Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 6:18 Post subject: Tenda W308R compatibility
I am in Beijing and just bought a Tenda W308R (web page in Chinese, Chrome can auto-translate: http://www.tenda.com.cn/tendacn/Product/show.aspx?productid=188). This appears to be a Chinese only model- no FCC info externally available, and all text is in Chinese with no option for English. It is using a Broadcom chipset according to the Tenda website, but which chipset is not identified (nor has Google been good to me). I am unwilling to remove the heatsink for a positive identification because everything I need to rectify any mistakes I left back in the USA (which means I won't be hooking up to the JTAG ports, either).
I take it that without knowing the exact chipset, attempting to flash with DD-WRT (or Tomato, though DD-WRT is preferred) is probable router-cide? Given that this router was 150RMB (about US$22) and the Buffalo with gigabit and a USB port I don't need was 780RMB (about $115), I am really hoping this is going to work.
It is based on a Broadcom BM5357 SOC, the ram memory is 16MByte unless there is another ram chip on the other side of the pcb.
The flash is likely the chip to the right of the 5357 just above the xtal but it is not possible to see the chip marking from your photo. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:22 Post subject: BCM5357, yep
Yeah, after I got back from a meeting, I noticed the -5357 and found the Broadcom chip and that the E1000 Cisco/Linksys uses the same chip (but with a ? next in the version of DD-WRT field, what does that mean?).
I have sent in an email to the Tenda support line to ask how much flash rom this unit has- it is almost invisible even when I used a magnifying glass, but I think I made out 1032? The manufacturer and all the other info I can't make out at all.
So, if it is a 4MB flash rom and since it is the same SOC as the E1000 (though with 1/2 the RAM, there was nothing on the backside of the board which is why I didn't include a picture of the back. If you would like a picture of the back, I will be happy to provide one.), is using DD-WRT (standard) a possibility? For US$22, I am willing to risk bricking it, as long as there is a reasonable expectation of it working.
Mods, if you don't mind, could you relocate this entire thread to the Broadcom section? I apologize for not starting it there in the first place.
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:21 Post subject: Got answer back from Tenda.
Well, I got my answer back from Tenda and I am a sad panda. Their router only has 16M RAM/2M Flash so using DD-WRT, even if the Linksys E3000 trailed could work in theory, is not an option, assuming I have read the forums and wiki correctly.
Word to the wise, and included just so people can find this via search engines: Do not buy the Tenda W308R router hoping to use it with DD-WRT, at least until a 2M build can support N-300 functionality.
It is now listed in the Known Incompatible Devices wiki page..
dd-wrt builds for BCM5357 are based on linux kernel 2.6 which is bigger in size than kernel 2.4 so there is no chance for a 2MB flash micro build - it just wont fit. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
Ok , if the assembly firmware leave only the most basic to the NAT and wi-fi enabled by default of the other functions, and simplified web interface . Who has the ability to compile lite mikro dd-wrt firmware version ?