Hello,

Anyone tried install OpenWrt on Archer C20 http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/deta … r-C20.html ?
Is it the same as C20i or C2?
I have C20 and could help develop/test if there is any guide how to do that...
N functionality would be enough for me.

(Last edited by hotter on 17 Dec 2015, 20:35)

Hi. Hardware C20 looks like C20i and C50
I have C50 and flashed firmware Openwrt from C20i. On Polish forum for routers Obsy compiled for me OpenWrt CC for C50.
http://openrouter.info/forum/viewtopic. … amp;t=4001

To change the official software to OpenWrt, we use recovery mode and that has a special firmware bootloader+openwrt.
https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php … 94#p296894

I can prepare this firmware to Archer C20.

Could you open the case and take pictures of the PCB?

Sorry for a long time to reply, yes I can do it what we are looking for specifically?

Photo:

It looks like it uses MEDIATEK MT7610EN and MT7620A chips.

Chipset is supported by openwrt. Someone would have to add a new profile for this device.

@hotter
Try this recovery: https://mega.nz/#!jcQSyIrJ!Io1PcuSOp3Y2 … 0Tztm95rkY

This is bootloader from latest official firmware and openwrt CC.

Install using this method:

Router looks for an IP address of 192.168.0.66 and a file named ArcherC20v1_tp_recovery.bin.

Setup your computer to 192.168.0.66 (SubnetMask /24 = 255.255.255.0) and connect it to LAN1.
Start TFTP server and provide recovery file with it.
To activate TFTP Recovery press and hold WPS/Reset Button during powering (8 sec.) on until WPS LED turns on.

Ok, I will try that. Is it dangerous? Will I be able to go back if something goes wrong? Do I need to do a backup or something?

(Last edited by hotter on 26 Dec 2015, 11:33)

Yes it is dangerous. Its possible to brick Your router.
After this You need desolder Flash and use SPI Programmer to revive router.
https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php … 94#p296894

My recovery have size 0x7c0000 and perfect fit to flash.

(Last edited by Heinz on 26 Dec 2015, 11:48)

So is there any option to do a backup or something? To be safe? Are you confident that it will flash correctly?
I don't want to brick router... I dont have SPI programmer...

(Last edited by hotter on 26 Dec 2015, 12:08)

Yes, if You have Serial UART TTL adapter

50% save, Router run or brick

Yes. 99%

So I flashed this firmware of C20i and it doesn't work. I also flashed firmware of C50 and it also doesnt work. Leds are flashing like this:
1) blue usb led
2) all blue leds
3) blue power led and orange internet led

I flashed back to original firmware.

Anyone have any ideas why it didn't work? Or other thoughts?

Have you tried to flash it with Archer C2 firmware?

I bought the same router TP-Link Archer C20 AC750 (not C2 and not C20i). It looks like C2 but without gigaports.

Does anyone has it flashed with OpenWRT?

^^ What he said. I also had one of these laying around and am trying to flash it so that it can be more useful.

Any success? Have you tried any of already existing images?

I just got it working

Made an wiki page for it toh/tp-link/tp-link_archer_c20_1

Hi Marius, I'm trying to use your patch from patchwork.ozlabs.org/patch/740268
on Openwrt trunk, but the resulting firmware makes the stock interface say

Error code: 4506
The uploaded file does not match the device's current hardware version.

The router is a (Archer C20) V1.

Any thoughts? Thank you.

Firmware version:
0.9.1 4.0 v0044.0 Build 160427 Rel.39650n
Hardware version:
Archer C20 v1 00000002

EDIT1:
Hold on. I just tried to upgrade to the latest stock firmware and got the same result, something fishy is going on here.
EDIT2: This is the (EU) version. Somehow the first stock firmware upgrade I downloaded was for another V1. It works now, but still no go for Openwrt.

(Last edited by mgondium on 3 Apr 2017, 21:59)

I was able to get the image onto it with TFTP. But I only get this screen after visiting the router's IP.
i (dot) imgur (dot) com/6fM4xYC.png
So I was able to get back to stock using pwassi (dot) privatedns (dot) org/lede/archerc20i/ under "Going back to factory / TFTP-flash". Also, after flashing, the IP changes from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.1, but the TFTP server IP stays 192.168.0.66. If there is anything I could do to help, please tell me.
Sorry about the links, I'm not allowed to put any for some reason.

I attempted the TFTP method renaming the image to ArcherC20V1_tp_recovery.bin, but I bricked it (no LEDs with power on). Spent the last couple hours trying to recover the SPI flash, but I can only use the parallel port and it isn't getting anywhere. Pity.

UPDATE:
Took a fresh approach to the spi chip soldering and I was able to use spipgm.
However, each time I read back the config partitions the dump was different and
spipgm identified the chip as a Gigadevice GD25Q64 (8 MB).
Wasn't this supposed to have 16 MB flash?
I am unable to read the numbering but there is a "G" printed on the corner, so it got that right.

But then one of chips legs broke off, and that was the final end to this enterprise.

(Last edited by mgondium on 4 Apr 2017, 13:33)

I'm sorry to hear that. On the plus side, I still have mine and won't be too upset if I lose it. So let's get this thing going.

Has anyone seen the Imgur link I sent? Do you guys have any idea what might be causing it?

(Last edited by nicegamer7 on 6 Apr 2017, 12:25)

I would guess that Luci is missing, but uhtttpd is running.
Building your own image would be the best option, but from my experience above, I'd wait for official support, since now you need to apply the patch to get an image for the device, and look how that worked for me.

(Last edited by mgondium on 6 Apr 2017, 16:34)

Is it (patchwork (dot) ozlabs (dot) org/patch/740268/) or (patchwork (dot) ozlabs (dot) org/patch/740077/)
One of them has a typo, the difference is on the 13th line one has "model = "TP-Link Archer C50";" and the other has "model = "TP-Link Archer C20";"

I`m gonna risk it.

Fingers crossed. Let us know how it went.

same result. can not install luci from repo.

change repo to downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/ramips/mt7620/packages/
disable signature check
install luci sucsessfully

(Last edited by nnb72 on 8 Apr 2017, 11:44)

Hello.
And can these steps be more detailed? I put OpenWRTT and can not install LUCI.
Thank you!