Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
> Date: Sun, 1 May 2022 13:46:05 +0200 > From: "Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer" > > Hi Mark! > > On 5/1/22 12:27, Mark Kettenis wrote: > >> Date: Sun, 1 May 2022 11:13:13 +0200 > >> From: "Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer" > >> > >> Hi, > > > > Hi Johannes, > > > >> > >> Exists there an official support for this router? > >> > >> Here the official product page: > >> https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax200/ > >> > >> If there is no official support for the SoC and the devices, I will > >> try to add support for it. I'm currently need only to get the Ethernet > >> ports to work for my personal new CAT8 home network. :) > >> > >> Short technical data: > >> Base architecture: Quad core Cortex-A53 running at 1.8Ghz > >> SoC: Vendor Broadcom (Model currently unknown). Must open the > >> router and investigate all hardware components and figure out the > >> pins for the debug UART. > > > > If that information is correct, then you'd have to basically start > > from scratch. The only Broadcom SoC that OpenBSD supports is the one > > found in the Raspberry Pi, which is almost certainly completely > > unrelated to the Soc in your router. > > Yes, the information should be correct. I have extracted the vendor > firmware image with binwalk. I have investigated the root Device-Tree > blob. There will be also a modified Linux distribution from OpenWrt > used. But these modification are garbage for me. The device tree should give you some clues about the hardware.
Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
On 5/1/22 13:55, Stuart Henderson wrote: > On 2022/05/01 13:46, Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer wrote: >> Yes, the information should be correct. I have extracted the vendor >> firmware image with binwalk. I have investigated the root Device-Tree >> blob. There will be also a modified Linux distribution from OpenWrt >> used. But these modification are garbage for me. >> >> Why? >> >> Some NO-Go's for me: >> >> - The router need a Android app for configuration in the default setup >> - The WebUI is NOT accessible when WAN isn't connected OR there is an >> issue. The configuration needs a specific WWW domain. >> >> Yes, to configure the router you must use a website in the unsafe WWW >> to configure the router, WLAN, firewall, ... >> >> So it's high priority for me to get rid of this garbage vendor >> fimware... > > The simplest path using this hardware may be to build vendor firmware > from their GPL sources (_if_ they provide enough to do so) and modify it. > > You might be happier selling it and buying alternative hardware though. > Yes you are correct for standard users. But I have no specific dead line for this peace of hardware. In my home network there will be a LinkSYS WRT32X used. Initially want to replace the WRT32X an sell the WRT32X...
Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
On 2022/05/01 13:46, Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer wrote: > Yes, the information should be correct. I have extracted the vendor > firmware image with binwalk. I have investigated the root Device-Tree > blob. There will be also a modified Linux distribution from OpenWrt > used. But these modification are garbage for me. > > Why? > > Some NO-Go's for me: > > - The router need a Android app for configuration in the default setup > - The WebUI is NOT accessible when WAN isn't connected OR there is an > issue. The configuration needs a specific WWW domain. > > Yes, to configure the router you must use a website in the unsafe WWW > to configure the router, WLAN, firewall, ... > > So it's high priority for me to get rid of this garbage vendor > fimware... The simplest path using this hardware may be to build vendor firmware from their GPL sources (_if_ they provide enough to do so) and modify it. You might be happier selling it and buying alternative hardware though.
Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
On 2022/05/01 12:27, Mark Kettenis wrote: > > Date: Sun, 1 May 2022 11:13:13 +0200 > > From: "Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer" > > > > Hi, > > Hi Johannes, > > > > > Exists there an official support for this router? > > > > Here the official product page: > > https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax200/ > > > > If there is no official support for the SoC and the devices, I will > > try to add support for it. I'm currently need only to get the Ethernet > > ports to work for my personal new CAT8 home network. :) > > > > Short technical data: > > Base architecture: Quad core Cortex-A53 running at 1.8Ghz > > SoC: Vendor Broadcom (Model currently unknown). Must open the > > router and investigate all hardware components and figure out the > > pins for the debug UART. BCM4908: https://wikidevi.wi-cat.ru/Netgear_RAX200_(Nighthawk_Tri-Band_AX12) https://fcc.report/FCC-ID/PY318400434/4326262 > If that information is correct, then you'd have to basically start > from scratch. The only Broadcom SoC that OpenBSD supports is the one > found in the Raspberry Pi, which is almost certainly completely > unrelated to the Soc in your router. And at least with Raspberry Pi, the Pi foundation did significant work getting at least some documentation made available for the hardware they're using. > Broadcom doesn't publically release documentation for their SoCs. If > the SoC is supported in Linux you might learn enough about it to add > support for it. This isn't going to be an easy job. > > > My first goal is to add UART support. So I can communicate via the > > serial console. > > > > > I think this is not a great target for any open source OS, let alone one with fairly limited developer resources. With this device you'll be lucky if you even get OpenWRT working on it (and they have much broader hw support than OpenBSD). Even if it can be made to work, don't expect to get anywhere particularly close to performance seen with the vendor OS.
Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
Hi Mark! On 5/1/22 12:27, Mark Kettenis wrote: >> Date: Sun, 1 May 2022 11:13:13 +0200 >> From: "Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer" >> >> Hi, > > Hi Johannes, > >> >> Exists there an official support for this router? >> >> Here the official product page: >> https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax200/ >> >> If there is no official support for the SoC and the devices, I will >> try to add support for it. I'm currently need only to get the Ethernet >> ports to work for my personal new CAT8 home network. :) >> >> Short technical data: >> Base architecture: Quad core Cortex-A53 running at 1.8Ghz >> SoC: Vendor Broadcom (Model currently unknown). Must open the >> router and investigate all hardware components and figure out the >> pins for the debug UART. > > If that information is correct, then you'd have to basically start > from scratch. The only Broadcom SoC that OpenBSD supports is the one > found in the Raspberry Pi, which is almost certainly completely > unrelated to the Soc in your router. Yes, the information should be correct. I have extracted the vendor firmware image with binwalk. I have investigated the root Device-Tree blob. There will be also a modified Linux distribution from OpenWrt used. But these modification are garbage for me. Why? Some NO-Go's for me: - The router need a Android app for configuration in the default setup - The WebUI is NOT accessible when WAN isn't connected OR there is an issue. The configuration needs a specific WWW domain. Yes, to configure the router you must use a website in the unsafe WWW to configure the router, WLAN, firewall, ... So it's high priority for me to get rid of this garbage vendor fimware... > > Broadcom doesn't publically release documentation for their SoCs. If > the SoC is supported in Linux you might learn enough about it to add > support for it. This isn't going to be an easy job. > >> My first goal is to add UART support. So I can communicate via the >> serial console. >> >> My current goal is to open the device and locate the UART. No problem as hardware and software developer for me. I think U-Boot will be used as bootloader, so I only need (if enabled) to enter the U-Boot command mode (interrupt autoboot from u-Boot), then I can investigate at least the U-Boot device tree for more information. :)
Re: NETGEAR RAX200 support
> Date: Sun, 1 May 2022 11:13:13 +0200 > From: "Johannes (krjdev) Krottmayer" > > Hi, Hi Johannes, > > Exists there an official support for this router? > > Here the official product page: > https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax200/ > > If there is no official support for the SoC and the devices, I will > try to add support for it. I'm currently need only to get the Ethernet > ports to work for my personal new CAT8 home network. :) > > Short technical data: > Base architecture: Quad core Cortex-A53 running at 1.8Ghz > SoC: Vendor Broadcom (Model currently unknown). Must open the > router and investigate all hardware components and figure out the > pins for the debug UART. If that information is correct, then you'd have to basically start from scratch. The only Broadcom SoC that OpenBSD supports is the one found in the Raspberry Pi, which is almost certainly completely unrelated to the Soc in your router. Broadcom doesn't publically release documentation for their SoCs. If the SoC is supported in Linux you might learn enough about it to add support for it. This isn't going to be an easy job. > My first goal is to add UART support. So I can communicate via the > serial console. > >
