WAVLINK Quantum DAX WN538A8

WAVLINK Quantum DAX is a 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless router with 1 WAN port and 3 gigabit LAN ports. It's a rebrand from Phicomm K3 (same hardware specs with some extra security against changing firmware).

→ Install OpenWrt (generic explanation)

To transfer the openwrt firmware file, we'll need to connect to the router in 2 ways:

• A serial port connection to access the router terminal
• A TFTP connection to transfer the firmware file (file transfer via serial is painfuly slow...)

• Create a folder to serve files over tftp (ie. /tmp/tftp)
• Download latest TRX file from (ie. 22.03.3)
• Copy previously downloaded file to tftp folder
• Rename file to openwrt.trx (to simplify process)

• Connect PC via ethernet cable to router LAN port (NOT WAN!!!)
• Setup PC with static IP 192.168.10.X (ie. 192.168.10.100)

• Start dnsmasq tftp server:
  • sudo dnsmasq --port=0 --enable-tftp --tftp-root=/tmp/tftp --tftp-no-blocksize --user=root --group=root

• Install minicom tool:
  • sudo apt install minicom

• Edit configs:
  • sudo minicom -s

• Choose “Serial Port Setup”
• Set the following configs (“Hardware Flow Control”: No - is really important!!):

  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | A -    Serial Device      : /dev/ttyUSB0                              |
  | B - Lockfile Location     : /var/lock                                 |
  | C -   Callin Program      :                                           |
  | D -  Callout Program      :                                           |
  | E -    Bps/Par/Bits       : 115200 8N1                                |
  | F - Hardware Flow Control : No                                        |
  | G - Software Flow Control : No                                        |
  | H -     RS485 Enable      : No                                        |
  | I -   RS485 Rts On Send   : No                                        |
  | J -  RS485 Rts After Send : No                                        |
  | K -  RS485 Rx During Tx   : No                                        |
  | L -  RS485 Terminate Bus  : No                                        |
  | M - RS485 Delay Rts Before: 0                                         |
  | N - RS485 Delay Rts After : 0                                         |
  |                                                                       |
  |    Change which setting?                                              |
  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

• Save configs: Choose “Save setup as dfl”
• Connect serial cables to router (details below):
• Connect to device using serial connection:
  • sudo minicom

• Open nc server on destination machine:
  • nc -l 4444 > original_firmware.trx

• Copy current image via nc:
  • nc 192.168.10.100 4444 < /dev/mtdblock6

• Copy openwrt image via tftp:
  • tftp -g -r openwrt.trx 192.168.10.100

• Override firmware:
  • cat openwrt.trx > /dev/mtdblock6

• Reboot:
  • reboot

• Set PC back as DHCP

• On a browser open 192.168.1.1 et voilà!

• Installing irqbalance bring some improvements to the router:
  • https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/irqbalance

→ generic.sysupgrade

• Browse to http://192.168.1.1/cgi-bin/luci/mini/system/upgrade/ LuCI Upgrade URL
• Upload image file for sysupgrade to LuCI
• Wait for reboot

If you don't have a GUI (LuCI) available, you can alternatively upgrade via the command line. There are two command line methods for upgrading:

• sysupgrade
• mtd

Note: It is important that you put the firmware image into the ramdisk (/tmp) before you start flashing.

• Login as root via SSH on 192.168.1.1, then enter the following commands:

cd /tmp
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/XXX/xxx.abc
sysupgrade /tmp/xxx.abc

If sysupgrade does not support this router, use mtd.

• Login as root via SSH on 192.168.1.1, then enter the following commands:

cd /tmp
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/XXX/xxx.abc
mtd write /tmp/xxx.abc linux && reboot

→ generic.debrick

→ failsafe_and_factory_reset

→ Basic configuration After flashing, proceed with this.

Numbers 0-3 are Ports 1-4 as labeled on the unit, number 4 is the Internet (WAN) on the unit, 5 is the internal connection to the router itself. Don't be fooled: Port 1 on the unit is number 3 when configuring VLANs. vlan0 = eth0.0, vlan1 = eth0.1 and so on.

→ hardware.button on howto use and configure the hardware button(s). Here, we merely name the buttons, so we can use them in the above Howto.

The WAVLINK Quantum DAX has the following buttons:

Front:

Back:

Bottom label:

Note: This will void your warranty!

• Remove router rubber foot
• Remove the four phillips screws in the bottom of the router:

• Lay router down with the wording at the bottom facing right way up
• Remove the side cover by pulling it (beware not to break the supports)

Main PCB:

→ port.serial general information about the serial port, serial port cable, etc.

Accessing the Serial Port:

• Unscrew 3 philips screws and remove PCBs out of back shell (you can take of the antenna plastic stuff to make it easier)

• Locate the PCB connections:

• Connect the FDTI to the router following the scheme (connections are clearly labelled on router PCB):

*NOTE: VCC should not be connected

→ bootloader

None so far.

If the WIFI signal is bad, you can try to install the firmware “brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin_ac88_3” present in the following page:

https://github-com.translate.goog/xiangfeidexiaohuo/Phicomm-K3_Wireless-Firmware?_x_tr_sl=zh-CN&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=pt-PT&_x_tr_pto=wapp

How to replace the driver?

• Log in to the router with software such as WinSCP
• Go to the /lib/firmware/brcm/ directory
• Change brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin to brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin.bak
• Pass the driver you want to replace to the /lib/firmware/brcm/ directory
• Then rename the replaced driver to brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin
• Restart the router

If after the installation the WAN interface isn't working (no signal when cable is connected), a workaround can be setup of the LAN ports to act as the WAN port. To do so in Luci:

• Go to “Network → Interfaces → WAN → Edit → Device” and change “wan” to “Swicth port: lan3”
• Go to “Network → Interfaces → WAN6 → Edit → Device” and change “wan” to “Swicth port: lan3”
• Go to “Network → Interfaces → Devices → (br-lan) Configure → Bridge ports” and remove “lan3” (leaving only lan1 and lan2)
• Reboot