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ARGONAUT
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join:2006-01-24
New Albany, IN

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ARGONAUT

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[OpenWRT] Update on Linksys WRT1900AC support

2014-04-18 22:47:41

Given the confusion that the mentions of OpenWrt support in Linksys press releases have caused, we would like to clarify the state of WRT1900AC support in OpenWrt and the ongoing collaboration with Linksys.

Members of the OpenWrt team have been in contact with Linksys for a while, discussing collaboration on device support in OpenWrt.
There had been no technical collaboration on device support until Belkin engineers posted a few incomplete patches in early April. These patches are currently being cleaned up, as they do not meet our quality standards.

The most important part that is still missing is a usable driver for the Marvell 802.11ac wireless chipset. Belkin is working on fixing this, but they have not given us an estimation on when such a driver will be provided.

The default firmware for this device seems to be using a proprietary driver provided by Marvell, which uses non-standard APIs for configuration. We don't know if Marvell will open source this driver, or will work on an alternative Linux driver. We believe that both approaches require a considerable amount of effort and time.

Because of these issues, we would currently recommend against purchasing this device until we have the missing pieces of software to make it functional with OpenWrt.

The Linksys press release claims that the device is "OpenWrt ready" and "Open Source ready". Given how much is still missing, and that not even the GPL code for this device was posted to the Linksys GPL code center, we consider these claims to be premature and unfortunately misleading.

Regards,

The OpenWrt Team

»forum.openwrt.org/viewto ··· id=50173

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

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KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

Yep. Read about that. Basically it comes down to this. That Marvell chipset is a bastard child and 10-1. You will NOT be seeing 3rd party firmware for this router. Including the big 2. DD-WRT and Tomato. Maybe hardware revision 2.0 will be with Broadcom? It is extremely wrong Belkin/Linksys is using that kind of advertising basically tricking people into buying. Thinking down the line. They will be getting 3rd party firmware support. Don't get me wrong. The router is a absolute beast and sounds like a quality build. Even stock firmware seems to be stable. BUT. Since its a throw back to the WRT54GL. They should have went with BROADCOM! Hellooooooooooo Linksys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They almost nailed it. Like I said. If we are lucky. Maybe in the next hardware revision. And early adopters will be pissed about that. Best to get the EA6900 if you want Linksys flavor and 3rd party firmware.
samurai123
join:2007-07-15
Sioux Falls, SD

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Thanks for the update from the OpenWrt team. I've had my doubts about the claim when I first read it anyway. By saying "Open Source ready", Linksys must be counting on quick money. Reading this update, it's suspicious that the OpenWrt firmware will ever be made available. Now Linksys may approach another opensource vendor(s) or some other way but in any case I would be surprised to see full support of any Open Source software.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
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join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

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Thanks for the info. I'm not going to get stuck with a router like my pos E4200v2. I just might jump ship and wait until the ASUS RT-AC87U comes out. That is also supposed to be a beast. At least ASUS has a pretty good track record for routers lately.

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

E4200 router is good. You just got the wrong version. v1 is the golden one! Allows 3rd party firmware. I use Tomato with mine.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
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join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

lordpuffer

Premium Member

Yes, the E4200 is a better router than the v2. I'm looking forward to using the ac connectivity on my next router, whichever one it may be. At this time, after the small net builder review of the WRT1900AC, I'm not sure which way to go. I'll wait for more end user reviews. Right now, there are only 3 on Linksys' website:

»store.linksys.com/Linksy ··· viewsTab

I'll wait for amazon and newegg end user reviews.

Thane_Bitter
Inquire within
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join:2005-01-20

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Marvell?
Can't think of a product they make that doesn't suck, or works in a stable fashion.

The WRT1900AC sounded good when it was announced, however again we see the bean counters hard at work cutting costs making choices that should have been left to engineers. Since no third party firmware exists for the device, selling it as a device that can use alternative firmware is an outright lie. Belkin will dick around leaving this device in perpetual beta, before stripping down the hardware for version two and addressing none of the shortfalls.

I considered getting one but certainly will not now, thanks to the OpenWRT team for being frank about the routers multiple issues.

Hard Harry7
join:2010-10-19
Narragansett, RI

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"Linksys" seems to be Belkin fail sauce using the WRT as a marketing gimmic and they know it. They are keeping everything in the dark, even the FCC, until 4/30/14. This feels like all hype and no substance.
papabbq
Premium Member
join:2005-11-07
Swanton, OH

papabbq

Premium Member

So, what is the best router????
Asus???
Have a WRT1900AC Now.
Thanks in advance. Looking for opinion

steelingbox
join:2005-07-09
Casselberry, FL

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I see a class action lawsuit in the near future for Linksys/Belkin

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
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join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

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said by papabbq:

So, what is the best router????
Asus???
Have a WRT1900AC Now.
Thanks in advance. Looking for opinion

You currently have one of the best routers. What is wrong with the WRT1900AC?

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

For people that care or want it. 3rd party firmware that was promised and now they cannot deliver. As a vanilla based router from the factory and latest firmware. It is now a excellent device.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
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join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

lordpuffer

Premium Member

I was going to use the stock firmware anyway.

It was between the WRT1900AC and an AC Asus. I read too many complaints about the Asus stock firmware being buggy. I'm still saving my pennies for the WRT1900AC.

rod_pod
Premium Member
join:2003-08-10
Great Falls, MT

rod_pod

Premium Member

I just purchased the WRT1900AC and it is a great router - with stock firmware. It also works great with my WUMC710 media extender. Before I made this purchase I looked at the reviews for the Netgear R7000 and Asus RT-AC68U. I was strongly considering the Netgear R7000 but with several negative reviews I decided to stay with the Linksys brand. And so [far] it has been great.

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

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I have had my WRT1900AC for a little over a month. Very pleased with it.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
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join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME

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Thanks both of you......I'm going to get mine as soon as I can.

AnClar
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join:2003-07-31
Belton, TX

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Looks as though there is some new activity and some hope based on the last three pages of the the thread on the OpenWrt forum...seems as though someone found an open source Marvell wifi driver and some of the folks over there have used it to compile workable images for the WRT1900AC. We're still a ways from an "official" OpenWrt release for the unit, but this is looking more hopeful than just a few days earlier.

»forum.openwrt.org/viewto ··· 173&p=27

steelingbox
join:2005-07-09
Casselberry, FL

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steelingbox

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I hope they can finally get things worked out because the stock firmware just plain sucks.

Mojolacerato
@99.236.86.x

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Mojolacerato

Anon

»github.com/Chadster766/M ··· releases

Openwrt is alive and well for the WRT1900AC, I am running the image from the above link, it is fantastic!

If you try it, your routers address will be 192.168.200.1, login: root, no password.

Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

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KoRnGtL15

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When OpenWrt comments and makes their version official. It will be official then. Right now. This means nothing. Its something thrown together and running. It has NOT been endorsed at all by OpenWrt or the community that works with OpenWrt.
TooMuchMojo
join:2014-09-01

TooMuchMojo

Member

Too funny. Seriously, very few router manufactures will honor a warranty if 3rd party software is used. But that has never stopped millions of people from flashing, DD-WRT, Tomato, Openwrt, or anything else they find works for them. Linksys has published quite openly that the WRT1900AC, is designed for opensource development. Since everyone is belly aching about no 3rd party suport, I simply posted one that works, and works well. If you're concerned about bricking it, you need to keep in mind it is a dual image router, and its next to impossible to brick it. I have yet to see any router manufacture endorse a 3rd party software. That would be more important than Openwrt endorsing Openwrt, Tomato endorsing Tomato, DD-WRT endorsing DD-WRT. That's like not buying a Porsche, until Porsche tells you it's a good car. If anyone trys the link I posted, they will not be sorry. You can wait to buy your Porsche until Porsche reports it's a great car.

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

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KoRnGtL15

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said by TooMuchMojo:

Too funny. Seriously, very few router manufactures will honor a warranty if 3rd party software is used. But that has never stopped millions of people from flashing, DD-WRT, Tomato, Openwrt, or anything else they find works for them. Linksys has published quite openly that the WRT1900AC, is designed for opensource development. Since everyone is belly aching about no 3rd party suport, I simply posted one that works, and works well. If you're concerned about bricking it, you need to keep in mind it is a dual image router, and its next to impossible to brick it. I have yet to see any router manufacture endorse a 3rd party software. That would be more important than Openwrt endorsing Openwrt, Tomato endorsing Tomato, DD-WRT endorsing DD-WRT. That's like not buying a Porsche, until Porsche tells you it's a good car. If anyone trys the link I posted, they will not be sorry. You can wait to buy your Porsche until Porsche reports it's a great car.

Buffalo sells some of their routers that come with DDWRT from the factory.

»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· -Product

AnClar
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join:2003-07-31
Belton, TX

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said by KoRnGtL15:

When OpenWrt comments and makes their version official. It will be official then. Right now. This means nothing. Its something thrown together and running. It has NOT been endorsed at all by OpenWrt or the community that works with OpenWrt.

I don't think anyone here is claiming that there is an "official" OpenWrt sanctioned release yet. This is work being done by the community and, as with all such s/w, it is most definitely "use at your own risk". Personally, I would not recommend these images to any but hard-core users who are familiar with Linux, coding, and compilers. Oh yeah...and also should have a USB to TTL cable to access the boot loader when the router inevitably bricks.

What I'm hoping is that, given the progress being made, that the OpenWrt folks will not give up on this platform...we'll see.
TooMuchMojo
join:2014-09-01

TooMuchMojo

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Agreed.
TooMuchMojo

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Exactly, since it comes from the factory that way, the manufacture will cover it. But if Buffalo ships a router, with Buffalo software, and you flash DD-WRT on it, and THEN have an issue. They will tell you to pound salt.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

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I've been using the WRT1900AC router for a few months with the stock firmware and it's unbelievably awesome. Totally worth the price. Hell, it's pretty much become the defecto router I recommend for all my customers, and even in places that don't need a router like businesses, it makes a great wireless access point. I'm seeing a huge improvement in both wireless network bandwidth and range, even with iPads and iPhones and other N only devices. That Beamforming technology is a doozy. The RADIUS server functionality works great with the WPA2 Enterprise mode.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

lordpuffer

Premium Member

Thanks Mike. I haven't been able to afford it yet, however, the WRT1900AC will be sending WiFi throughout my house soon. For now, the firmware update for my E4200v2 has helped it a lot and it's working better.

KoRnGtL15
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join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

Best Buy has it on sale right now for $199. $50 bucks off. You should grab it.

lordpuffer
Legalize It Joe!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-19
Old Town, ME
Nokia XS-110G-A
Linksys Velop MX5300

lordpuffer

Premium Member

Thanks for the Best Buy tip. Right now I'm having major problems with 2 cars that's taking most of my financial attention. Even $199 is a burden I can't bear. I hope that I can find it at that price when I'm ready to get it. I even re-configured my whole system (mostly for the best router position in my home) the other day to get ready for it. For now, my E4200v2 sits there keeping the spot warm.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

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Oh a heads up RR Conductor found a mostly working Open WRT firmware you might want to check out when you get the router if you like open source firmware. »Re: [Equip] Need help picking new router for new speed tier