Flashing a TP-Link MR3020

[davidfra...@gmail.com]

I have recently retired and, as a project to keep me busy,  want to understand the Mesh system, mainly by setting up a Mesh network around the house. I have access to a number (3) of TL-MR3020 with the AR9331 CHIP. From what I understand I can flash the TP Links with the Mesh software to setup the Mesh system. Is my thinking correct? Or should I get another type wireless router to flash

Thanks and regards

[T Gillett]

Hi David

The MR3020 works quite well with the VT SECN firmware.

The AR9331 chip is the same one as used in the VT MP2 device.
The MR3020 has less memory (4MB Flash and 32MB RAM) and  so not all features are present, but mesh networking is certainly available, and is running by default. It also has just a single Ethernet port so you can have it as either a WAN or LAN port.

The SECN firmware is published in "sysupgrade" form which is suitable for loading on to a system that is already running OpenWrt.

So you will need to flash the routers with generic OpenWrt "factory" firmware first.

There is a VT Wiki page that describes this process:
    http://wiki.villagetelco.org/Installing_VT_SECN_Firmware

If you install firmware using the OpenWrt LuCI web interface page, be sure to untick the checkbox that says "Keep Settings" or you will end up with the wrong IP address etc.

Latest stable SECN firmware for the TP Link devices is located here:
    http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/stable/tp-link/SECN_4/GA01.1/

There is a "Getting Started" tutorial here:
    http://wiki.villagetelco.org/SECN_Tutorial

Enjoy!

Regards

Terry

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 7:53 AM, <davidfra...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have recently retired and, as a project to keep me busy,  want to understand the Mesh system, mainly by setting up a Mesh network around the house. I have access to a number (3) of TL-MR3020 with the AR9331 CHIP. From what I understand I can flash the TP Links with the Mesh software to setup the Mesh system. Is my thinking correct? Or should I get another type wireless router to flash

Thanks and regards

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[david.lind...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 12:04:55 AM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

The MR3020 works quite well with the VT SECN firmware.

The AR9331 chip is the same one as used in the VT MP2 device.
The MR3020 has less memory (4MB Flash and 32MB RAM) and  so not all features are present, but mesh networking is certainly available, and is running by default. It also has just a single Ethernet port so you can have it as either a WAN or LAN port.

The SECN firmware is published in "sysupgrade" form which is suitable for loading on to a system that is already running OpenWrt.

So you will need to flash the routers with generic OpenWrt "factory" firmware first.

There is a VT Wiki page that describes this process:
    http://wiki.villagetelco.org/Installing_VT_SECN_Firmware

If you install firmware using the OpenWrt LuCI web interface page, be sure to untick the checkbox that says "Keep Settings" or you will end up with the wrong IP address etc.

Latest stable SECN firmware for the TP Link devices is located here:
    http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/stable/tp-link/SECN_4/GA01.1/

There is a "Getting Started" tutorial here:
    http://wiki.villagetelco.org/SECN_Tutorial

Enjoy!

Regards

Terry

Hi Terry

Thanks for your help so far. I have done as suggested loaded the Openwrt software without a problem, and then the SECN software using LUCI. But just as I was doing the second upload the firewall picked up what I was doing and asked if I would allow it. Obvously, I said yes, and it may not have been a problem, it never is normally.

However, I have set my computer up to access the MR3020 with settings on the laptop of 192.168.1.3/ 255.255.255.0/192.168.1.2 as the modem appears to be on 192.168.1.1 and it rejects a access via Internet explorer. I can log into the modem using potato_potato.
However, after invoking Failsafe mode, I can telenet 192.168.1.1 and get the SECN logo.I am not sure what to do next? Please offer some guidance. Thanks

BR

David

[T Gillett]

Hi David

When you go into OpenWrt Recovery mode, the IP address is *always* set to 192.168.1.1 regardless of what the installed firmware is set to.

First question: Did you remember to un-tick the checkbox in the LuCI page that said "Keep settings".

If not, then you have the SECN firmware trying to run with the generic OpenWrt settings, including the IP address.

So to see what is going on, reboot the router normally and set up a static IP address on your PC set to 10.130.1.x and try to ping the router on the default SECN address of 10.130.1.20

If you can ping it on this address then all is well and you should be able to point your browser to the same address and get the SECN web interface.

(One thing to remember is that the DHCP server in the SECN firmware is *not* running by default, so you have to have a static IP set up to connect to it in the first instance.)

If you can not ping the router on the SECN IP address after a normal restart, then set up your PC with a suitable static IP address (192.168.1.x) and  try to ping it on 192.168.1.1.

If this works then it means that it is running the SECN firmware, but with the OpenWrt settings.

In this case, point your browser to the IP address to get the SECN web interface, click on the Advanced tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "Restore Defaults" button. This will put all the settings back to SECN defaults (including the IP address). Then reboot the router to make the new settings effective, and the device will come up on the SECN IP address.

Please let us know what happens.

regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

Hi Terry

I had done as you suggested, I think I was fooled as the flashing process did not give me "a success" message, and I thought that I had not flashed correctly. The mesh network is working perfectly now, and I am very impressed.

If I may, I would like to ask a few more questions:

1. If I want to load asterisk, can I do that without Linux, i.e. use Windows

2. If I setup the software for telephony as I am using smartphones as the MR3020 does not have phone sockets, can the MR3020 be a master node or will I have to use a WR842N?

3. I can telnet into failsafe mode 192.168.1.1 but how do I start Luci

4. I want to setup a USB port for external access, is it straightforward with windows, and what software is recommended

5. If I use the access security settings in Luci (to foil DOS attacks and things like that), I assume that they will work

6. Does anyone sell holders for the MR3020 so I can wall mount them near the power socket. I have investigated 3D printing but its not cheap

7. Can I monitor mesh traffic around the network and between nodes using Windows to see if it is getting overloaded.I have read the articles that you wrote and they are very reassuring, so I may not need it

Sorry for all of the questions

Regards

David

[T Gillett]

Hi David

Some answers in line below.

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 1:05 AM, <davidfra...@gmail.com> wrote:

 Terry

I had done as you suggested, I think I was fooled as the flashing process did not give me "a success" message, and I thought that I had not flashed correctly. The mesh network is working perfectly now, and I am very impressed.

If I may, I would like to ask a few more questions:

1. If I want to load asterisk, can I do that without Linux, i.e. use Windows

The MR3020 does not have sufficient flash memory to include the Asterisk software.

 

2. If I setup the software for telephony as I am using smartphones as the MR3020 does not have phone sockets, can the MR3020 be a master node or will I have to use a WR842N?

 

The SECN firmware for the WR842 includes the Asterisk firmware and will work fine as a Softphone Master node.

Which version is the device - Ver 1 or Ver 2?

You can set up a mesh network using the MR3020 and WR842 devices and the softphone devices can then connect to any of the nodes in order to get a route to the Softphone Master node.  You don't need to have Asterisk on the MR3020 nodes for this.

3. I can telnet into failsafe mode 192.168.1.1 but how do I start Luci

Failsafe mode is just a basic command line interface for recovery purposes; it does not provide the LuCI web interface.

 

4. I want to setup a USB port for external access, is it straightforward with windows, and what software is recommended

I don't understand the question. 

What do you mean by external access via the USB port. 

Is it for a 3G/4G modem dongle?

5. If I use the access security settings in Luci (to foil DOS attacks and things like that), I assume that they will work

You can run either the OpenWrt firmware with the LuCI web interface, or the SECN firmware with its web interface, but they are different firmwares and you can run one or the other but not both.

The SECN firmware has the default OpenWrt firewall settings and you can change these if you wish by editing the /etc/config/firewall file.

What are the particular security settings that you are interested in using?

6. Does anyone sell holders for the MR3020 so I can wall mount them near the power socket. I have investigated 3D printing but its not cheap

None that I am aware of. They are sold as 'travel routers' and so are meant to be portable rather than fixed. 

I have fixed them to mounting plates with double sided adhesive tape and that works OK as they are lightweight.

7. Can I monitor mesh traffic around the network and between nodes using Windows to see if it is getting overloaded.I have read the articles that you wrote and they are very reassuring, so I may not need it

The Status page shows the data packet count for the various mesh and AP connections, as well as the  Load Average and memory usage data (at the top of the page). These give a pretty good indication of what is going on.

You can also use the Munin package to collect more detailed stats.

There is some information on the VT Wiki page here:  http://wiki.villagetelco.org/Monitoring_your_Mesh_Potato_Network_with_Munin

The munin package is included in the WR842 SECN firmware by default (if memory serves...)

Sorry for all of the questions

On the contrary, it is a good way to share knowledge with the rest of the VT community.

 

Regards

David

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 10:26:43 PM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

Some answers in line below.

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 1:05 AM, <davidfra...@gmail.com> wrote:

 Terry

I had done as you suggested, I think I was fooled as the flashing process did not give me "a success" message, and I thought that I had not flashed correctly. The mesh network is working perfectly now, and I am very impressed.

If I may, I would like to ask a few more questions:

1. If I want to load asterisk, can I do that without Linux, i.e. use Windows

The MR3020 does not have sufficient flash memory to include the Asterisk software.

I suspected that from your comments earlier

 

2. If I setup the software for telephony as I am using smartphones as the MR3020 does not have phone sockets, can the MR3020 be a master node or will I have to use a WR842N?

 

The SECN firmware for the WR842 includes the Asterisk firmware and will work fine as a Softphone Master node.

Which version is the device - Ver 1 or Ver 2?

I have not bought it yet. Does your question relate to the
a. different .bin required for flashing
b. different processor speeds 535 vs 400 Mhz, will that make a significant difference in performance?
c. does the SECN work on either versions?

You can set up a mesh network using the MR3020 and WR842 devices and the softphone devices can then connect to any of the nodes in order to get a route to the Softphone Master node.  You don't need to have Asterisk on the MR3020 nodes for this.

I will go down that route

3. I can telnet into failsafe mode 192.168.1.1 but how do I start Luci

Failsafe mode is just a basic command line interface for recovery purposes; it does not provide the LuCI web interface.

 

4. I want to setup a USB port for external access, is it straightforward with windows, and what software is recommended

I don't understand the question. 

What do you mean by external access via the USB port. 

Is it for a 3G/4G modem dongle?

 

Yes, a 3G/4G dongle, do I need to do something
 

5. If I use the access security settings in Luci (to foil DOS attacks and things like that), I assume that they will work

You can run either the OpenWrt firmware with the LuCI web interface, or the SECN firmware with its web interface, but they are different firmwares and you can run one or the other but not both.

The SECN firmware has the default OpenWrt firewall settings and you can change these if you wish by editing the /etc/config/firewall file.

What are the particular security settings that you are interested in using?

Nothing specific, I want to see what is available and check that it is "live"

Is there a piece of windows software to do this; preferably with cut and paste to reduce the typing :)  Getting the right software could save a lot of time

6. Does anyone sell holders for the MR3020 so I can wall mount them near the power socket. I have investigated 3D printing but its not cheap

None that I am aware of. They are sold as 'travel routers' and so are meant to be portable rather than fixed. 

I have fixed them to mounting plates with double sided adhesive tape and that works OK as they are lightweight.

Good idea did you buy the mounting plates?

7. Can I monitor mesh traffic around the network and between nodes using Windows to see if it is getting overloaded.I have read the articles that you wrote and they are very reassuring, so I may not need it

The Status page shows the data packet count for the various mesh and AP connections, as well as the  Load Average and memory usage data (at the top of the page). These give a pretty good indication of what is going on.

You can also use the Munin package to collect more detailed stats.

There is some information on the VT Wiki page here:  http://wiki.villagetelco.org/Monitoring_your_Mesh_Potato_Network_with_Munin

The munin package is included in the WR842 SECN firmware by default (if memory serves...)

Sorry for all of the questions

On the contrary, it is a good way to share knowledge with the rest of the VT community.

 

Regards

David

Thanks again, Terry. Have a good weekend

[Leonard Payne]

Hi Guys

This has been an interesting thread. I've got one virgin MP2 and one virgin MR3020 but I'm loathe to unwrap them as I have a remarkable way of bricking things.

Meantime this thread encouraged me to look at the GL-AR150 which is cheap, not locked down (as current MR3020 is), has the AR9331 chip as well as 64M of RAM, 16MB of Flash, and 2 ethernet ports) - a much better spec than the MR3020

Sadly after following instructions, the loader said "this software is not for this device", so the MR3020 upgrade doesnt work.

Seeing as its the same AR9331 chip, has anyone looked at the GL-AR150?


Thanks
Leonard



s

[T Gillett]

SECN Alpha firmware for AR150 for testing purposes is here:

         http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/unstable/ar/ar150/SECN-5/Alpha4/

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[T Gillett]

Hi David

There is SECN firmware available for both versions of the WR842.

I have Ver1 only for testing here. Quite a good device overall.

I am currently updating the firmware around the 3G USB Modem area, so you might like to wait for an update on that.

The dongles types can be a bit problematic.   Do you already have a device?

Regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

On Friday, February 17, 2017 at 9:43:50 PM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

There is SECN firmware available for both versions of the WR842.

I have Ver1 only for testing here. Quite a good device overall.

I am currently updating the firmware around the 3G USB Modem area, so you might like to wait for an update on that.

The dongles types can be a bit problematic.   Do you already have a device?

Yes, a Huawei E173 - it seems to be one of the favoured models. If you need it for testing I could always post it to you.

Regards

Terry

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[T Gillett]

Hi David

The E173 is probably going to be OK.

I will let you know when the new firmware is available.

Regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

Hi Leonard

I managed to flash the MR3020 successfully with Terry's instructions in another part of this thread. They are extremely well written.

Other resource pages are:

https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-mr3020 and http://wiki.villagetelco.org/Special:AllPages

These two pages are very good if you want more information or run into problems

Regards

On Friday, February 17, 2017 at 9:39:23 PM UTC, tlg wrote:

SECN Alpha firmware for AR150 for testing purposes is here:

         http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/unstable/ar/ar150/SECN-5/Alpha4/

On Sat, Feb 18, 2017 at 2:02 AM, Leonard Payne <rev.leon...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Guys

This has been an interesting thread. I've got one virgin MP2 and one virgin MR3020 but I'm loathe to unwrap them as I have a remarkable way of bricking things.

Meantime this thread encouraged me to look at the GL-AR150 which is cheap, not locked down (as current MR3020 is), has the AR9331 chip as well as 64M of RAM, 16MB of Flash, and 2 ethernet ports) - a much better spec than the MR3020

Sadly after following instructions, the loader said "this software is not for this device", so the MR3020 upgrade doesnt work.

Seeing as its the same AR9331 chip, has anyone looked at the GL-AR150?


Thanks
Leonard



s
On Monday, 30 January 2017 22:46:11 UTC, davidfra...@gmail.com wrote:

I have recently retired and, as a project to keep me busy,  want to understand the Mesh system, mainly by setting up a Mesh network around the house. I have access to a number (3) of TL-MR3020 with the AR9331 CHIP. From what I understand I can flash the TP Links with the Mesh software to setup the Mesh system. Is my thinking correct? Or should I get another type wireless router to flash

Thanks and regards

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[T Gillett]

Hi David

Just to let you know there is an updated SECN-4 test firmware available on the VT-Downloads page here:

    http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/unstable/tp-link/SECN-4/SECN_4.0/GA01.2-Alpha2/

This firmware includes a fix for the USB Modem and  USB Ethernet Modem WAN operation.

I have tested it on WR842 Ver1, so you should be able to use it with a WR842 Ver2 device.

I tested with Huawei E353 USB modem which I expect is very similar to your E173 in operation.

A note of caution - TP Link, along with other manufacturers have recently implemented some degree of lockdown on their devices to prevent installation of third party firmware. If you purchase a new device you may have difficulty installing the OpenWrt firmware.

My advice is to proceed with caution and if the device can not be re-flashed, return it to the seller and then buy a device that uses OpenWrt as its native operating system.

Please let us know how you go with this.

regards

Terry

[davidfra...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 12:01:25 PM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

Just to let you know there is an updated SECN-4 test firmware available on the VT-Downloads page here:

    http://download.villagetelco.org/firmware/secn/unstable/tp-link/SECN-4/SECN_4.0/GA01.2-Alpha2/

This firmware includes a fix for the USB Modem and  USB Ethernet Modem WAN operation.

I have tested it on WR842 Ver1, so you should be able to use it with a WR842 Ver2 device.

I have just unwrapped the WR842N and it is the version 3 EU version. It does appear that it has been successfully flashed withe the OpenWrt firmware https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wr842nd I notice that you have created a version 2 .bin. What should I do now.

Thanks for the warning below, I have checked the menu and it does have the standard upgrade options, so that should not be an issue.

I tested with Huawei E353 USB modem which I expect is very similar to your E173 in operation.

A note of caution - TP Link, along with other manufacturers have recently implemented some degree of lockdown on their devices to prevent installation of third party firmware. If you purchase a new device you may have difficulty installing the OpenWrt firmware.

My advice is to proceed with caution and if the device can not be re-flashed, return it to the seller and then buy a device that uses OpenWrt as its native operating system.

Please let us know how you go with this.

regards

Terry

David

[T Gillett]

Hi David

The SECN-4 firmware will only support Ver 1 and Ver 2 devices.

I am currently preparing a SECN-5 build that will also support Ver 3 devices.

I expect it will be available in the next few days.

The only issue is that it will not be mesh compatible with SECN-4 devices so you may have to move all devices in your network to SECN-5

Could you clarify exactly which OpenWrt firmware you have loaded onto the device please?

Regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

On Monday, February 27, 2017 at 10:46:40 AM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

The SECN-4 firmware will only support Ver 1 and Ver 2 devices.

I am currently preparing a SECN-5 build that will also support Ver 3 devices.

I expect it will be available in the next few days.

OK, thanks. Out of interest, what do you have to do to make the different versions compatible.

I was thinking of getting some portable/ travel units that are faster, plug into the wall power socket and cover both the 2.4 and 5 Mhz frequencies I have seen some in a chinese manufacturers catalogue. What are the issues of loading VT software on new devices? All devices are OpenWrt friendly

The only issue is that it will not be mesh compatible with SECN-4 devices so you may have to move all devices in your network to SECN-5

I see, the rest of the devices are the MR3020 on my network

Could you clarify exactly which OpenWrt firmware you have loaded onto the device please?

None as yet, I thought I would wait in case I made the wrong choice.

Regards

Terry

Regards
David

[T Gillett]

Hi David

SECN-5 firmware will use the Meshpoint wifi interface standard for the mesh rather than the previously used AdHoc interface standard. The reason for this is that support for the AdHoc interface is declining in favour of the Meshpoint standard.

Unfortunately this means that there will not be mesh compatibility between SECN-5 and earlier firmware versions like SECN-4.

SECN-5 firmware will also be built on the LEDE development environment rather than the previously used OpenWrt environment. This does not produce any compatibility issues and the change is being made to take advantage of advanced developments in the LEDE project (which is a fork of OpenWrt).

I would be careful about using devices that are not certified for sale in your country as there may be issues around certification of mains powered equipment leading to safety and liability issues, particularly for equipment that is directly plugged in to the mains power (ie not using a locally approved power adapter to provide  low voltage eg 12V or USB 5V supply).

On the wifi system aspect, you should look for devices that have a minimum of 8MB of Flash memory, and 32MB RAM, with a preference for 64MB RAM. Also look for 802.11N (MIMO) capable devices.

Many commercial commodity devices have only 4MB of flash and it is not possible to put much more that than a basic firmware on these devices as there is no room for additional packages.

If the device is listed in the OpenWrt Table of Hardware as being supported, and it has sufficient memory, then it is possible to build a SECN firmware for it. But there is a level of effort and a learning curve involved, so consider carefully whether you want to take this on.

Something else to consider is the wifi range capability of small devices without external antennas.

They usually have an internal antenna with a small gain of ~2dB, but the real problem is that you are limited as to where you can place the device to achieve a good radiation pattern if the device is plugged in to the mains power point.

Regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

On Monday, February 27, 2017 at 12:39:30 PM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

SECN-5 firmware will use the Meshpoint wifi interface standard for the mesh rather than the previously used AdHoc interface standard. The reason for this is that support for the AdHoc interface is declining in favour of the Meshpoint standard.

Unfortunately this means that there will not be mesh compatibility between SECN-5 and earlier firmware versions like SECN-4.

SECN-5 firmware will also be built on the LEDE development environment rather than the previously used OpenWrt environment. This does not produce any compatibility issues and the change is being made to take advantage of advanced developments in the LEDE project (which is a fork of OpenWrt).

 

It looks like a good step forward for the future

I would be careful about using devices that are not certified for sale in your country as there may be issues around certification of mains powered equipment leading to safety and liability issues, particularly for equipment that is directly plugged in to the mains power (ie not using a locally approved power adapter to provide  low voltage eg 12V or USB 5V supply).

On the wifi system aspect, you should look for devices that have a minimum of 8MB of Flash memory, and 32MB RAM, with a preference for 64MB RAM. Also look for 802.11N (MIMO) capable devices.

Many commercial commodity devices have only 4MB of flash and it is not possible to put much more that than a basic firmware on these devices as there is no room for additional packages.

I'll check these parameters, first

If the device is listed in the OpenWrt Table of Hardware as being supported, and it has sufficient memory, then it is possible to build a SECN firmware for it. But there is a level of effort and a learning curve involved, so consider carefully whether you want to take this on.

I could be interested, but would want to know what I am letting myself in for :)
 

Something else to consider is the wifi range capability of small devices without external antennas.

They usually have an internal antenna with a small gain of ~2dB, but the real problem is that you are limited as to where you can place the device to achieve a good radiation pattern if the device is plugged in to the mains power point.

Regards

Terry

Regards David

On Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 9:05 PM, <davidfra...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Monday, February 27, 2017 at 10:46:40 AM UTC, tlg wrote:

Hi David

The SECN-4 firmware will only support Ver 1 and Ver 2 devices.

I am currently preparing a SECN-5 build that will also support Ver 3 devices.

I expect it will be available in the next few days.

OK, thanks. Out of interest, what do you have to do to make the different versions compatible.

I was thinking of getting some portable/ travel units that are faster, plug into the wall power socket and cover both the 2.4 and 5 Mhz frequencies I have seen some in a chinese manufacturers catalogue. What are the issues of loading VT software on new devices? All devices are OpenWrt friendly

The only issue is that it will not be mesh compatible with SECN-4 devices so you may have to move all devices in your network to SECN-5

I see, the rest of the devices are the MR3020 on my network

Could you clarify exactly which OpenWrt firmware you have loaded onto the device please?

None as yet, I thought I would wait in case I made the wrong choice.

Regards

Terry

Regards
David

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[T Gillett]

David

Probably the best approach will be for you to identify any particular devices that you are interested in and post the details here so we can work out how best to set up firmware for it.

It is likely that there will be community interest in a good dual band device.

Look for devices with at least 16MB Flash and 64MB RAM if possible, with an option for external antennas.
Identify the chipset that is used as that will tell you a lot about the device capability.
Also look at the TxPower rating for both bands. 5GHz devices are often quite low power.

Regards

Terry

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[davidfra...@gmail.com]

Terry

I have found a device that suits my requirements. Its a Wavlink WL-WN575A3 http://www.wavlink.com/en/product/26

It has 2.4 and 5 Ghz dual-band wifi and a download speeds of 300Mbps and 867 Mbps respectively. Memory is quite substantial @ 64mb flash and 512 mb SDRAM. It has the MT7628A and MT7612E chipsets.

I have spoken to a Chinese supplier and he assures me that its fully functional with OpenWrt firmware although the OpenWrt website is not sure whether there is full functionality of the 5Ghz band.

Its one of these modems that has an integrated UK/EU/US plug, which is just what I need as well.

I welcome any comments and experience with this router

[T Gillett]

Hi David

An interesting product. I see they are available on eBay for ~$40

The MT7628 SoC is well supported by OpenWrt and I have built firmware for boards with this chipset. I wouldn't anticipate too many issues there. The MTK7612E may be a little more problematic, but it appears to use the generic mt76 driver.

There is a specific profile for the Wavlink WL-WN575A3 device in the current trunk build environment so that is a good start.

You can download a basic firmware image for the device here:

    https://downloads.lede-project.org/releases/17.01.0-rc2/targets/ramips/mt7628/

I found these two OpenWrt references to this product:

    https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/wavlink/wl-wn575a3
    https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/hwdata/wavlink/wl-wn575a3

And some other interesting reading on the MT7612:

    https://www.mediatek.com/products/broadbandWifi/mt7612e
    http://ftp.mqmaker.com/WiTi/Docs/Hardware/MT7612E_Data_Sheet.pdf

The Wavlink device memory appears to be 64MB RAM and 8MB Flash.
The manufacturers website says "512M and 64M" respectively for RAM and Flash, but they mean bits, not bytes of course.

TxPower for the MTK7612 chip is quoted as 18-20dBm for 2.4GHz and 15-18dBm for 5GHz, so quite comparable with other similar devices.

The Wavlink device does not appear to run OpenWrt natively.
The OEM firmware will not allow re-flashing with OpenWrt firmware directly. You have to load it using a TFTP server via the bootloader as per the OpenWrt page above.
Once you have loaded OpenWrt firmware then you can reflash as normal using a sysupgrade image.

I see two problems with the integrated mains plug:

- If the device is not approved for use in your locale, then you are running a fair risk in using a device that operates directly from the mains 24x7 with an unknown quality power supply. These things have a nasty habit of catching fire.

- The location of the power supply determines the location of the antennas, which may be far from optimum.

As well as the plug-in version, it seems that the Wavlink device is available in a conventional box format, presumably with a separate plug-pack power supply which may be more acceptable to some users.

So, in summary, I think it will be easy enough to build custom firmware for the device, and specifically the main 2.4GHz radio in the device, but there are a few questions around the secondary radio at this point.

Given that you can download a firmware image specifically for the device, then it would probably be worth getting one to test.

Regards

Terry

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