
Apparently, the origianal SSH daemon binary was considered too big for these little routers, so Dropbear is a down-sized SSH daemon that is able to fit into smaller devices.
Busybox is another down-sized binary for the same reasons. But I am less sure that you need to bother with BusyBox. I need to do some further reading to see what the wr703n firmware already includes or you may be attempting to install stuff that is already included.
I see BusyBox version 1.18.5 is included in the example Boot Log for the WR703N, so you don't have to worry at installing that.
OPENwrt seems to be using StrongSWAN for a VPN. Yet another security feature.
I have to do more study on Dropbear and OpenWrt to see if this is optimal.
Dropbear is based on SSH version 2.0 protocol, but OpenSSH ver 6.6 is also based on SSH version 2.0 protocol.
I guess if you can fit in OpenSSH-server instead, you will have more up-to-date security but I am only guessing. This is a typical Linux dilemma --- too many choices.
It would not surprise me to find that I am years out of date. But there is a recent 2014 release of Dropbear.
Hi,
The boot logs for the original firmware is interesting, but not vital. The primary need for it is to determine how to hack the device with the new firmware.
I see an older version 1.01 of BusyBox and Linux version 2.6.31. These are respectible older versions, but OPENwrt may be more up-to-date. I actually used Linux version 2.6.31 for quite awhile in Ubuntu... very stable
Linux jumped from version 2.6.xxx series to version 3.0.xxx series to mark an anniversary.. not really a major advance in LInux. And Linux Torvalds pretty much stated that all the greatest improments were pretty much done by version 2.6. Prior to that change, every even increase in Linux version number represented a major advance. There are no 2.8.xxx Linux versions.
What I am trying to say is that 2.6.31 remains quite useful.
+++++++++++++
The boot logs AFTER installation of OPENwrt are of greater interest as there will be a lot of information that is useful when doing hacks. The configuration in the earlier original logs will be changed in substantial ways and no longer be useful...
+++++++++++++
I guess the greatest pleasure in producing these is that your hard-wired serial port is demonstrating that it is actually working. That port will eventually tied to the Propeller.
But you should be able to get to the same logs in a HTTP by addressing the router through your brower over wifi. And that means that the serial port itself will eventually NOT provide this kind of administrative link. You will have the serial port connected 24/7 to the Propeller instead.
I have to run a few tests and then I will try to give you some tutorial info for getting the HTTP log in method working for you.
I still have to go shopping for a WR703N to hack, but at least I know enough about it now to see that it is worth doing as Wifi to Propeller link with likely ability to program in Forth and other to load Propeller binaries directly.
I suspect I might spend the next week catching up with physical modifications and loading OpenWRT firmware.
Forget about Dropbear until you are up to speed on getting a Propeller actually active and working with the WR703N in at least Forth as a first step.
Meanwhile, here is a link to a free Linux introduction that might be of use. But there are a lot of odd things regarding NOT having a hard disk and having the boot image in FLASH with other storage in SRAM.
Partitioning is very very different, and some partitions should never be touched or explored. I'll try to present more about that later. But you do need to get up to speed on the basic Linux/Unix utilities and being about to change directories and list files in directories. Having some knowledge of a basic text editor and writing shell scripts may eventually be useful.
Thanks loopy.
I tried to get a browser connection via ethernet but couldn't get it to work. I suspect iI don't have the correct settings on my laptop. I normally connect via wifi to my hotspot.
I tried ping 192.168.1.1 with mixed results. Seems the router is resetting quite regularly (as i discovered with the serial log). Sometimes i get all 4 pings returned sucessfully.
Maybe i can try tomorrow evening at my sons to get the ethernet on my laptop working. Other than that i wont have time to do anything else - maybe i will read the linux info tonight.
As you can see from my photo, i just solderd the two kynar wires for tx and rx to the tp_out and tp_in pads and the microusb pins 2 and 3 (see pic for the way i did it). on the microusb pin 4 is nc and 5 is gnd. You will need fine solder, a fine tip, kynar wire (single strand fine) and steady hands. I did the microusb ends first, then threaded under the ethernet phy, then stripped the correct length, tinned the pads and wire, then held the wire with tweezers and touch solderd the wires to the tps.
You can do the same mod to the 702.
BTW The only diffs between my boards if an inductor has a different footprint and ther is a 6pin part labellled F1 iirc rather than a couple or resistors???
Well, you are going to need to work through the browser via a wifi link at some point soon. Getting into the HTML configuration menus would be informative in showing you all the options possible for these tiny dynamos.
You have to first locate the WR703n, mine shows up as 'dlink' and then connect to it. You will be challenged for the password, which is on a lable on the backside of the WR703n and may have some Chinese charaters (saying Password in Chinese of course) before a series of letters and number.
After you have the Wifi up and running, you can then do an http://192.168.1.1 and you may get another password challenge before you get into a series of HTML menus for configuration.
This is all discussed in the big WR702n Manual PDF that I mentioned and posted a link to.
++++++++++++++
I went out on a merry chase to get a WR703N. I wanted an early verison, but it seems that add I can buy locally are the Version 1.7 mentioned in OpenWrt, and an even newer and unknown to OpenWrt Version 1.8.
After looking at evey box on the shelf, I opted for the highest serial number I could get in Version 1.7 as I am not sure what the exact snags with Ver 1.6 and Ver 1.7 are. But there was mention made that some 1.7 labeled decived actually have the more difficult Ver 1.6 installed.
++++++++++++++
I have not yet opened the box as I need to do some readng before I fully commit. I can still return the device unopened.
The MX802 is very interesting to me personally as the CPU is an Allwinner AIO, the same as the CubieBoard1 that I already own and have compiled binaries for.
But since the WR703 is a completely different Antheros CPU and Antheros Wifi chip, it makes no sense to jump back and forth between modifying serveral different platforms with entirely different Tool Chains. That is just bound to provide far too much confusion.
I did by a Wifi USB adapter for my CubieBoard, but deploying that will absolutely different that loading OpenWrt in an MX802. So I am not going to discuss what I am doing with the CubieBoard wifi. I prefer to focus entirely on the WR703N for the sake of sanity.
I am not sure which version you have. I may be able to determine from your Boot Records, but I have to look again. I hope you haven't destroyed your lables with the wifi password on them. If so, you might be able to hack those from the last line of your Boot Records which seem to have the first six characters of the 8 character password... that would leave you only (26+10)x(26+10) combinations to explore. It might just be easier to load OpenWrt first and deal with the Browser log in with whatever their new default password starts out as.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Enabling SSH / disabling telnet (setting up password)
Setting up the account password (using “passwd” command) will automatically disable telnet and enable Dropbear SSH daemon on port 22. Dropbear is an OpenSSH replacement designed for environments with low memory and processor resources (such as WR703N) and on OpenWrt it is installed by default instead of OpenSSH. You can easily replace Dropbear with OpenSSH if you want, but don’t do it before setting up extroot (see the next subsection) or else you will run out of free space.
Okay,
I am just going to have to focus on the basics of the WR703n
A. Where is the binary that needs to be loaded.
Here is a link to 'changeset 40371' also referred to as Trunk r40371. But I am not sure that there is a nice tidy binary that is ready to be deployed by a boot loader. This seems to be for the V1.7 devices. Other earlier changesets are available for earlier version of the wr703n.
I don't have any clear idea which version you own.
It looks like the wr703n is going to require a compile from GCC to the Antheros cross-compiler. That's an extra step that I may try to do for you. It would be much simpler if a ready binary was available.
B. What mode of boot loading is best to use?
The OpenWrt discusses for methods. My own experience is that is it often to you the software that the manufacturer simply provided for updates of their own firmware. But wr703n has comments that seem to indicate UBoot and a serial interface are the safest way to go.
+++++++++++++
So stupid I wanna to just hide.........
Looking closely at what I bought this evening, I ended up with a TL-MR3020 with Version 1.7 firmware for that, and NOT a TL-WR703N. They were on the shelf where the WR703N were supposed to be and ON Sale for the same price. I am not even sure there were an more WR703N as I was busy look at the version numbers. All the WR702Ns were gone. It appears these devices are selling very quickly. The WR703N might have only been V1.8 and OpenWrt hasn't even looked at those.
To make things more awkward, the MR3020 has much better written web page support on OpenWRT.
So I have messed up trying to establish a simple way to explore the same device and really would prefer hacking the MR3020 for my personal use.
This doesn't mean I cannot help you with the WR703N. It just means I don't have exactly the same unit in my hands to refer to and to struggle with exactly the same problems.
You mention that the WR703N didn't provide a manual on CD and didn't provide an ethernet LAN cable. The MR3020 came with all that and has a few more features than the WR703N. So there is some gap in figuring out what is good reliable reference material for you until after the OpenWrt firmware is successful installed. (Yes, we have a bit of drama unfolding.)
++++++++
At this point, I will poke around and see what I have to do to get you a binary that is ready to load. If you already know of one or have one, tell me where you found it.
And I will keep looking at how U-Boot will help you install the binary.
+++++++++
After the binary firmware for OpenWrt is installed, we will focus on just having the Rx and Tx working as an RS232 to the Propeller or anything else... not adding passwords or security until nearing the end of modifications.
Then, it will be about get one of those GPIO i/o pins to think and behave like a RST.
Then, it would be about compiling in GCC a binary for the Antheros that would load Propeller binaries via the 703N's serial port.
Finally you could test some loading and running of Propeller with serial comms after loading a binary.
Only after all that would I bother with installing all the SSH security and other OpenWRT applications.
loopy, in your post #41, at thebeginning, do youmean i should connect by wifi to the 703 first? i thought i neededtoconnect via the ethernet port???
I have been reading the linux manual you linked to. i am up to chapter 10. pretty straight forward so far except the many file directories.
The MX802 and eqivs are more expensive and can be used for differentpurposes than the 703. The microSDport is a good addition. I am not sure if anyone hasfound/usd a serial port on these yet. The quad core versions are now plentiful.
a. There appears to be a binary without any compiling necessary.
b. Yes, you can connect via your Browser in any wifi computer login in as user: Admin and password: Admin (Maybe all caps or all lower case. But to do so, you have first locate your active wifi and login to that with another password (mine was on a lable on the back of the wr702n. The MR3020 is completely different about this.
So, if you can login via wifi and browser. We will see if your menus are in English (or all Chinese). If you are in Chinese, you might want to load firmward via your serial port instead of going over the wifi.
++++++++++
Please try reading the WR702N manual to get your Browser to work via wifi. I can zip a copy of the CD provided and post that, but I suspect the manual has it all.
loopy,
thanks for all your help so far. for general use the MR3020 is a betterunit, with more leds on gpio pins.
i read that the mr3020 code will run on the wr703n so the hw must be almost identical. i am sure what we need to do will be so similarr that we will get by fine.
my 703s have the mac and sn on thelabel under thebox and i have marked my boards andboxes,and the boot dumpi did also has the last digits of the s/n which are also the passwords.
have to go visiting our 2 boys families today and facetime our daughters family in s.korea for birthday get together. wont make any progress today.
Happy to hear you have the SSID and password. It seems they are exactly the same as the WR702n for getting an active wifi login.
Last night I tried to log in to my WR702N and couldn't see to get a stable connection.
Yes, the Openwrt Firmware for the WR703N and the MR3020 seems to be the same binary. And it appears that the only item preventing using the resident firmware upload software is that it won't accept OpenWrt's long file name. You have to rename the binary to a short name (Likely the old DOS format of 8 letters . 3 letters).
The binary is 2.4Mbytes, so it will never fit into the WR702N with only 2.0Mbytes of Flash space.
++++++++++++++++
I am not going to talk about possibilities for now. I need to get some actual logins and downloads to move forward.
I suspect the shop I bought from just considers the MR3020 and the WR703N to be the same thing as they are so similar under the hood. I doubt I could easily return for a swap.
++++++++++
This is a typical Linux Router hacking experience.
There are lots of blogs and tutorials posted, but only a few really are clear and make sense. So one ends up reading and pondering while trying to get to know the device. And then, I have more documents in Chinese that English.
Thus, I think it is very important to get login to the provided firmware and verify that all is working correctly before you load the OpenWRT firmware. I am hoping you have actual English menus on the WR703N that are the same as my WR702N.
The TL-Link firmware is actually Linux as well, but modified to configure from menus and to shut out the ability to be a SuperUser. Even with limited features, it will allow you to see a lot of what the Linux system is on a router device.
Success - well limited success. This afternoon at my son's we connected to the router via Ethernet and a webbrowser (Chrome I think) using 192.168.1.1 which then responded with an address (IIRC ended in .0.80) and then put up the login requiring "admin" and "admin" all lower case. Then the chinese screen came up.
We repeated this for the WiFi doing precisely the same as Ethernet.
So either will wifi or Ethernet will work.
Now, what I noticed is that after powering the router (from usb, not the supplied power pack which has US pins) is that on my laptop, the router flashes the led for a while (while booting) and then goes steady on. After a short time, the led goes out for a short time and then flashes and steady, repeating this process. On my sons pc, after the flashing led it goes steady and remains that way. So my assumption is that my laptop is causing power supply issues so I am going to use a known power source.
Now I just need to repeat these tests at home and make sure everything is ok. If so, I can find the right binary and download it.
re your MR3020, yes I would keep it and load it up with 703 or 3020 firmware. I think we can compare these easily. Later it might be worth building a smaller version that will fit the 702. I could load the same into the 703 and give it a go. But first things first.
I am quite excited. Even tho its been a bit of a learning curve getting it running, there has really been no major issues so far - just working out what needs to be done to ensure everything is ok before proceeding to the next step. I like to understand what I am doing, and I think you do too. It's nice to have someone else trying things at the same time - as they say, two heads are better than one!
Okay... sorry to hear you have the Chinese menus rather than English.
It would be a whole lot easier to use the resident firmware upgrade menus that to use UBoot to load firmware for the OpenWRT image. But I suspect that the English WR702N user's manual might make it possible to do so.
I repeat, the firmware file name has to be reduced to 8 characters (keep the same extension) for the resident firmware loader to recognize and load the file. OpenWrt provides the binary with a very long name.
+++++++++++++
You may load a WR703N English firmware to have it function as intended. I don't see why you should immediately do so if you want to try OpenWRT. But keep in mind that if you don't like OpenWRT, you can revert to that binary at any time.
My WR702N is being temperamental about logins. Maybe the 5V power is unstable.
The blinking lights are diagnostic. A steady bright light is READY for normal operation.
I believe the manual I keep mentioning will explain. The WR703N should need no more than the 500ma that the USB port should provide. I read something about the device requiring 80-120ma without anything connected to its USB port.
There are full instructions for loading new firmware for the chinese menus on the internet with pics, so there should be no problems here.
I let you know what I find with the power - I have an FT232RL connected to the laptop usb port, so this could be a problem - no prop connected to it tho. Its just what I had around easily.
I had a quick look at the 702 manual the other day, and I have saved it for reference.
Okay,
I did get into the 3" CD that came with the WR702N and it also has the manual.
There is software for Windows installation of use as well.
My problems with both my units appear to have been because the "Fresh out of the box" set up requires BOTH a LAN and a wifi link. You can't get started with just wifi, and the LAN I was using seems to have gone down.
The blinking light on start up is simple.
--- Slow blink - Lan connected but no data
--- Fast blink - Lan connected and transferring set up data
--- Steady bright - The unit is ready for wifi
So far, I have not gotten into any of the 192.168.0.254 configuration menus. I may spend the rest of the day running down why my landlady's LAN went down.
And I may have some conflicts with my regular wifi router being active at the same time regarding IP addresses. I need to think about some better organization to get deeper into this. Having more than one wifi routher active in the same room while working with a new device creates problems.
Two things I noticed...
1. The IP we used for both ethernet and wifi was 192.168.1.1 in thebrowser and the login admin admin all lower case. Then we received thechinese screen.
2. We still had myson's wifi router running.
I don't know about Windows wifi, but in Linux... you have to be careful that the wifi interface doesn't jump automatically over to an active device that is not your intended device.
You could have logged in to the wrong unit if you were unlucky.
My other wifi device has an Administor login at 192.168.1.1 and I end up there, not on WR702N if I use that address. I can't seem to get the LAN cable to interface directly to a notebook... maybe it ignores Linux.
Networks can lead you on a merry chase if you are not careful and have too many active while you are working on a new one.
The WR702N documentation is absurdly tedious... obviously a direct translation from Chinese with several chapters covering the same material over and over again in some sort of cut and paste editing.
But there is information buried deeply in it. I may have to use the Windows installer software on the CD to get into the administrator menus. I can't seem to reach them in Linux (though I should be able to do so.)
One of the gems is that your "out of the box" password for the wifi activation is the last 8 digits of the devices MAC address. If I could load OpenWRT on the WR702N, I would do so immediately just to get rid of the cryptic documentation.
These were made in Taiwan and we have entered an era where the Taiwanese feel they know enough English to do all the documentation without input from the English speak cultures. It would be so much easier if somebody thought about the NEED to know, before page after page of NICE to know with lots of graphics.
Yes I am grumpy... I have spent days digging through stuff for what should have been a no-brainer.
BELOW is the short story................
Preliminary -- try to disarm any automatic logins to wifi that are configured in your OS before you work with your new WR702N. Everything will go smoother.
A. Just plug in the LAN cable and the Power.
B. Watch for a fast blinking light to confirm an active LAN interface (no ADSL PPPoE log in available at this point)
C. Seek out the Wifi that is obviously your unit by the last six digits of the wr703N MAC address
D. Log in the Wifi using the last eight digits of your same MAC address
Okay, I located a loose connection in the landlady's router/gateway that was keeping the WR702N from working properly. But I only get the AP mode and no other choices.
And I have pretty much given up on the idea that I can reconfigure the WR702N without the help of an EZ_SETUP application provided for Windows (no Linux of course). It seems that the application searches for the active network and which IP address the WR702N allocates. I suspect the same applies to the WR703N. And so, I now have a zip file of the CD that provides all that, but too large to post here and copyrighted. I suspect you can download this a TP-LINK, but it is done just in case.
You may want to get a copy of CD104A5. Maybe here abouts... http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?id=393
If you can't get a copy, I can mail you my original.
I am not too sure that Windows7 Starter will allow me to do searches for IP addresses. We will see.
It is becoming obvious that the MR3020 device may have added more indicator LEDs, a reset button, and a selection switch to avoid having to get into the menu system to change modes of operation. Actually, it may be a better all round hack than the WR703n. Or it just may be a better device for non-hackers.
I have yet another CD for the MR3020 that is likely different, nothing about he WR703N.
The WR702N will surely be more user-friendly for Linux OSes in OpenWRT. Full support without OpenWRT seems provided on Windows.
Maybe, the WR703N is without documents as they shifted away from a Window-centric solution.... just follow the menus. (in Chinese?).
Well, not progress with EZ-SETUP so for. I am more convinced than ever that loading OPENwrt in the WR703N and MR3020 will be a much better, more useful solution. I can keep the WR702N and use it to log into the buidling's network. It even sees other Windows user that can join the same Workgroup to share files and printers. I just can seem to get any mode other than the original or change the wifi setup to a new name and password.
It is all as if these were made for a world market where nobody reads the instructions and reconfigures security. LOL.
You seem to have the menus in the WR703N, which means you don't have to use U-BOOT to load OpenWRT. You can use the resident mention. I am about finished trying to customize the WR702N and will just accept it for what it is.
+++++++++++++
So now my own focus is to get the MR3020 working with OpenWRT. That should be much more fun.. and a bit easier.
I downloaded and installed "openwrt_tl-wr703n_standard_2013-02-23_squash-factory.bin" renamed as "openwrt1.bin" by me as 8.3 format is required.
openwrt_tl-wr703n_standard_2013-02-23_squash-factory.bin (cannot find the link atm)
I am unsure if this is the latest. It identifies as Linux V3.7.9, base_files 134-r35706, Bysybox 1.19.4-6, Dropbear 2012.55-2
I used these instructions from here http://wiki.xinchejian.com/wiki/Install_OpenWRT_on_TPlink_WR703N
On page 3, the button after the box on the RHS means Browse, and the button at the lower left of this larger box means Download/Install.
At the end of the page, once the download is done (100%) the window asks for a password login.
You can just close the browser, and now proceed to the next document and run Putty (don't unplug or reset your router!) http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/firstlogin
Run Putty with Telnet and 192.168.1.1
Supply your password and confirm.
Now Run Putty again with SSH and root@192.168.1.1
Note that with LUCI, the tabs "Administration" and "System" were reversed on my OpenWrt binary.
Now use Putty to (SSH root@192.168.1.1) and edit files for Configure WiFi
Note this is not working for me yet!!!
Hello,
Happy to hear of some progress. As I read the above ...
A. You have loaded the frimware for OpenWRT in the WR703.
B. Logged in and provided a password that has switch to SSH
C. Having a problem logging in over SSH afterward.. (I will need to do some reading before I make any suggestions how to solve this, but you could have something simple wrong .. like the wrong port. Try Port 22 and Port 23.)
Regarding the the multiple firmwares...
Stay with the one that is loaded until you have a good reason to change to something else. It will getting confusing if you are learning Linux and swapping versions withouut understanding differences.
+++++++++++++
My situation.
For the WR702N
I am pretty much trying to ignore the WR702N, but appear to have found out the process to login in as an Admin.
You have to set your computer LAN port on the net work which is a 192.168.x.x and then the automatic assignment of an IP to the WR702N will provide one of 254 unused address.
Then you have to log in to your browser or console and try to locate the active address. This may be easiest to do with the Console (Terminal in Linux) and using a PING.
(Tedious to say the least.)
Finally you can use your Browere to get to the http://192/168.xxx.xxx and do a log in as user: admin and password: admin
For theMR3020
I spend a bit of the evening cracking the case as I do have to connect an RS232 port.
This means prying and jimmying through the glue around the edges and I have gotten the cover off without stabbing myself. I used a sharp pocket knife.
The next step is to solder an RS232 interface in place. It looks as if the RS232 for the MR3020 is 3.3v and that implies that I might be able to do a direct TTL RS232 cable to the a Propeller Proto Board -- no level shifters.
And of course, I still need to load the OpenWRT firmware. With this device, I will first make a backup of the installed firmware from the menu selections provided. I will also download and archive whatever TP-LINK offers in firmware binaries for future needs --- just in case.
At that point, I may have the same binary you loaded. And the same serial port configuration. I need to do some rereading to be assured that I got this right.
If all goes well, I will have the wifi provide a wireless link as a go between my ASUS eeePC notebook and the Propeller loaded in Forth. I would consider that the first Milestone in using this for a Propeller wireless programmer.
===========
And then, it is likely that we will follow some of Heater's suggests to try and get a GPIO to operate as a RESET for direct loads of Propeller binaries compiles in SPIN, PASM, GCC or whatever else is out there. This would be a proof that the WR703N and the MR3020 could be used in a classroom setting to program Propellers via a wifi link and download.
There are additonal possiblities, but this second milestone would be more than enough for me.
+++++++++++
I love the WR703N and MR3020. I have a strong prejudice towards buying devices that include a complete case and power supply rather than bothering with something like the BeagleBone, CubieBoard, and so on. There is a huge advantage of hacking and then resealing the case for rugged daily use.
Later...
Add the ability of these to use a USB memory stick to expand the capacitiy of the resident OPENwrt software. 4 megabytes of storage is a tight fit and 2.4 megabytes just gets the OpenWRT running in basic mode. You will likely want more as you learn more. I am sure I will. The ONE DRAWBACK might be that once you add on the USB memory stick, it may be that you can never operated the device without it. If you desire to use the USB port for other things, a compromise may be necessary.
Hello,
Happy to hear of some progress. As I read the above ...
A. You have loaded the frimware for OpenWRT in the WR703.
B. Logged in and provided a password that has switch to SSH
C. Having a problem logging in over SSH afterward.. (I will need to do some reading before I make any suggestions how to solve this, but you could have something simple wrong .. like the wrong port. Try Port 22 and Port 23.)
Regarding the the multiple firmwares...
Stay with the one that is loaded until you have a good reason to change to something else. It will getting confusing if you are learning Linux and swapping versions withouut understanding differences.
I have logged in via ssh without problems.
What is not working is the WiFi. I am sure it is just a setting here.
WiFi was working before I updated the firmware, which I know by default has the WiFi disabled.
I connected via Ethernet and SSH and modified the files with vi. It is something here that I don't have correct, so I need to go back and try and fix.
BTW my laptop is 192.168.1.101
+++++++++++++
My situation.
For the WR702N
I am pretty much trying to ignore the WR702N, but appear to have found out the process to login in as an Admin.
You have to set your computer LAN port on the net work which is a 192.168.x.x and then the automatic assignment of an IP to the WR702N will provide one of 254 unused address.
Then you have to log in to your browser or console and try to locate the active address. This may be easiest to do with the Console (Terminal in Linux) and using a PING.
(Tedious to say the least.)
Finally you can use your Browere to get to the http://192/168.xxx.xxx and do a log in as user: admin and password: admin
I suspect it is the same process as the WR703N. Only you don't have the USB port fitted - the connector and resistors/caps/etc, and of course less memory.
Maybe there is 702 openwrt version out there, but since you have a 3020 give it a miss for now.
For theMR3020
I spend a bit of the evening cracking the case as I do have to connect an RS232 port.
This means prying and jimmying through the glue around the edges and I have gotten the cover off without stabbing myself. I used a sharp pocket knife.
The next step is to solder an RS232 interface in place. It looks as if the RS232 for the MR3020 is 3.3v and that implies that I might be able to do a direct TTL RS232 cable to the a Propeller Proto Board -- no level shifters.
I would expect that it is probably TTL just like in my unit. The serial works fine to my FT232RL chip.
And of course, I still need to load the OpenWRT firmware. With this device, I will first make a backup of the installed firmware from the menu selections provided. I will also download and archive whatever TP-LINK offers in firmware binaries for future needs --- just in case.
At that point, I may have the same binary you loaded. And the same serial port configuration. I need to do some rereading to be assured that I got this right.
If all goes well, I will have the wifi provide a wireless link as a go between my ASUS eeePC notebook and the Propeller loaded in Forth. I would consider that the first Milestone in using this for a Propeller wireless programmer.
Oh, the case was glued. Doesn't this one have the power supply inbuilt? Maybe that's why they have to glue the case???
When you find the instructions to perform a backup let me know.
I saw the ssh command
opkg install restorefactory
but I am unsure if this backs up everything, and its after the install of the new openwrt. Perhaps I needed to do this before I loaded the new code (vis the serial port).
Looking forward to you loading the new firmware.
===========
And then, it is likely that we will follow some of Heater's suggests to try and get a GPIO to operate as a RESET for direct loads of Propeller binaries compiles in SPIN, PASM, GCC or whatever else is out there. This would be a proof that the WR703N and the MR3020 could be used in a classroom setting to program Propellers via a wifi link and download.
There are additonal possiblities, but this second milestone would be more than enough for me.
Yes, this would be an excellent milestone.
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I love the WR703N and MR3020. I have a strong prejudice towards buying devices that include a complete case and power supply rather than bothering with something like the BeagleBone, CubieBoard, and so on. There is a huge advantage of hacking and then resealing the case for rugged daily use.
Agreed!
Later...
Add the ability of these to use a USB memory stick to expand the capacitiy of the resident OPENwrt software. 4 megabytes of storage is a tight fit and 2.4 megabytes just gets the OpenWRT running in basic mode. You will likely want more as you learn more. I am sure I will. The ONE DRAWBACK might be that once you add on the USB memory stick, it may be that you can never operated the device without it. If you desire to use the USB port for other things, a compromise may be necessary.
I saw how they added internally a usb hub to add multiple usb ports with 1 used for the memory stick.
I want to add the memory stick on one of the units, but for my ultimate solution I want to keep it simple without the memory stick.
Just a quick response as I haven't done any more than reading research since my last post.
We are using very similar, but -- at the very least -- differently named OpenWRT firmware binaries.
Yours include the WR703N in its name, mine includes MR3020 in its name. I will have to run a comparison utility to be sure to prove they are exactly the same. And I suspect that such a test will fail as I have more LEDs, a reset, and a slide switch on the MR3020. So it seems obvious that the GPIO deployment is different regardless of how much else is identical.
My main point....
Every time to select a different platform in OpenWRT or dd-WRT, you find yourself having to get up to speed again.
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Regarding the lack of Wifi in OpenWRT....
Yes, the Wifi is not active immediately after you install OpenWRT. You have to follow the proceedure that the Wiki you are using mentions.
I do see that the Wiki has you using VI as your text editior for this process. VI is a tedious UNIX legacy text editor and you need to learn how to properly use it or you won't get the results you desire.
Frankly, I extremely dislike VI and will change to something else later -- like Nano or Gedit, if possible
Another snag in OpenWRT
The shell script utility seems to be ASH (Alquist Shell). I am not familiar with ASH and the vast majority of systems use BASH (aka Bourne Again Shell). I saw some discussion that reconfiguring to BASH is feasible.
But until you really understand how to reconfigure, you will have to work with ASH.
++++++++++++++++
In summary, stay with VI and ASH until you get your basic services up and running as I strongly suspect the installation tutorials will be using those.
If you switch too soon, things might become more confusing.
Of course, changes are likely to demand more storage space. VI and ASH are very small in comparison to other choices. So you might be happy to put up with them.
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Glued shut??
It is difficult to say why one unit is not glued shut and another is. But the MR3020 takes a bit of patience to get open. It could be the addition of more LEDs and switches led to the desire to seal the case better. Or that the production line is now better trained and glue was introduced to discourage hacking. (These similar units started with the WR700, the 701, the 702, the 703 and on to the MR3020.)
It seems you got a WR703N that just popped open.
++++++++++++++++++
BTW,
The MR3020 comes with GNU license notice. I get the feeling that the manufacturer was ignoring the fact that they were using a GNU license firmware through WR702. That the WR703 may have pulled all documents and been sold only in a Chinese market while a legal wrangle was happening over how to continue. And then, the MR3020 came out with a GNU license notice and publically offers all the source code.
IOW, there seems to some interesting politics in the background. For ages, many of the routers and wifi routers on the market has hidden the fact that they are using a re-packaged Linux for their operation and they would not share their source code publically.
By being forced to share their source code publically, OpenWrt and others can much more easily revise the code and provide their own firmware. It this case, the OpenWrt code is very, very latest Linux kernel (I think 3.6.xxx) and the latest BusyBox. This is all to the good.
Linux -- More software choices that one can ever want.
Here is a link to a list of all the shell options available. Try to Keep it Simple. There are too many.
Every time to select a different platform in OpenWRT or dd-WRT, you find yourself having to get up to speed again.
And that in a nutshell is why I have stayed away from such things. That is why I suggested using Raspberry Pi days ago. Of course there are other platforms that could be used.
Whilst it is cool to hack on things like routers it's not a dependable solution for anything. As you have described recently you can hardly buy the same model/version router twice. Whatever you are using now will be unobtainable next month and so on.
Vi is the one true editor:) Although vi as supplied by busybox is very basic and not as much fun as vim on a normal machine.
Nano is probably OK for a quick config file change if you can't be bothered to learn the couple of basics of vi required to do the same.
Gedit requires X. I don't think you have X running on your routers.
I would strongly advise against trying to replace the shell with BASH. There is no need to do so anyway.
Comments
It also allows one to transfer files in and out of the router securely using scp.
I would hope that dropbear is installed and running by default in a Linux based firmware. Normally one does not need to mess with it's configuration.
You might have to also install Busybox to get all the useful Unix utilities. These are often omitted in a router installation as they are really useful to anyone that wants to snoop your device.
Sorry I got Dropbear and PuTTY confused. I haven't played around with Linux Router firmware for a few years now.
Installing a daemon is something that is a useful skill to acquire in Linux. After you download and install the software, you have to include it in the schedule of applications to automatically start with a boot.
But once you install Dropbear properly, you will always have to login via SSH, Telnet will no longer communicate with you. So you have to get it right or start completely over with a new firmware reload... if that is possible.
This 703n is a great little wifi link. It also demonstrates how Linux is more open to users to learn about all the levels of computer hardware and software.
Dropbear makes all your communications with the wr703n require encryption via SSH. That prevents someone with another wifi computer from watching your login and hacking into your network at a later time.
Don't feel rushed to install Dropbear if you feel you have a lot to learn. You can do it later, after you feel more confident with Linux and getting some useful things do. It is a security feature and can backfire and shut you completely out if you do it wrong.
Apparently, the origianal SSH daemon binary was considered too big for these little routers, so Dropbear is a down-sized SSH daemon that is able to fit into smaller devices.
Busybox is another down-sized binary for the same reasons. But I am less sure that you need to bother with BusyBox. I need to do some further reading to see what the wr703n firmware already includes or you may be attempting to install stuff that is already included.
Here is a listing of all the OPENwrt HOWTO documents.
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/start
OPENwrt seems to be using StrongSWAN for a VPN. Yet another security feature.
I have to do more study on Dropbear and OpenWrt to see if this is optimal.
Dropbear is based on SSH version 2.0 protocol, but OpenSSH ver 6.6 is also based on SSH version 2.0 protocol.
I guess if you can fit in OpenSSH-server instead, you will have more up-to-date security but I am only guessing. This is a typical Linux dilemma --- too many choices.
It would not surprise me to find that I am years out of date. But there is a recent 2014 release of Dropbear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbear_(software)
I will post the bootup log for the existing (original) 703 firmware shortly (provided wifey hasn't organised the whole w/e).
The boot logs for the original firmware is interesting, but not vital. The primary need for it is to determine how to hack the device with the new firmware.
I see an older version 1.01 of BusyBox and Linux version 2.6.31. These are respectible older versions, but OPENwrt may be more up-to-date. I actually used Linux version 2.6.31 for quite awhile in Ubuntu... very stable
Linux jumped from version 2.6.xxx series to version 3.0.xxx series to mark an anniversary.. not really a major advance in LInux. And Linux Torvalds pretty much stated that all the greatest improments were pretty much done by version 2.6. Prior to that change, every even increase in Linux version number represented a major advance. There are no 2.8.xxx Linux versions.
What I am trying to say is that 2.6.31 remains quite useful.
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The boot logs AFTER installation of OPENwrt are of greater interest as there will be a lot of information that is useful when doing hacks. The configuration in the earlier original logs will be changed in substantial ways and no longer be useful...
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I guess the greatest pleasure in producing these is that your hard-wired serial port is demonstrating that it is actually working. That port will eventually tied to the Propeller.
But you should be able to get to the same logs in a HTTP by addressing the router through your brower over wifi. And that means that the serial port itself will eventually NOT provide this kind of administrative link. You will have the serial port connected 24/7 to the Propeller instead.
I have to run a few tests and then I will try to give you some tutorial info for getting the HTTP log in method working for you.
I still have to go shopping for a WR703N to hack, but at least I know enough about it now to see that it is worth doing as Wifi to Propeller link with likely ability to program in Forth and other to load Propeller binaries directly.
I suspect I might spend the next week catching up with physical modifications and loading OpenWRT firmware.
Forget about Dropbear until you are up to speed on getting a Propeller actually active and working with the WR703N in at least Forth as a first step.
Meanwhile, here is a link to a free Linux introduction that might be of use. But there are a lot of odd things regarding NOT having a hard disk and having the boot image in FLASH with other storage in SRAM.
Partitioning is very very different, and some partitions should never be touched or explored. I'll try to present more about that later. But you do need to get up to speed on the basic Linux/Unix utilities and being about to change directories and list files in directories. Having some knowledge of a basic text editor and writing shell scripts may eventually be useful.
http://linux-training.be/files/books/LinuxFun.pdf
I tried to get a browser connection via ethernet but couldn't get it to work. I suspect iI don't have the correct settings on my laptop. I normally connect via wifi to my hotspot.
I tried ping 192.168.1.1 with mixed results. Seems the router is resetting quite regularly (as i discovered with the serial log). Sometimes i get all 4 pings returned sucessfully.
Maybe i can try tomorrow evening at my sons to get the ethernet on my laptop working. Other than that i wont have time to do anything else - maybe i will read the linux info tonight.
As you can see from my photo, i just solderd the two kynar wires for tx and rx to the tp_out and tp_in pads and the microusb pins 2 and 3 (see pic for the way i did it). on the microusb pin 4 is nc and 5 is gnd. You will need fine solder, a fine tip, kynar wire (single strand fine) and steady hands. I did the microusb ends first, then threaded under the ethernet phy, then stripped the correct length, tinned the pads and wire, then held the wire with tweezers and touch solderd the wires to the tps.
You can do the same mod to the 702.
BTW The only diffs between my boards if an inductor has a different footprint and ther is a 6pin part labellled F1 iirc rather than a couple or resistors???
You have to first locate the WR703n, mine shows up as 'dlink' and then connect to it. You will be challenged for the password, which is on a lable on the backside of the WR703n and may have some Chinese charaters (saying Password in Chinese of course) before a series of letters and number.
After you have the Wifi up and running, you can then do an http://192.168.1.1 and you may get another password challenge before you get into a series of HTML menus for configuration.
This is all discussed in the big WR702n Manual PDF that I mentioned and posted a link to.
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I went out on a merry chase to get a WR703N. I wanted an early verison, but it seems that add I can buy locally are the Version 1.7 mentioned in OpenWrt, and an even newer and unknown to OpenWrt Version 1.8.
After looking at evey box on the shelf, I opted for the highest serial number I could get in Version 1.7 as I am not sure what the exact snags with Ver 1.6 and Ver 1.7 are. But there was mention made that some 1.7 labeled decived actually have the more difficult Ver 1.6 installed.
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I have not yet opened the box as I need to do some readng before I fully commit. I can still return the device unopened.
The MX802 is very interesting to me personally as the CPU is an Allwinner AIO, the same as the CubieBoard1 that I already own and have compiled binaries for.
But since the WR703 is a completely different Antheros CPU and Antheros Wifi chip, it makes no sense to jump back and forth between modifying serveral different platforms with entirely different Tool Chains. That is just bound to provide far too much confusion.
I did by a Wifi USB adapter for my CubieBoard, but deploying that will absolutely different that loading OpenWrt in an MX802. So I am not going to discuss what I am doing with the CubieBoard wifi. I prefer to focus entirely on the WR703N for the sake of sanity.
I am not sure which version you have. I may be able to determine from your Boot Records, but I have to look again. I hope you haven't destroyed your lables with the wifi password on them. If so, you might be able to hack those from the last line of your Boot Records which seem to have the first six characters of the 8 character password... that would leave you only (26+10)x(26+10) combinations to explore. It might just be easier to load OpenWrt first and deal with the Browser log in with whatever their new default password starts out as.
Apparently it is installed with the OpenWrt and started when you select a password.
OpenSSH is much larger and should not be used unless you have a USB memory stick already installed as a full-time extension of the file system.
Here is an excerpt for the post OpenWrt installation instructions.... http://cmikavac.net/2012/06/03/tp-link-wr703n-openwrt-post-installation-tips/
++++++++++++++++++++++
Enabling SSH / disabling telnet (setting up password)
Setting up the account password (using “passwd” command) will automatically disable telnet and enable Dropbear SSH daemon on port 22. Dropbear is an OpenSSH replacement designed for environments with low memory and processor resources (such as WR703N) and on OpenWrt it is installed by default instead of OpenSSH. You can easily replace Dropbear with OpenSSH if you want, but don’t do it before setting up extroot (see the next subsection) or else you will run out of free space.
+++++++++++
I am just going to have to focus on the basics of the WR703n
A. Where is the binary that needs to be loaded.
Here is a link to 'changeset 40371' also referred to as Trunk r40371. But I am not sure that there is a nice tidy binary that is ready to be deployed by a boot loader. This seems to be for the V1.7 devices. Other earlier changesets are available for earlier version of the wr703n.
I don't have any clear idea which version you own.
It looks like the wr703n is going to require a compile from GCC to the Antheros cross-compiler. That's an extra step that I may try to do for you. It would be much simpler if a ready binary was available.
B. What mode of boot loading is best to use?
The OpenWrt discusses for methods. My own experience is that is it often to you the software that the manufacturer simply provided for updates of their own firmware. But wr703n has comments that seem to indicate UBoot and a serial interface are the safest way to go.
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So stupid I wanna to just hide.........
Looking closely at what I bought this evening, I ended up with a TL-MR3020 with Version 1.7 firmware for that, and NOT a TL-WR703N. They were on the shelf where the WR703N were supposed to be and ON Sale for the same price. I am not even sure there were an more WR703N as I was busy look at the version numbers. All the WR702Ns were gone. It appears these devices are selling very quickly. The WR703N might have only been V1.8 and OpenWrt hasn't even looked at those.
To make things more awkward, the MR3020 has much better written web page support on OpenWRT.
So I have messed up trying to establish a simple way to explore the same device and really would prefer hacking the MR3020 for my personal use.
This doesn't mean I cannot help you with the WR703N. It just means I don't have exactly the same unit in my hands to refer to and to struggle with exactly the same problems.
You mention that the WR703N didn't provide a manual on CD and didn't provide an ethernet LAN cable. The MR3020 came with all that and has a few more features than the WR703N. So there is some gap in figuring out what is good reliable reference material for you until after the OpenWrt firmware is successful installed. (Yes, we have a bit of drama unfolding.)
++++++++
At this point, I will poke around and see what I have to do to get you a binary that is ready to load. If you already know of one or have one, tell me where you found it.
And I will keep looking at how U-Boot will help you install the binary.
+++++++++
After the binary firmware for OpenWrt is installed, we will focus on just having the Rx and Tx working as an RS232 to the Propeller or anything else... not adding passwords or security until nearing the end of modifications.
Then, it will be about get one of those GPIO i/o pins to think and behave like a RST.
Then, it would be about compiling in GCC a binary for the Antheros that would load Propeller binaries via the 703N's serial port.
Finally you could test some loading and running of Propeller with serial comms after loading a binary.
Only after all that would I bother with installing all the SSH security and other OpenWRT applications.
I have been reading the linux manual you linked to. i am up to chapter 10. pretty straight forward so far except the many file directories.
The MX802 and eqivs are more expensive and can be used for differentpurposes than the 703. The microSDport is a good addition. I am not sure if anyone hasfound/usd a serial port on these yet. The quad core versions are now plentiful.
Things have sudden gotten simpler.
a. There appears to be a binary without any compiling necessary.
b. Yes, you can connect via your Browser in any wifi computer login in as user: Admin and password: Admin (Maybe all caps or all lower case. But to do so, you have first locate your active wifi and login to that with another password (mine was on a lable on the back of the wr702n. The MR3020 is completely different about this.
So, if you can login via wifi and browser. We will see if your menus are in English (or all Chinese). If you are in Chinese, you might want to load firmward via your serial port instead of going over the wifi.
++++++++++
Please try reading the WR702N manual to get your Browser to work via wifi. I can zip a copy of the CD provided and post that, but I suspect the manual has it all.
You need to use 192.168.0.254 and not 192.168.1.1 to get to a login over wifi.
User:admin
Password: admin
This should be the same in an appendix in the User's Manual. I am trying this myself now, but have not yet gotten in.
thanks for all your help so far. for general use the MR3020 is a betterunit, with more leds on gpio pins.
i read that the mr3020 code will run on the wr703n so the hw must be almost identical. i am sure what we need to do will be so similarr that we will get by fine.
my 703s have the mac and sn on thelabel under thebox and i have marked my boards andboxes,and the boot dumpi did also has the last digits of the s/n which are also the passwords.
have to go visiting our 2 boys families today and facetime our daughters family in s.korea for birthday get together. wont make any progress today.
Last night I tried to log in to my WR702N and couldn't see to get a stable connection.
Yes, the Openwrt Firmware for the WR703N and the MR3020 seems to be the same binary. And it appears that the only item preventing using the resident firmware upload software is that it won't accept OpenWrt's long file name. You have to rename the binary to a short name (Likely the old DOS format of 8 letters . 3 letters).
The binary is 2.4Mbytes, so it will never fit into the WR702N with only 2.0Mbytes of Flash space.
++++++++++++++++
I am not going to talk about possibilities for now. I need to get some actual logins and downloads to move forward.
I suspect the shop I bought from just considers the MR3020 and the WR703N to be the same thing as they are so similar under the hood. I doubt I could easily return for a swap.
++++++++++
This is a typical Linux Router hacking experience.
There are lots of blogs and tutorials posted, but only a few really are clear and make sense. So one ends up reading and pondering while trying to get to know the device. And then, I have more documents in Chinese that English.
Thus, I think it is very important to get login to the provided firmware and verify that all is working correctly before you load the OpenWRT firmware. I am hoping you have actual English menus on the WR703N that are the same as my WR702N.
The TL-Link firmware is actually Linux as well, but modified to configure from menus and to shut out the ability to be a SuperUser. Even with limited features, it will allow you to see a lot of what the Linux system is on a router device.
We repeated this for the WiFi doing precisely the same as Ethernet.
So either will wifi or Ethernet will work.
Now, what I noticed is that after powering the router (from usb, not the supplied power pack which has US pins) is that on my laptop, the router flashes the led for a while (while booting) and then goes steady on. After a short time, the led goes out for a short time and then flashes and steady, repeating this process. On my sons pc, after the flashing led it goes steady and remains that way. So my assumption is that my laptop is causing power supply issues so I am going to use a known power source.
Now I just need to repeat these tests at home and make sure everything is ok. If so, I can find the right binary and download it.
re your MR3020, yes I would keep it and load it up with 703 or 3020 firmware. I think we can compare these easily. Later it might be worth building a smaller version that will fit the 702. I could load the same into the 703 and give it a go. But first things first.
I am quite excited. Even tho its been a bit of a learning curve getting it running, there has really been no major issues so far - just working out what needs to be done to ensure everything is ok before proceeding to the next step. I like to understand what I am doing, and I think you do too. It's nice to have someone else trying things at the same time - as they say, two heads are better than one!
It would be a whole lot easier to use the resident firmware upgrade menus that to use UBoot to load firmware for the OpenWRT image. But I suspect that the English WR702N user's manual might make it possible to do so.
I repeat, the firmware file name has to be reduced to 8 characters (keep the same extension) for the resident firmware loader to recognize and load the file. OpenWrt provides the binary with a very long name.
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You may load a WR703N English firmware to have it function as intended. I don't see why you should immediately do so if you want to try OpenWRT. But keep in mind that if you don't like OpenWRT, you can revert to that binary at any time.
My WR702N is being temperamental about logins. Maybe the 5V power is unstable.
The blinking lights are diagnostic. A steady bright light is READY for normal operation.
I believe the manual I keep mentioning will explain. The WR703N should need no more than the 500ma that the USB port should provide. I read something about the device requiring 80-120ma without anything connected to its USB port.
I let you know what I find with the power - I have an FT232RL connected to the laptop usb port, so this could be a problem - no prop connected to it tho. Its just what I had around easily.
I had a quick look at the 702 manual the other day, and I have saved it for reference.
I did get into the 3" CD that came with the WR702N and it also has the manual.
There is software for Windows installation of use as well.
My problems with both my units appear to have been because the "Fresh out of the box" set up requires BOTH a LAN and a wifi link. You can't get started with just wifi, and the LAN I was using seems to have gone down.
The blinking light on start up is simple.
--- Slow blink - Lan connected but no data
--- Fast blink - Lan connected and transferring set up data
--- Steady bright - The unit is ready for wifi
So far, I have not gotten into any of the 192.168.0.254 configuration menus. I may spend the rest of the day running down why my landlady's LAN went down.
And I may have some conflicts with my regular wifi router being active at the same time regarding IP addresses. I need to think about some better organization to get deeper into this. Having more than one wifi routher active in the same room while working with a new device creates problems.
1. The IP we used for both ethernet and wifi was 192.168.1.1 in thebrowser and the login admin admin all lower case. Then we received thechinese screen.
2. We still had myson's wifi router running.
You could have logged in to the wrong unit if you were unlucky.
My other wifi device has an Administor login at 192.168.1.1 and I end up there, not on WR702N if I use that address. I can't seem to get the LAN cable to interface directly to a notebook... maybe it ignores Linux.
Networks can lead you on a merry chase if you are not careful and have too many active while you are working on a new one.
The WR702N documentation is absurdly tedious... obviously a direct translation from Chinese with several chapters covering the same material over and over again in some sort of cut and paste editing.
But there is information buried deeply in it. I may have to use the Windows installer software on the CD to get into the administrator menus. I can't seem to reach them in Linux (though I should be able to do so.)
One of the gems is that your "out of the box" password for the wifi activation is the last 8 digits of the devices MAC address. If I could load OpenWRT on the WR702N, I would do so immediately just to get rid of the cryptic documentation.
These were made in Taiwan and we have entered an era where the Taiwanese feel they know enough English to do all the documentation without input from the English speak cultures. It would be so much easier if somebody thought about the NEED to know, before page after page of NICE to know with lots of graphics.
Yes I am grumpy... I have spent days digging through stuff for what should have been a no-brainer.
BELOW is the short story................
Preliminary -- try to disarm any automatic logins to wifi that are configured in your OS before you work with your new WR702N. Everything will go smoother.
A. Just plug in the LAN cable and the Power.
B. Watch for a fast blinking light to confirm an active LAN interface (no ADSL PPPoE log in available at this point)
C. Seek out the Wifi that is obviously your unit by the last six digits of the wr703N MAC address
D. Log in the Wifi using the last eight digits of your same MAC address
And I have pretty much given up on the idea that I can reconfigure the WR702N without the help of an EZ_SETUP application provided for Windows (no Linux of course). It seems that the application searches for the active network and which IP address the WR702N allocates. I suspect the same applies to the WR703N. And so, I now have a zip file of the CD that provides all that, but too large to post here and copyrighted. I suspect you can download this a TP-LINK, but it is done just in case.
You may want to get a copy of CD104A5. Maybe here abouts... http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?id=393
If you can't get a copy, I can mail you my original.
I am not too sure that Windows7 Starter will allow me to do searches for IP addresses. We will see.
It is becoming obvious that the MR3020 device may have added more indicator LEDs, a reset button, and a selection switch to avoid having to get into the menu system to change modes of operation. Actually, it may be a better all round hack than the WR703n. Or it just may be a better device for non-hackers.
I have yet another CD for the MR3020 that is likely different, nothing about he WR703N.
The WR702N will surely be more user-friendly for Linux OSes in OpenWRT. Full support without OpenWRT seems provided on Windows.
Maybe, the WR703N is without documents as they shifted away from a Window-centric solution.... just follow the menus. (in Chinese?).
It is all as if these were made for a world market where nobody reads the instructions and reconfigures security. LOL.
You seem to have the menus in the WR703N, which means you don't have to use U-BOOT to load OpenWRT. You can use the resident mention. I am about finished trying to customize the WR702N and will just accept it for what it is.
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So now my own focus is to get the MR3020 working with OpenWRT. That should be much more fun.. and a bit easier.
My WR703N #2 (original fw)...
3.14.4 Build 120925 Rel 33144n
WR703N V1 00000000
I downloaded and installed "openwrt_tl-wr703n_standard_2013-02-23_squash-factory.bin" renamed as "openwrt1.bin" by me as 8.3 format is required.
openwrt_tl-wr703n_standard_2013-02-23_squash-factory.bin (cannot find the link atm)
I am unsure if this is the latest. It identifies as Linux V3.7.9, base_files 134-r35706, Bysybox 1.19.4-6, Dropbear 2012.55-2
I found other binaries here
openwrt_tl-wr703n_standard_2013-02-23_squash-sysupgrade.bin (cannot find the link atm)
http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitude_adjustment/12.09/ar71xx/generic/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wr703n-v1-squashfs-factory.bin
http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitude_adjustment/12.09/ar71xx/generic/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wr703n-v1-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
I used these instructions from here
http://wiki.xinchejian.com/wiki/Install_OpenWRT_on_TPlink_WR703N
On page 3, the button after the box on the RHS means Browse, and the button at the lower left of this larger box means Download/Install.
At the end of the page, once the download is done (100%) the window asks for a password login.
You can just close the browser, and now proceed to the next document and run Putty (don't unplug or reset your router!)
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/firstlogin
Run Putty with Telnet and 192.168.1.1
Supply your password and confirm.
Now Run Putty again with SSH and root@192.168.1.1
Note that with LUCI, the tabs "Administration" and "System" were reversed on my OpenWrt binary.
Now use Putty to (SSH root@192.168.1.1) and edit files for Configure WiFi
Note this is not working for me yet!!!
These were also useful for describing the process
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/generic.flashing
These will be useful later
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/extroot
I downloaded Putty from (via) here and linked to their website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PuTTY
Happy to hear of some progress. As I read the above ...
A. You have loaded the frimware for OpenWRT in the WR703.
B. Logged in and provided a password that has switch to SSH
C. Having a problem logging in over SSH afterward.. (I will need to do some reading before I make any suggestions how to solve this, but you could have something simple wrong .. like the wrong port. Try Port 22 and Port 23.)
Regarding the the multiple firmwares...
Stay with the one that is loaded until you have a good reason to change to something else. It will getting confusing if you are learning Linux and swapping versions withouut understanding differences.
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My situation.
For the WR702N
I am pretty much trying to ignore the WR702N, but appear to have found out the process to login in as an Admin.
You have to set your computer LAN port on the net work which is a 192.168.x.x and then the automatic assignment of an IP to the WR702N will provide one of 254 unused address.
Then you have to log in to your browser or console and try to locate the active address. This may be easiest to do with the Console (Terminal in Linux) and using a PING.
(Tedious to say the least.)
Finally you can use your Browere to get to the http://192/168.xxx.xxx and do a log in as user: admin and password: admin
For theMR3020
I spend a bit of the evening cracking the case as I do have to connect an RS232 port.
This means prying and jimmying through the glue around the edges and I have gotten the cover off without stabbing myself. I used a sharp pocket knife.
The next step is to solder an RS232 interface in place. It looks as if the RS232 for the MR3020 is 3.3v and that implies that I might be able to do a direct TTL RS232 cable to the a Propeller Proto Board -- no level shifters.
And of course, I still need to load the OpenWRT firmware. With this device, I will first make a backup of the installed firmware from the menu selections provided. I will also download and archive whatever TP-LINK offers in firmware binaries for future needs --- just in case.
At that point, I may have the same binary you loaded. And the same serial port configuration. I need to do some rereading to be assured that I got this right.
If all goes well, I will have the wifi provide a wireless link as a go between my ASUS eeePC notebook and the Propeller loaded in Forth. I would consider that the first Milestone in using this for a Propeller wireless programmer.
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And then, it is likely that we will follow some of Heater's suggests to try and get a GPIO to operate as a RESET for direct loads of Propeller binaries compiles in SPIN, PASM, GCC or whatever else is out there. This would be a proof that the WR703N and the MR3020 could be used in a classroom setting to program Propellers via a wifi link and download.
There are additonal possiblities, but this second milestone would be more than enough for me.
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I love the WR703N and MR3020. I have a strong prejudice towards buying devices that include a complete case and power supply rather than bothering with something like the BeagleBone, CubieBoard, and so on. There is a huge advantage of hacking and then resealing the case for rugged daily use.
Later...
Add the ability of these to use a USB memory stick to expand the capacitiy of the resident OPENwrt software. 4 megabytes of storage is a tight fit and 2.4 megabytes just gets the OpenWRT running in basic mode. You will likely want more as you learn more. I am sure I will. The ONE DRAWBACK might be that once you add on the USB memory stick, it may be that you can never operated the device without it. If you desire to use the USB port for other things, a compromise may be necessary.
What is not working is the WiFi. I am sure it is just a setting here.
WiFi was working before I updated the firmware, which I know by default has the WiFi disabled.
I connected via Ethernet and SSH and modified the files with vi. It is something here that I don't have correct, so I need to go back and try and fix.
BTW my laptop is 192.168.1.101
I suspect it is the same process as the WR703N. Only you don't have the USB port fitted - the connector and resistors/caps/etc, and of course less memory.
Maybe there is 702 openwrt version out there, but since you have a 3020 give it a miss for now.
I would expect that it is probably TTL just like in my unit. The serial works fine to my FT232RL chip. Oh, the case was glued. Doesn't this one have the power supply inbuilt? Maybe that's why they have to glue the case???
When you find the instructions to perform a backup let me know.
I saw the ssh command
opkg install restorefactory
but I am unsure if this backs up everything, and its after the install of the new openwrt. Perhaps I needed to do this before I loaded the new code (vis the serial port).
Looking forward to you loading the new firmware.
Yes, this would be an excellent milestone.
Agreed! I saw how they added internally a usb hub to add multiple usb ports with 1 used for the memory stick.
I want to add the memory stick on one of the units, but for my ultimate solution I want to keep it simple without the memory stick.
We are using very similar, but -- at the very least -- differently named OpenWRT firmware binaries.
Yours include the WR703N in its name, mine includes MR3020 in its name. I will have to run a comparison utility to be sure to prove they are exactly the same. And I suspect that such a test will fail as I have more LEDs, a reset, and a slide switch on the MR3020. So it seems obvious that the GPIO deployment is different regardless of how much else is identical.
My main point....
Every time to select a different platform in OpenWRT or dd-WRT, you find yourself having to get up to speed again.
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Regarding the lack of Wifi in OpenWRT....
Yes, the Wifi is not active immediately after you install OpenWRT. You have to follow the proceedure that the Wiki you are using mentions.
I do see that the Wiki has you using VI as your text editior for this process. VI is a tedious UNIX legacy text editor and you need to learn how to properly use it or you won't get the results you desire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi
http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialAdvanced_vi.html
Frankly, I extremely dislike VI and will change to something else later -- like Nano or Gedit, if possible
Another snag in OpenWRT
The shell script utility seems to be ASH (Alquist Shell). I am not familiar with ASH and the vast majority of systems use BASH (aka Bourne Again Shell). I saw some discussion that reconfiguring to BASH is feasible.
But until you really understand how to reconfigure, you will have to work with ASH.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almquist_shell
http://www.in-ulm.de/~mascheck/various/ash/ash-orig.1.html
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In summary, stay with VI and ASH until you get your basic services up and running as I strongly suspect the installation tutorials will be using those.
If you switch too soon, things might become more confusing.
Of course, changes are likely to demand more storage space. VI and ASH are very small in comparison to other choices. So you might be happy to put up with them.
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Glued shut??
It is difficult to say why one unit is not glued shut and another is. But the MR3020 takes a bit of patience to get open. It could be the addition of more LEDs and switches led to the desire to seal the case better. Or that the production line is now better trained and glue was introduced to discourage hacking. (These similar units started with the WR700, the 701, the 702, the 703 and on to the MR3020.)
It seems you got a WR703N that just popped open.
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BTW,
The MR3020 comes with GNU license notice. I get the feeling that the manufacturer was ignoring the fact that they were using a GNU license firmware through WR702. That the WR703 may have pulled all documents and been sold only in a Chinese market while a legal wrangle was happening over how to continue. And then, the MR3020 came out with a GNU license notice and publically offers all the source code.
IOW, there seems to some interesting politics in the background. For ages, many of the routers and wifi routers on the market has hidden the fact that they are using a re-packaged Linux for their operation and they would not share their source code publically.
By being forced to share their source code publically, OpenWrt and others can much more easily revise the code and provide their own firmware. It this case, the OpenWrt code is very, very latest Linux kernel (I think 3.6.xxx) and the latest BusyBox. This is all to the good.
Linux -- More software choices that one can ever want.
Here is a link to a list of all the shell options available. Try to Keep it Simple. There are too many.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_computer_shells
Whilst it is cool to hack on things like routers it's not a dependable solution for anything. As you have described recently you can hardly buy the same model/version router twice. Whatever you are using now will be unobtainable next month and so on.
Vi is the one true editor:) Although vi as supplied by busybox is very basic and not as much fun as vim on a normal machine.
Nano is probably OK for a quick config file change if you can't be bothered to learn the couple of basics of vi required to do the same.
Gedit requires X. I don't think you have X running on your routers.
I would strongly advise against trying to replace the shell with BASH. There is no need to do so anyway.