Hi Alex,
What about scanning the device with nmap to see if there's any open
ports? Maybe you could login via telnet? Are they running Linux? Any web
admin interface? Any default login/password written somewhere?
I would say that the next step would be to have a better picture about
the bootloader and the Flash layout, and see how they compare with
what's existing in the buildroot.
just in case:
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/devel/hw.hacking.first.steps
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/devel/add.new.device
Good luck!
Chris
On 07/03/12 05:21, Alex Camilo wrote:
Hello, I'm a bit new at this stuff so i've been trying to figure out how
to get openwrt working on some routers i've managed to get my hands on.
I'm affiliated with an organization who is organizing "up-cycling"
hacking sessions with a local middle school. We maintain close ties with
the local UNI (my Alma mater) and got permission from the sysadmin to go
through the tech waste disposal and take whatever we wanted. After
loading up on broken ink-jets and other neat electro-mechanical junk i
noticed a decent sized bin full of APs.
Apparently the Network Operations guys are upgrading the campus wireless
network and just dumping the APs. I grabbed two on the off chance that
we might be able to do something with em, at the very least crack it
open and talk about board layout a little or pull out some LEDs or LDOs
or something. So, When i got a chance I cracked two of the routers open
and was a little surprised.
There are two models of routers, Large Square ones (Trapeze MP-82s) and
small puck-shaped round ones (Nortel 2330).
The Square had an Atheros AR7161 and two 66 pin TSSOP DDR SDRAMS with a
serial-flash. In addition to this, There where pads for a USB Host port
that wasn't populated. There was a rj-45 connector labeled
"management interface" that sat behind a rs232 level shiftier so i
think that's a serial port. There was also a 14 pin connector in the
vicinity of the CPU that looks a lot like a MIPS-EJTAG-2.5 14-pin
interface. Grounds in all the right places. I did a search and it looks
like this SOC is quite popular but no openwrt port for this router.
The puck had a Atheros AR5312A one TSSOP DDR SDRAM and a parallel NAND
Flash. I powered the thing on via a "POE injector" and started poking
around, I found what looks like a MIPS-EJTAG-2.5 connector with the
grounds in the right places and a reset pin that resets the router when
pulled low. And i found a 3.3v serial port that informs me that the
device is quite confused and upset because the Ethernet link is not up
and it can't phone home for firmware but it doesn't look like u-boot and
has no prompt.
pics of me bringing up the puck and pics of the square's PCB here.
http://acamilo.tumblr.com/post/18833966874/wireless-router-fun-time
So, me and some friends went back and took a whole bunch of both kinds
and i'm going to try to get openwrt running on them 'cause it might be
kind of fun to make a robot out of these.
I've installed buildroot in a VM using the instructions on
(http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/buildroot.exigence)
got make menuconvig going. selected "Target System (Atheros
AR7xxx/AR9xxx) ---> "
and i have my box chugging away running make -j 5
Since both of these boards and their supported cousins probably descent
from the same reference designs How hard would it be to get these guys
running. I've never done that before. Would you recommend trying to JTAG
them with a similar router's u-boot and trying to boot over tftp?
Do you have any pointers, tips?
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--
Christian Gagneraud,
Embedded systems engineer.
Techworks Marine
1 Harbour road
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin
Ireland
Tel: + 353 (0) 1 236 5990
Web: http://www.techworks.ie/
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