Hi,
I was able to flash the EA6900 with the custom cfe from xvortex. Fixed the 32K NVRAM right up. Then I flashed Asuswrt/xwrt EA6900 custom firmware from xvortex.
All this was using mr_yellow thread.
Asuswrt/xwrt works well when I played around with the interface.
However to ease of going from Tomato based firmware configuration is much easier.
I thought once the custom cfe was flashed it would spoof the EA6900 into an Asus AC-68U. So I tried flashing the tomato from shibby and totmato advance for teh AC-68U through xwrt gui flash page. It did not go through, I receive an error message "Firmware upgrade unsuccessful. This may result from incorrect image or error transmission. Please check the version of the firmware and try again."
I tried flashing back to dd-wrt latest version and also the R23320 version. However, nothing was able to be flash through the gui.
Does anyone know if there is a way to flash to Tomato?
Every time I upgraded mine I had to use the Asus mini cfe websever.
So it is possible to flash the EA6900 to the Asus AC-68U Tomato firmware using the recovery method by putting it in recovery and tftp the file to the router?
Do you know the method to put it into recovery for xwrt custom cfe? I know he changes from using the reset button to the wps button when clearing nvram. So I am assuming a similar method is used to put into recovery.
I never tried the tomato firmware.
I had to use the mini server or the Asus restoration tool to flash any dd-wrt build on it. _________________ I am far from a guru, I'm barely a novice.
Why not flash the tomato version for the ea6900?
Or the dd-wrt version for the ea6900?
I usually use kongs arm build which works on all of them. _________________ I am far from a guru, I'm barely a novice.
Okay... so I thought I'd consolidate all the info I've gathered over the past few days into one post. Thanks to everyone that posted above me. Well, not everyone, but you know who
My Process to run DD-WRT on EA6900
* Don't bother with Linksys CFE (Bootloader) 1.0 or 1.1. Use XVortex's Modified Asus CFE.
1) You have to modify the CFE with your router's MAC addr and WPS password using CFEEdit.
Code:
et0macaddr -> your base mac address on the bottom sticker
0:macaddr -> equals to et0macaddr
1:macaddr -> equals to 0:macaddr + :0x04
secret_code -> WPS password (bottom of router, no dash)
3) do a 30/30/30 with reset button to clear nvram
4) log into dd-wrt, set user/password
4.5) backup your cfe by browsing to http://192.168.1.1/backup/cfe.bin
* You'll need this if you ever want to revert back to stock.
5) enable proftpd and create a new user
6) ftp the modified CFE with that user
* For love of god, remember to enable binary mode in ftp or use a client like winscp
7) telnet into router and run the following commands to flash CFE. USERNAME is the user you created in for proftpd.
* For love of god, don't cut and paste these commands. adjust them to match your file and directory names
Clear nvram by pulling the power on the router, hold *WPS* button while plug in power. Wait for the LED to flash quickly (~20 seconds). This is the nvram reset procedure with new CFE.
9) go back into dd-wrt, set user/password
10) enable proftpd and create new user again
11) FTP desired ea6900 firmware you want (dd-wrt BS/KONG, Tomato by Shibby, etc...)
* For love of god, remember to enable binary mode in ftp or use a client like winscp
12) Telnet and flash using the following commands:
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin Linux
erase nvram
reboot
* For love of god, don't cut and paste these commands. adjust them to match your file and directory names
* Not sure if erase nvram command will work. if not, then hold WPS button while plugging in power until linksys led flashes quickly. this erases nvram.
13) Test 32k nvram bug by enabling SSH, adding stuff to admin->commands scripts, etc.. anything to bump nvram above 32k.
14) Reboot and run following command:
* The limit for 32K is row hex 8000.
* If your nvram size reports above 32K (32768) and you find in hexdump the 3 "00" before row hex 8000, you have the 32K bug. (After reboot of course)
* Basically if you don't see "00 00 00" before or near address 00008000, you're okay.
How to check your CFE version: (really no point to if you're going to XVortex's CFE)
1) flash to r23320
2) backup your cfe by browsing to http://192.168.1.1/backup/cfe.bin
3) telnet into router and run
Code:
nvram show | grep sw_version
xxxx.12 = CFE 1.0
xxxx.13 = CFE 1.1
How to check for 32k nvram bug (Do this after you've installed your desired FW)
1) if starting out from linksys fw flash to r23320
2) then flash to newer dd-wrt build
3) enable ssh and other things to make nvram go past 32k. I used the admin->command scripts and added a bunch of scripts. You could theoretically just dump many long lines of "#"
4) reboot
5) run the hexdump command above. look for "00 00 00" by address 8000
6) sometimes after the reboot, the router will go into boot loops. Most likely caused by nvram bug. Clear the nvram using whatever method matches the CFE installed (30/30/30 reset for linksys, WPS for xvortex).
If you find any errors in the info above, please PM me or post here.
CAVEATS:
* You can't flash using the dd-wrt gui anymore. You can to use telnet and mtd command or tftp or the cfe miniweb server (open 192.168.1.1 while TTL=100 during boot)
* flashing back to stock CFE (you backed up the CFE right?) should be as simple as uploading the CFE bin file and running the same commands you used to flash to xvortex cfe. Remember the clear nvram proceedure changes.
* you can't erase nvram from command line (erase nvram). it causes 2.4ghz and 5ghz radios to have the same MAC address. reset nvram using WPS button technique or resetting via asus cfe miniweb server.
* USB 3.0 port is non-functioning.
I just wanted to confirm that these instructions worked wonderfully for my brand new Linksys EA6900 that I just bought yesterday from CanadaComputers.
A couple of notes:
1. I did a factory reset in the stock firmware before following these steps (just in case).
2. The command
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin Linux
should actually be
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin linux
The L in Linux is lowercase.
3. The "erase nvram" command does not work. After entering the command:
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin linux
follow these instructions to erase nvram:
1. Power off the router
2. Push wps button
3. Power on router (do not release wps)
4. Wait till linksys logo starts flashing
5. Release wps btn.
1. I did a factory reset in the stock firmware before following these steps (just in case).
2. The command
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin Linux
should actually be
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin linux
The L in Linux is lowercase.
3. The "erase nvram" command does not work. After entering the command:
Code:
mtd write name-of-firmware.bin linux
follow these instructions to erase nvram:
1. Power off the router
2. Push wps button
3. Power on router (do not release wps)
4. Wait till linksys logo starts flashing
5. Release wps btn.
I had success too, but up to step #7 I was surprisingly greeted with the Linksys login screen as if DD-WRT is gone once NVRAM is reset. I had to use the recovery mini server to upload the XWRT onto it. Skipping #8 and beyond.
I had success too, but up to step #7 I was surprisingly greeted with the Linksys login screen as if DD-WRT is gone once NVRAM is reset. I had to use the recovery mini server to upload the XWRT onto it. Skipping #8 and beyond.
Same here. Linksys login screen would be stuck waiting forever.
Clear nvram by pulling the power on the router, hold *WPS* button while plug in power. Wait for the LED to flash quickly (~20 seconds). This is the nvram reset procedure with new CFE.