Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 16:35 Post subject: Support for Cisco-Linksys E2100L?
I have three Linksys E2100L's that will be used in a customer's home.
I want to change the TX Power but default Linksys firmware doesn't allow it.
I see that DD-WRT would be the solution to my problem, but I can't see that anyone has tried it on the E2100L yet.
It's Linux based, has an Atheros chipset, and plenty of flash memory.
I'm new to the whole DD-WRT thing, but am comfortable around hex editors and advanced software. Can someone please tell me how to create a custom firmware version for this router? Or could the v2 pre-sp2 version work?
Last edited by w1dg3t on Wed Sep 01, 2010 20:19; edited 1 time in total
The E2100 is quite new and I think you are the first one here to have bought it.
It is Cisco-Linksys successor to the previous WRT160NL and the difference between them should be minor.
The router needs dd-wrt build support though, there is no use in trying any current dd-wrt build since the router can't be identified by dd-wrt without it.
What is needed primarily is a serial boot log of the boot up sequence together with a dump of the routers flash partitions.
dd-wrt support for E2100 is likely to come earlier if you are able to provide those and what you need is some linux knowledge, a serial ttl converter connected between the routers internal serial port and a serial terminal program like Putty running on your computer, and a USB flash stick to copy the flash partitions to.
An example of a cheap USB <-> serial ttl converter is the Nokia mobile phone cable CA-42 which can be had on ebay or Amazon for $3-4.
You'll have to cut off the mobile phone connector and connect the gnd,rx,and tx wires onto a pin header in the router and the USB connector to your computer.
The cable will then appear as a serial port to which you connect with the terminal program.
I'll help you and walk you through the remaining parts if you are interested in doing it. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
If no one else is willing to step up, I happen to have an E2100L that I would *love* to help get DD-WRT installed on.
I'm very familiar with Linux in general. I'd argue I'm a novice at electronics, but I know how to solder both through-hole plated and surface mount.
I'll grab myself a level shifting serial cable today and get back to this thread when I have it installed and am ready. (that, or would it be easier to just install a TTL level shifter inline with a DB9 serial port?)
I'll grab myself a level shifting serial cable today and get back to this thread when I have it installed and am ready. (that, or would it be easier to just install a TTL level shifter inline with a DB9 serial port?)
If you already have a TTL (3.3V) level shifter to RS-232 and have a serial port on your computer then use that one, no need to buy a USB to TTL. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
any word on whats going on with getting support for the E2100L? I can offer up my E2100 too and I'm good with Linux and pretty decent with electronic theory.
any word on whats going on with getting support for the E2100L? I can offer up my E2100 too and I'm good with Linux and pretty decent with electronic theory.
status quo, no serial boot log has appeared.. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
any word on whats going on with getting support for the E2100L? I can offer up my E2100 too and I'm good with Linux and pretty decent with electronic theory.
status quo, no serial boot log has appeared..
There's an OpenWRT version available for it.
I wonder if the boot log from that would do the trick to get dd-wrt ported, since we haven't heard from Potat0.
(Me, I don't have the router; I'm doing pre-purchase research.)
Thanks for all the information! I'm glad to see others are interested in this, as well.
I was waiting for the other poster to reply back after receiving the cable, but it has been a little while.
I'm going back to my customer's house within the next week or so, and i'm picking up one of the 2100L's to do some testing on.
If potato does not respond back with findings by then, i'll try to pick up one of those cables and do it myself (with a little instruction, of course).
Just wanted to let everyone know i'm still very interested in getting dd-wrt running on this thing. Its only a matter of time...
Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 7492 Location: Dresden, Germany
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:59 Post subject:
here is a experimental build. since i have no device, you should only use it if you know to recover
just for your information. the e2100l is total identical to the wrt160nl, but has more ram. the rest is the same. its in fact the US variant of the WRT160NL _________________ "So you tried to use the computer and it started smoking? Sounds like a Mac to me.." - Louis Rossmann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL_5YDRWqGE&t=60s
Does it have 60k nvram (like e2000 and e3000) or normal 32k.
If it has 60k, then it is not safe to flash this experimental build.
That was actually my concern as well and the reason why I asked for serial log and partition dumps.
I have a sneaky feeling that Linksys has expanded the nvram size on all the new E-series routers. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!