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toh:zyxel:zyxel_nbg6515_ac750 [2020/09/29 12:13] – [Hardware highlights] muebautoh:zyxel:nbg6515_ac750 [2021/12/01 16:59] – [Experimental firmware] jhench
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 /*****/ /*****/
  
-{{ media:img_nbg6515_main_380.png?200|NBG6515}}+{{ media:zyxel:nbg6515.png?200|NBG6515}}
  
  
 ===== OpenWrt support ===== ===== OpenWrt support =====
  
-Supported: WAN/LAN through plain OpenWrt; <color #ed1c24>WLAN with EEPROM information dump from original firmware</color> +Supported: WAN/LAN through plain OpenWrt; <color #ed1c24>WLAN 2.4 GHz with EEPROM information dump from original firmware, 5GHz not working, but check out [[user:jiringgot|Jiringgot]]</color>  
 +  * To use with OpenWrt, you will need to open the device and access TTL Serial.
   * Has TFTP bootloader capabilities, can be tested without flashing.   * Has TFTP bootloader capabilities, can be tested without flashing.
   * <color #ed1c24>Make copies of your original firmware through a TFTP-booted instance of OpenWrt, in particular of the factory/mtd2 partition.</color>   * <color #ed1c24>Make copies of your original firmware through a TFTP-booted instance of OpenWrt, in particular of the factory/mtd2 partition.</color>
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   * <color #ed1c24>Currently no way to return to stock firmware; only firmware upgrade images are released from manufacturer.</color>   * <color #ed1c24>Currently no way to return to stock firmware; only firmware upgrade images are released from manufacturer.</color>
   * Possible to flash with existing images (see below) via TFTP   * Possible to flash with existing images (see below) via TFTP
 +  * According to personal communication with the Zyxel developer team, there is no way to trigger TFTP flash through a button press/hold or alike (2021/07)
 +  * TTL Serial is required (once) to upgrade from stock firmware to OpenWrt, three pins need to be soldered to three pre-made positions (easy).
   * TTL Serial: J1 next to USB port. Order of pins from USB towards LEDs: [VCC 3.3V][GND][TX][RX]   * TTL Serial: J1 next to USB port. Order of pins from USB towards LEDs: [VCC 3.3V][GND][TX][RX]
   * TTL Serial connection: 57600, 8N1 (e.g., ''picocom -b 57600 /dev/ttyUSB0'' with TTL-USB-adapter)   * TTL Serial connection: 57600, 8N1 (e.g., ''picocom -b 57600 /dev/ttyUSB0'' with TTL-USB-adapter)
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   * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/19.07.4/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-19.07.4-ramips-mt7620-mt7620a_mt7530-initramfs-kernel.bin]]   * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/19.07.4/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-19.07.4-ramips-mt7620-mt7620a_mt7530-initramfs-kernel.bin]]
   * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/19.07.4/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-19.07.4-ramips-mt7620-mt7620a_mt7530-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin]]   * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/19.07.4/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-19.07.4-ramips-mt7620-mt7620a_mt7530-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin]]
 +
 +  * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.1/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-21.02.1-ramips-mt7620-ralink_mt7620a-mt7530-evb-initramfs-kernel.bin]]
 +  * [[https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.1/targets/ramips/mt7620/openwrt-21.02.1-ramips-mt7620-ralink_mt7620a-mt7530-evb-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin]]
 ===== Stock firmware ===== ===== Stock firmware =====
   * [[https://www.zyxel.com/support/download_landing/product/nbg6515_13.shtml?c=gb&l=en&pid=20141202160000&tab=Firmware&pname=NBG6515]]   * [[https://www.zyxel.com/support/download_landing/product/nbg6515_13.shtml?c=gb&l=en&pid=20141202160000&tab=Firmware&pname=NBG6515]]
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 ===== Hardware highlights ===== ===== Hardware highlights =====
 ^ CPU                        ^ Ram      ^ Flash   ^ Network     ^ WLAN   ^ USB      ^ Serial   ^ JTag   ^ ^ CPU                        ^ Ram      ^ Flash   ^ Network     ^ WLAN   ^ USB      ^ Serial   ^ JTag   ^
-| MT7620A @ 580 MHz    64 MiB  |  8 MiB  |  2x 10/100  |  2.4/5 GHz a/b/g/n/ac |  No    Yes    |   ?    |+| MT7620A @ 580 MHz    64 MiB  |  8 MiB  |  5x 10/100/1000   2.4/5 GHz bgn <color #ed1c24>(supported in OpenWrt with EEPROM data from original firmware)</color>  |  1x 2.0    Yes    |   ?    |
  
 ===== Installation ===== ===== Installation =====
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 ==== Backing up original flash content and installing OpenWrt ==== ==== Backing up original flash content and installing OpenWrt ====
-Since wireless is not working with only the free drivers in OpenWrt but requires a bit of data from the original firmware, <color #ed1c24>it is essential to it to preserve the original firmware</color>. This can be achieved by running OpenWrt from TFTP without flashing and writing out the contents of the flash memory e.g., through LuCi (flashing and backup page).+Since wireless is not working with only the free drivers in OpenWrt but requires a bit of data from the original firmware, <color #ed1c24>it is essential to it to preserve the original firmware</color>. This can be achieved by running OpenWrt from TFTP without flashing and writing out the contents of the flash memory e.g., through LuCi (flashing and backup page).  
  
-  - Void your warranty and open the router; screws below rubber pads at the bottom. +  - Void your warranty and open the router; screws below rubber pads at the bottom.   
-  - Solder three pins on the J1 connector (GND, RX, TX). +  - Solder three pins on the J1 connector (GND, RX, TX).   
-  - Connect to TTL-USB adapter, connect the adapter to PC. +  - Connect to TTL-USB adapter, connect the adapter to PC.   
-  - picocom -b 57600 /dev/ttyUSB0 (or equivalent to open serial console) +  - picocom -b 57600 /dev/ttyUSB0 (or equivalent to open serial console)   
-  - Power on the NBG6515 and check original bootlog. This ends with a Zyxel console "ELX" - no idea what one could do here. +  - Power on the NBG6515 and check original bootlog. This ends with a Zyxel console "ELX" - no idea what one could do here.   
-  - Power off and hold key "1": TFTP boot from image loaded to RAM +  - Power off and hold key "1": TFTP boot from image loaded to RAM   
-  - Specify IPs: first IP being asked is the IP of the router. +  - Specify IPs: first IP being asked is the IP of the router.   
-  - Second IP is your host PC (TFTP server). +  - Second IP is your host PC (TFTP server).   
-  - Connect an ethernet cable between any of the yellow LAN ports and your PC. +  - Connect an ethernet cable between any of the yellow LAN ports and your PC.   
-  - Make sure to enter the exact image name you have waiting on your TFTP server (no does in filenames allowed). +  - Make sure to enter the exact image name you have waiting on your TFTP server (no does in filenames allowed).   
-  - After confirming the image name (e.g., nbg6515-init) the image will load to RAM and boot. +  - After confirming the image name (e.g., nbg6515-init) the image will load to RAM and boot.   
-  - OpenWrt bootlog should stall; press enter to see the OpenWrt shell +  - OpenWrt bootlog should stall; press enter to see the OpenWrt shell   
-  - Activate DHCP on your computer, the router should provide an IP address in the 192.168.1.x range and self-assign 192.168.1.1 +  - Activate DHCP on your computer, the router should provide an IP address in the 192.168.1.x range and self-assign 192.168.1.1   
-  - Open a web browser at 192.168.1.1 to run LuCi +  - Open a web browser at 192.168.1.1 to run LuCi   
-  - Go to the backup/flash page and make backups of the mtd devices; it might be possible to flash it back and restore the original state. +  - Go to the backup/flash page and make backups of the mtd devices; it might be possible to flash it back and restore the original state.   
-  - Keep the resulting downloads (in particular mtd2) safe so you can use it later. +  - Keep the resulting downloads (in particular mtd2) safe so you can use it later.   
-  - If you plan to permanently install OpenWrt, do so by flashing the previously downloaded "sysupgrade" image.+  - If you plan to permanently install OpenWrt, do so by flashing the previously downloaded "sysupgrade" image.  
   - The bootloader offers an alternative option "2" to directly flash an image to the internal flash memory; follow the instructions from the bootloader.   - The bootloader offers an alternative option "2" to directly flash an image to the internal flash memory; follow the instructions from the bootloader.
- 
 ==== Enabling wireless through information taken from the mt2 (factory) partition of the original firmware ==== ==== Enabling wireless through information taken from the mt2 (factory) partition of the original firmware ====
   - After booting into OpenWrt, open an ssh session and verify that you have a working overlayfs: ''ssh root@192.168.1.1'' then ''mount'' (should reveal a line about overlayfs) and ''df -h'' should reveal /dev/mtdblock6 with approx. 4 MB space.   - After booting into OpenWrt, open an ssh session and verify that you have a working overlayfs: ''ssh root@192.168.1.1'' then ''mount'' (should reveal a line about overlayfs) and ''df -h'' should reveal /dev/mtdblock6 with approx. 4 MB space.
  • Last modified: 2021/12/01 17:02
  • by jhench