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scothscoth
join:2015-03-30

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scothscoth to OzarkEdge

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Re: [Unlock] Unlocking the BasicTalk ATA

Well, in the interests of Science, I went ahead and bought a third one of these. Maybe I'll set up a BBS or something with it. I did notice this Wal Mart had two box styles - an orange top and white top one. I can't remember now which styles my first two were, or if it even matters. I *think* they were orange top boxes with a sticker on the side that says "HT701 Basic Talk" while the white top box one just says "HT701". This one is also the orange top one.

Software Version: Program-- 1.0.2.47 Bootloader -- 1.0.0.9 Core -- 1.0.2.7 Base -- 1.0.2.32

This time I documented the steps I took, after confirming that this one too would not take the firmware without blanking out the fields I mentioned before. Just spun for a few seconds and restarted. Blanked out the fields and it worked no problem. Here's a general guide of what I did:

You need a computer with an ethernet port. Modern computers should be able to work with the ethernet cable that comes in the kit, but you may need a crossover cable if it doesn't work or you're using an older computer/network card.

1. DO NOT ATTACH THE HT701 TO ANYTHING YET.
2. No, really, don't attach it to anything yet.
3. Download and extract Mackey's firmware (should end up ht701fw.bin) somewhere you can find it.
4. Download and install tftpd32 (or tftpd64, as appropriate for platform). We really only need this for the DHCP server, so if you have another DHCP solution feel free to use it. I originally attempted to cleverly use the Internet Connection Sharing feature built into Windows for this, but there was too much risk of the thing phoning home if you don't do it just right.
5. If you don't know how to do it, look up instructions for setting a static IP on a network interface. It's easy to find all over.
6. Disconnect the computer from the internet. If you're comfortable with network configuration and using wireless a laptop or whatnot this is technically optional but make sure you don't have any kind of internet connection sharing, bridging, etc. going on from the wireless to the wired side. For safety it's probably better just to turn off the wifi.
7. Set a static IP on your ethernet adapter to something like 192.168.5.1, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You should have the instructions from the previous step. Gateway, DNS, and the like don't matter at this point since we're creating a mininet.
8. Load up tftpd32/64.
9. Click on the Settings button at the bottom, and choose the DHCP tab at the top.
10. In the IP Pool Start Address, enter in something in the range you entered above, but different. So for example if you set the ethernet to 192.168.5.1, set this to 192.168.5.5
11. Change the size of pool to something non-zero. Maybe 5 or 10, doesn't matter much.
12. Something has to be put in for Def. router. You can put in the same IP entered above, doesn't really matter much
13. Mask should be the same as you put in above. Unless you have a real good reason for it, leave it at 255.255.255.0
14. At the bottom, check the box for Bind DHCP to this address and select the IP address you gave the Ethernet adapter above. 192.168.5.1 if you're following along exactly.
15. Click on OK, then click the DHCP tab in the main interface.
16. Now, plug in the network cable between your computer and the ht701, and power it up.
17. Various lights will flash, and eventually you'll see an IP address pop up in the log box in tftpd32
18. Load up a web browser, and go to that IP address that was given to the ht701.
19. Log in with the password provided by Mackey (ERgTbCLo)
20. Go to the Advanced tab, and blank out the firmware and configuration URLs. Click Update and Apply at the bottom.
21. Once it recycles, you may need to physically unplug and replug it at this point. I had to on my last one to get the firmware to take.
22. Log back into the interface, and go to the Advanced tab and upload the firmware as instructed by Mackey. It should start to spin, and fairly quickly the Internet and Phone lights should both start simultaneously flashing. The Link/Act light may continue to periodically blink, but you want to see the Internet and Phone lights blinking.

** If it does not do this, and either restarts itself or otherwise does not work, make sure to power cycle and try again. If you do not see the blinking Internet and Phone lights, it is not successfully processing the firmware and will still be on the Basic Talk version **

23. After a couple or three minutes, the lights should stop flashing, and it may recycle. My last one did not, however, and just sat there with the Power light on and all three other lights off. I'd give it three or five minutes at this point to make sure it's really done, and if it doesn't come back up on its own go ahead and power cycle it with the power plug.
24. Once again, it'll come back up. It'll probably be the same IP as before, but you can keep an eye on the tftpd32/64 log to make sure. You'll know it should be ready once the power light goes out. This seems to be a quirk of the unlock firmware.
25. Log into the web interface with the password "123"
26. Click on the Advanced tab and log in there with the password "admin"
27. Change the firmware URL to "firmware.grandstream.com", and optionally you can blank out the config URL unless you're going to be using it in your config.
28. Update and Apply this with the buttons at the bottom
29. Finally, once it recycles, you can go ahead and unplug the ht701 from your computer and hook it up to your network/internet as normal.
30. Once it boots up, it should grab the latest firmware from Grandstream and go through another update cycle with the blinking Internet and Phone lights.

Once this is complete, you should have a completely unlocked and updated HT701 ready for your SIP configuration! Thanks to Mackey for the actual software for this! Make sure you go in there and reset the passwords too.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

For those with the appropriate equipment and router and know-how, I offer two generic alternatives for about the first 15 items above:

(1) Use your router's DHCP capability to assign a localnet/privatenet IP address based on MAC address. That's what I did: I plugged the MAC address of the BasicTalk box into my router and told the router to assign a particular, known IP address to the BasicTalk box.

Alternatively, (2) fiddle with the DHCP range on your router so that you have a single remaining unassigned IP address. Example: your assignment range is 192.168.1.50-55. Existing devices on your home network have already been assigned and are occupying occupying .50-.54. When you plug in the BasicTalk box, that single, remaining IP address, known to you (.55), will be assigned to the BasicTalk box.

All the above caveats about making sure that nothing (router; computer; etc.) is connected to the Internet still apply.
Angusgor
join:2013-05-29

Angusgor to scothscoth

Member

to scothscoth
Thanks!! Followed your instructions and worked great. It looks intimidating at first with the 30 steps but it took no more than 10-15 mins from start to finish. The one I got from Walmart was a Orange Top box that says "HT701 Basic Talk" on the side. Works great now with VOIP.MS
said by scothscoth:

Well, in the interests of Science, I went ahead and bought a third one of these. Maybe I'll set up a BBS or something with it. I did notice this Wal Mart had two box styles - an orange top and white top one. I can't remember now which styles my first two were, or if it even matters. I *think* they were orange top boxes with a sticker on the side that says "HT701 Basic Talk" while the white top box one just says "HT701". This one is also the orange top one.

Software Version: Program-- 1.0.2.47 Bootloader -- 1.0.0.9 Core -- 1.0.2.7 Base -- 1.0.2.32

This time I documented the steps I took, after confirming that this one too would not take the firmware without blanking out the fields I mentioned before. Just spun for a few seconds and restarted. Blanked out the fields and it worked no problem. Here's a general guide of what I did:

You need a computer with an ethernet port. Modern computers should be able to work with the ethernet cable that comes in the kit, but you may need a crossover cable if it doesn't work or you're using an older computer/network card.

1. DO NOT ATTACH THE HT701 TO ANYTHING YET.
2. No, really, don't attach it to anything yet.
3. Download and extract Mackey's firmware (should end up ht701fw.bin) somewhere you can find it.
4. Download and install tftpd32 (or tftpd64, as appropriate for platform). We really only need this for the DHCP server, so if you have another DHCP solution feel free to use it. I originally attempted to cleverly use the Internet Connection Sharing feature built into Windows for this, but there was too much risk of the thing phoning home if you don't do it just right.
5. If you don't know how to do it, look up instructions for setting a static IP on a network interface. It's easy to find all over.
6. Disconnect the computer from the internet. If you're comfortable with network configuration and using wireless a laptop or whatnot this is technically optional but make sure you don't have any kind of internet connection sharing, bridging, etc. going on from the wireless to the wired side. For safety it's probably better just to turn off the wifi.
7. Set a static IP on your ethernet adapter to something like 192.168.5.1, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You should have the instructions from the previous step. Gateway, DNS, and the like don't matter at this point since we're creating a mininet.
8. Load up tftpd32/64.
9. Click on the Settings button at the bottom, and choose the DHCP tab at the top.
10. In the IP Pool Start Address, enter in something in the range you entered above, but different. So for example if you set the ethernet to 192.168.5.1, set this to 192.168.5.5
11. Change the size of pool to something non-zero. Maybe 5 or 10, doesn't matter much.
12. Something has to be put in for Def. router. You can put in the same IP entered above, doesn't really matter much
13. Mask should be the same as you put in above. Unless you have a real good reason for it, leave it at 255.255.255.0


jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy to toro

Premium Member

to toro
I bought 3 ht701's 2 of which appear to be locked already as no password will open them up. The 3rd soft unlocked fine.
I have a flashcat usb+ hooked up to one of the locked units and the flashcat software seems to have no problem reading the flash as under the spiflash tab in the flashcat software everything shows up fine from beginning to end. I can scroll down and see offset 24000 and so on no problem, when i click read to save the flash the resulting file when opened in a hex editor only goes to line 330 everything past that is all ff's.
Any ideas?
Thanks
jubangy

jubangy

Premium Member

Click for full size
I hooked up my other ata this one has the mx chip same results, but it saves a few more lines.
Does pin 3 (wp) get used or no?

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

I don't use flashcat so I can't comment on that. However the flash are you posted here looks OK to me.
With the programmers I've used (usbjtag and Altera USB blaster) the pin 3 doesn't need to be connected: »Re: [Unlock] Unlocking the BasicTalk ATA

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy

Premium Member

Thanks toro. That is the flash in the flashcat software, it comes up as soon as the chip is detected by the flashcat prog. But when I hit read to save it it never saves the complete flash only so far. It makes no sense.
jubangy

jubangy to toro

Premium Member

to toro
I finally figured it out. You were right pin 3 was not needed, 7&8 tied together and I had to set the voltage jumper to 5v rather then 3.3 probably due to the programmer being a knock off who knows but worked on the first shot, i just unlocked one of the 2 atas.
jubangy

jubangy to toro

Premium Member

to toro
Click for full size
One more question...
I unlocked my last 701. This one was not hooked to the internet, but was giving all kinds of headaches trying to upload new firmware to it it just would not take. So i hooked the programmer up to it and made the changes listed on your voipfan site for hard unlocking. This went well. I am in but still would not take anything but mackeys firmware where the power light stays off, andeven with that was very slow. I tried repeatedly to get it to take the 1.0.7.3 from gs to no avail. I even tried using my own server but still will only take mackeys. Once mackeys was on it it would not take any other firmware, if it did go through the motion of downloading it would install it,after a few failed attempts it would lock up and need either a power reset or a factory reset sometimes both. Then I got the bright idea to put upgrade server back to vonage, this worked in that it downloaded firmware from vonage and now power light is back on and it is also pretty responsive again. However the program number listed i have not seen listed anywhere in this thread and it still will not load current gs firmware. Other then that all is well works fine and is unlocked just strange.Question I have is there any way to update it to current or not?

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

There are two things that you need to do when using a flash programmer:
- change the byte at offset 0x24070 and fix the checksum
- clear (fill with 0xFF) everything from 0x240C0 to 0x2EFFF
Did you do both ? If you did, the unit should refuse mackey's firmware or any firmware from Vonage and should acccept the one from grandstream.

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy

Premium Member

Unlocking the BasicTalk ATA

I changed the byte at 24004 (mine was originally hex 89,I replaced with AC), changed 24070 to 00, then ff'd everything from 240c0 to 02eee as directions said. I just went through the image i wrote back to it to verify. When I first did this the ata was choking even on mackey's firmware. While it was sitting there after 10 minutes didn't appear to be doing nothing i unplugged for a minute and replugged had to reset with a paper clip but that is when i started up and had mackey's firmware on it. But since the only 2 firmware it seems to want is mackey's or vonage's. Still unlocked, have reset with factory reset from web page as well as paper clip with it connected to the internet and works the same.
By chance should I have changed the 89 to 48 rather then AC? I never thought about that I seen the AC and just put it in there.

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

said by jubangy:

By chance should I have changed the 89 to 48 rather then AC?

AC sounds correct.

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy

Premium Member

Thanks.
Maybe I just have a screwy ata.
When I use my own server to try to update firmware I can see it checking but it will not take it.

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

Have you made a backup of the original BIN file ? I just realized that in my web site's instructions I had the wrong end address for the block that needs to be wiped. The end address should be 0x2E1FF rather than 0x2EFFF (see my post »Re: [Unlock] Unlocking the BasicTalk ATA). If I remember correctly from 0x2E200 to 0x2EFFF there's a header for one of the firmware components which is used when decrypting the new firmware during the upgrade. That may prevent the new firmware from loading.
If you can re-do the original BIN using these addresses, I think your ATA will be unlocked properly.

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy

Premium Member

I have backups of original and the modified that is on there. I will redo and see what happens.
Thanks
jubangy

jubangy to toro

Premium Member

to toro
Apparently I do not have the original, just the modified bin. Could I use a copy of another ht701 and just change the mac address and the byte at 240c0?

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

I sent you a PM with the image from a factory unlocked one. Just copy the block from 24000 to 240C0 from your patched BIN to my BIN and flash it. The ATA will be unlocked and will take the official grandstream firmware upgrade.

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy

Premium Member

thanks
crabbyone
join:2015-05-19
Greensboro, NC

crabbyone to toro

Member

to toro

Re: [Unlock] Unlocking the BasicTalk ATA

I purchased a new HT701 from Wally World and successfully unlocked and updated it to the latest firmware. Thanks for the tutorial!! My problem is more with my service. I want to use Google Voice and signed up with GVSIP.com. My device registers and will dial out, but the receiving end only gets a choppy sound. When I call my Google Voice number, I hear nothing on either end. I have tried the usual port settings with no luck. Does anyone know anything else to try? Any other providers that I can use Google Voice with? GVSIP support has been no help.

My HT701 is using the following firmware: Program-- 1.0.7.3 Bootloader -- 1.0.0.9 Core -- 1.0.7.2 Base -- 1.0.7.3

graysonf
MVM
join:1999-07-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL

graysonf

MVM

You could try the Simon Telephonics Google Voice Gateway. One time cost is $5.99, but I think that's refundable if you can't get it working to your satisfaction.

»simonics.com/services/
DaveN
join:2010-07-18
Santa Fe, NM

DaveN to crabbyone

Member

to crabbyone
I had no luck with GVSip and no meaningful support. Their system was unable to connect to my working GV account. My same SIP setup has worked perfectly on the Simonics GV Gateway from the initial signup. It's a no-brainer in my opinion.

williamray507
No More Mr Nice Guy
Premium Member
join:2001-10-04
Huntington, WV

williamray507

Premium Member

I made the mistake of signing up with GVSip/Vestalink again (Don't know what the hell I was thinking) but I have been trying to get my account canceled for almost a month now and they don't bother to answer tickets or emails. GVSip/Vestalink service was not even close to Simonics in quality or support.
crabbyone
join:2015-05-19
Greensboro, NC

crabbyone to toro

Member

to toro
I went with Simon Telephonics and dumped Basic Talk. Any progress made getting one that connected to Basic Talk service unlocked? I wouldn't mind having a spare.

KA0OUV
Premium Member
join:2010-02-17
Jefferson City, MO

KA0OUV

Premium Member

I think you still have to manually manipulate the bits like toro and jubangy discuss above from May.

Not sure how that turned out.

Tim [KA0OUV]
Prof_Tech
join:2007-06-30
Quincy, IL

Prof_Tech to scothscoth

Member

to scothscoth
Thanks for the straight forward instructions. I decided to buy one for a spare. Thanks to Mackey for the firmware and Toro for good tips also. I had a little trouble getting it to work with Tftpd64 [thought I might have bricked it] but then connected everything to a spare router and it took right off.

jubangy
Premium Member
join:2005-03-26
Corry, PA

jubangy to KA0OUV

Premium Member

to KA0OUV
turned out good. follow directions from toros site all works well.

mackey
Premium Member
join:2007-08-20

mackey to crabbyone

Premium Member

to crabbyone
said by crabbyone:

Any progress made getting one that connected to Basic Talk service unlocked?

Nope, you need to open it up and program the flash chip with an external programmer
screenname
join:2004-08-12
Irvine, CA

screenname to brg

Member

to brg
said by brg:

For those with the appropriate equipment and router and know-how, I offer two generic alternatives for about the first 15 items above:

(1) Use your router's DHCP capability to assign a localnet/privatenet IP address based on MAC address. That's what I did: I plugged the MAC address of the BasicTalk box into my router and told the router to assign a particular, known IP address to the BasicTalk box.

Because I have a spare router, I used it to skip the first 15 steps and worked out well. Because the spare router can show the attached device, I don't even need to assign an IP address to the ATA.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

said by screenname:

Because the spare router can show the attached device, I don't even need to assign an IP address to the ATA.

Yes; that too/mine also.

I only assigned an IP in my case because I wanted it to be a particular number in my scheme of multiple ATAs. I like my IPs all nice-and-tidy.
screenname
join:2004-08-12
Irvine, CA

screenname

Member

I didn't fix the ATA to a specific IP during the unlock process but assigned it an IP address when I connected to my "real" router.
I guess the main points of Scothscoth's method are step 20 & 21. I tried Mackey's method first but didn't work because the ATA I bought has more recent firmware installed.