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OpenWRT on the Vodafone / Huawei HG556a

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  • 26-04-2012 11:06am
    #1
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Has anyone put OpenWRT on their vodafone router? I see it supports it. I'm currently rebooting mine about every 24-48 hours despite being on the latest vodafone firmware. If it loses its DSL connection (for whatever reason) it seems that it doesn't bother trying to reconnect it.

    There is an OpenWRT page there for it. Some of the information is sketchy though, for example:
    WARNING Before trying to run OpenWRT, do backup the flash, especially the bootloader and the ath_data area. The nvram data embedded in the bootloader and the WLAN calibration data in ath_data are specific for your device and difficult to restore otherwise. They cannot be restored by flashing back a vendor firmware.

    But I don't see any details on how to back up the bootloader.

    If I can figure these things out I'll definitely give it a go. I've heard very, very good things about OpenWRT.

    (I may move this to the broadband forum later).


«13

Comments

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    #2
    wallaby72
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭wallaby72


    Hi Khannie

    I've installed it on 2 of these routers after being fed up with the constant reboots needed. The upgrade just required loading the new firmware and letting it reboot. Both are working great subsequently. I do only use them as wireless gateways so I didn't have to set them up for ADSL.

    I used the firmware from this webpage:

    http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/huawei/hg556a

    I didn't backup the flash beforehand as the routers were going to be replaced if it didn't work. There is a serial header on the circuit board that needs to be connected to pull down the flash.

    I did upgrade the vodafone firmware first to the latest as well before I loaded OpenWRT.
    http://forum.vodafone.ie/index.php?/topic/2111-huawei-hg556a-software-update/

    Good luck.


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    #3
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    Hi,

    I flashed my HG556a as well and it works fine. I can log in to LuCI and that's all at the moment. I wish to set it up as a wireless client but it's not clear how to do that. Is there any chance to ask for an example network and wireless file please? Do I have to touch firewall or anything else? Thank you in advance!


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    #4
    wallaby72
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭wallaby72


    If I recall there wasn't much configuration needed to do this after upgrading the firmware.
    Once a secure password was set on the device then I set a static IP for the HG556a router. My gateway, 192.168.0.1, which is a ClearOS device acts as my DHCP server so I've turned that feature off on the vodafone router. You may want to have this turned on.

    Wifi was disabled initially but once enabled it worked straight away. The screenshot show the settings I used.
    Hope this helps.


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    #5
    wallaby72
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭wallaby72


    Here are some additional screenshots


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    #6
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    Thank you very much for all the informations! It was really helpful. The problem is a big mistake happened during flashing the board and I lost calibration data. I downloaded another one. Now I'm trying to get a solution to restore it somehow. Thank you very much for your help!


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    #7
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    I have the same problem with my vodafone broadband as well. It drops connection especially at night and never restores unless I reboot my router manually. A friend of mine gave me a zyxel p-660hw-t1 v3 eircom router and I set that up for my broadband. It seems to be working (at the moment).


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    #8
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Thanks for that Wallaby72. Much appreciated. Do you know by any chance if the ADSL part will work with OpenWRT? I read something (now it was old) that said that it wouldn't so I stopped looking into it.

    edit: Or do you know if it is possible to flash back to the vodafone branded firmware if the ADSL part doesn't work?


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    #9
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Just a bit of an update for anyone who comes across this in the future: I have discovered a way to make the ADSL part reconnect.

    telnet to the router with:

    telnet 192.168.1.1
    user: admin
    pass: VFIE-hg556

    then issue a single command:

    adsl info --reset

    Presto! It reconnects.

    "logout" to logout.


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    #10
    wallaby72
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭wallaby72


    This link on the OpenWRT webpage indicates a method to rollback but I've never tried it myself.
    The ADSL side doesn't look likely to work as Broadcom haven't released GPL code for the ADSL drivers.


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    #11
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Thanks. Think I'll give it a miss then.


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    #12
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    Thank you for alll your informations!

    Is ADSL still not supported by the new kernel yet?


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    #13
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Doesn't look like it. I have plans to make an android app that reboots it though (because the wifi generally remains up). I wrote a perl script and that reboots it successfully and the DSL connection comes back up after it. Just need the time to do the android app. I'll release it onto the marketplace when I get around to it (probably in the next month or so).


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    #14
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    That's good! I'm looking forward to see it.

    I'll find out more about the kernel anyway. I have to compile one myself as the old one doesn't support few packages I need eg. ntfs, swap, loopback on usb drives. I wish to build a router with dlna, samba and torrent capability. I let you know the results.


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    #15
    faithy80
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭faithy80


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056023973

    This connection problem started a good while ago. It seems router causes problem. Since I changed it I never had to restart connection again. Funny.


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    #16
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Nice one. New firmware as of yesterday on that thread.


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    #17
    Fuser
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Fuser


    Do I just have to upload the openwrt-HW556-squashfs-cfe.bin file to the router, or do I have to run the sequence for applying the patch and building, as per the txt file included. Will this new firmware enable the DSL port on the router


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    #18
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    My understanding was that the DSL part was unlikely to ever work because they wont release the specs for it.


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    #19
    Fuser
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Fuser


    Thanks for that. Is the best thing to do is upload the bin file, rather than recompiling from scratch with the patch?


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    #20
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Personally I wouldn't be compiling from scratch if there's a working .bin there. Wouldn't see the benefit unless the source has been subject to a lot of improvements since the .bin was made.

    Interested to hear how you get on. Is it just as simple as uploading that through the web interface then kicking back while the magic happens?


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    #21
    Fuser
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Fuser


    It went on easily, just logged on to Vodafone router with user and password advanced, and just put on the new firmware from router web interface. On restart after 2 minutes, a whole new box to play with, but no DSL :(


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    #22
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Yeah, it's a crying shame about the DSL alright. Would be a great little firmware with it.


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    #23
    eparge
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭eparge


    im new to this is there anyone who can explain how i get from the list of files on the firmware page link above to actually flashing the box ie firmware location .zip file to flashing the box
    thanks


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    #24
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    I haven't done this myself, but from what Fuser said you get the zip file and upload it as a new firmware to the box. The vodafone interface has an option to flash a new firmware. You browse to 192.168.1.1, user advanced, password advanced and have a look around there. As I said though, I haven't done this myself (though I am considering it again, possibly coupled with buying an adsl2+ modem).


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    #25
    eparge
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭eparge


    Its the part before that I'm confused about. Where are the files that are used and do you have to zip them yourself and are they all to be used or just some of them


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    #26
    jt72
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭jt72


    Khannie wrote: »
    I have discovered a way to make the ADSL part reconnect.

    telnet to the router with:

    telnet 192.168.1.1
    user: admin
    pass: VFIE-hg556

    then issue a single command:

    adsl info --reset

    Presto! It reconnects.

    "logout" to logout.

    I started a thread about this modem locking up and requiring a reset. I had been in touch with VF about this a long time ago. (see thread)

    I had done the script thing to reset this modem as well, and I asked VF if there was a way to reconnect instead, but they said there wasn't. This would have helped!

    I hate to drag up an old thread, but I'm just about to pitch this old HG556a or put OpenWRT on it and I came across this thread. Very funny.


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    #27
    Stiofain2006
    Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭Stiofain2006


    I tried this tonight. Loaded up and was able to Access with LuCI without any problems. Was looking fwd toplaying around with it!!!!

    I thenentered a 10.0.0.XX address as a static IPV4 address on the Interface LAN page and hit save. The router then started to hang and now I cannot get back into it or reflash with OpenWRT. It would appear bricked. Not sure if it just didn't like the 10.0.0.XX address instead of a 192.1.1.XX address or what. Any help regarding my options would be received most gratefully

    TIA
    Stephen


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    #28
    jt72
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭jt72


    Stiofain2006 wrote: »
    I tried this tonight. Loaded up and was able to Access with LuCI without any problems. Was looking fwd toplaying around with it!!!!

    I thenentered a 10.0.0.XX address as a static IPV4 address on the Interface LAN page and hit save. The router then started to hang and now I cannot get back into it or reflash with OpenWRT. It would appear bricked. Not sure if it just didn't like the 10.0.0.XX address instead of a 192.1.1.XX address or what. Any help regarding my options would be received most gratefully

    TIA
    Stephen

    Pull the plug and press the reset button repeatedly as you plug it back in. Or hold it in, sorry I don't recall.

    The OpenWRT wiki describes recovery. I think you will have to set a static 192.196.0.X address to connect to 192.168.0.1.

    Let me know if you need more info, sorry going from memory.


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    #29
    Stiofain2006
    Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭Stiofain2006


    Thx Jt

    Just tried both and unfortunately no joy. Laptop is just not identifying it (wired). I tried a second laptop and same result. If there is a link on the OpenWRT website that u can direct me to that would be great

    Thx again
    Stephen


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    #30
    jt72
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭jt72


    http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/huawei/hg556a

    "Openwrt failsafe: Power on the router, press the button RESTART repeatedly to enter failsafe mode (the power led starts blinking very fast)"

    After you get the box into failsafe mode, follow the procedures here:

    http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/generic.failsafe

    I was messing this past week and had to avail of this a couple of times.


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    #31
    Stiofain2006
    Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭Stiofain2006


    Thx. I ll give that a go 2moro. Had to hit the hay as my head was fried.

    Interestingly when I connect to the router wirelessly and type the static ip that I had previously set I get the LuCI config page. Username is the default "root". However if I enter the pw I had previously set it does not work.

    Hopefully fail safe will help

    Ta again


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