Hi,

I bought one of this and the stock firmware was awful. I use a patched u25wf firmware it works. At least as an access point.

Hostname    OpenWrt
Model    Kimax U-25AWF
Firmware Version    OpenWrt Chaos Calmer 15.05 / LuCI (git-15.349.82008-7ad426e)
Kernel Version    3.18.23
Local Time    Tue Aug 16 19:34:30 2016
Uptime    0h 23m 57s
Load Average    0.00, 0.01, 0.05

I just want to be able to make a ntfs hdd as NAS. There is 16mb, using 4mb (I don't know if it is enought).
I really new to this, I got to connect ssh and tried to install some packages but didn't let it.

# opkg install kmod-fs-nfsd
Installing kmod-fs-nfsd (3.18.20-1) to root...
Downloading h**p://downloads.openwrt.org/chaos_calmer/15.05/ramips/mt7620/packages/base/kmod-fs-nfsd_3.18.20-1_ramips_24kec.ipk.
Collected errors:
 * satisfy_dependencies_for: Cannot satisfy the following dependencies for kmod-fs-nfsd:
 *         kernel (= 3.18.20-1-e09c71ad1d28ff0d0cde064da5349910) *            kernel (= 3.18.20-1-e09c71ad1d28ff0d0cde064da5349910) *         kernel (= 3.18.20-1-e09c71ad1d28ff0d0cde064da5349910) *
 * opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package kmod-fs-nfsd.

It appears my kernel is 3.18.23 and the other stuff is 3.18.20.

Any clue is good.

(Last edited by RinaGute on 20 Sep 2016, 14:22)

I'm using this firmware compiled from 15.05.1. May you use the (4.7mb version, that is good for you choose the things you want in it). The patch is there too, if you want to compile. This device has missing the brand name, people doesn't know if kimax or blueendless, in the menuconfig list it will appear as kimax u35wf.

That works with u25wf too (mt7620n based boards), actually I start from this patch created for u25wf, I just change the name and edit the paths to work with git repo:
h**ps://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=56056

I'm using for a month and it's working very fine with various applications.

h**ps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0iF4l2rag1dZm9IWTVJbWkyQkE?usp=sharing

Hello.

I'm new on this kind of devices, but I'm interesting on buy one of them, but i'd like to ask something about the OpenWRT for this device.
Can be loaded the openwrt firmware via network or is necessary to add any external hadware (UART or similar)?
About the firmware, does it support transmission? It support NTFS disk?

Thank you in advance for the responses.

I uploaded from the web interface. Very easily because it is original firmware is an old openwrt.

As I understood all devices supporting writing nfts uses some licensed driver like tuxera. I know you can install from packages ntfs-3g but I don't know how good it is. I'm using a hdd with some ext4 partitions because it has good support and I will not connect this directly to computer.

This device has one particular problem, it does not have 5ghz neither gigalan.

Thank you very much for the information.

Is it possible to install on this device any torrent application (Transmission as I could understand on a quick search)? Is necessary expand the RAM using a SWAP partition on the HDD?
At the end, my goal is very simple, I need a machine working 24/7 to download torrents and share the content of the HDD.
Other question is, after install OpenWRT, is the USB 3.0 Connection still available or is necessary install any specific application over OpenWRT?

Yes, the speed is a quite poor, but taking into account that the main client will be a RPI, the device is fast enough.

Once again, thank you very much for the quick response and good job with the firmware.

Hi RinaGute,

I'm trying to do something very similar to you, and this is the first time for me as well.  Thank you very much for posting what you did and the uploads too.

I want to be able have the drive formated to NTFS and still be able to access the drive over WiFi.  I want this because my TV only recognises FAT32 and NTFS - of course some of the video I play are more than 4GB so FAT32 is not an option.

My Kernel Version is 3.18.36, which seems slightly different from yours, but I went ahead and downloaded your custom firmware and flashed it successfully.  I now have the LuCI interface, but not much clue about how to enable access to the attached HDD via WiFi.

(Last edited by Max108 on 30 Sep 2016, 02:29)

I've been following this guide:
h**ps://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/usb-storage-samba-webinterface

... and I can now access the drive over Wifi

BUT as soon as I plug the USB3 cable into the TV, it disappears from the network.  It seems that the drive can't be connected via USB and networked at the same time

Is this a hardware limitation or a software limitation do you think?
@RinaGute, can you access your HDD via WiFi while you also have it connected via USB or not?

@salidaincendio

Yes, I'm using transmission. And it is online all the time.

Initially I thought it was. But, results proves me wrong. It never gets more than 45mb running all these apps.

It is still working, that is not related to the software.

@Max108

The sata is controlled by the the bottom board and it addresses to gpio or usb3 one at a time. USB3.0 has priority. So, be careful not corrupt your files by attaching to usb3.

You have to unmount the device each time you want to connect to usb3 or before turn off or reboot. If you're using a good supported format (like extX or FAT) this rule is not so needed. At the beginning I tried to use hfs+, and each time I reboot I had to do a file check otherwise it will not mount.

For TV you should connect to lan (cable or wifi) and install minidlna in your device.

Thank you, I'll try that - the trouble I've been having over WiFi is that the bandwidth isn't enough for some 4K content, which shouldn't be a problem because the bitrate isn't more than about 35Mbps, but somehow it needs to buffer every few seconds anyway.  Hopefully it won't be an issue over wired LAN as you suggest.

Thanks to RinaGute for providing the patched firmware, I was able to reuse it in my own Kimax U35WF.
However, when trying to bridge wireless and ethernet interfaces and setting it as DHCP client, it never got IP address and I couldn't access it any more.
Failsafe mode wasn't helpful (I couldn't access it on 192.168.1.1), so I had to use the Serial console. Using info from this post: forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=305747#p305747 I managed to connect the UART pins to Teensy board and over a serial console I was able to set the proper IP address to access the device again.

I don't know what was the problem, but it's working fine with a static IP address, so that's how I'll leave it.

If anyone is interested, here is the code for Teensy 2.0 to translate characters from virtual COM port on computer to physical UART serial port and back:

#define HWSERIAL Serial1
const int ledPin = 11;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  HWSERIAL.begin(57600);
}

int lastLight;

void light() {
  lastLight = !lastLight;
  digitalWrite(ledPin, lastLight);
}

void loop() {
  int incomingByte;

  if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    incomingByte = Serial.read();
    HWSERIAL.write(incomingByte);
    light();
  }

  if (HWSERIAL.available() > 0) {
    incomingByte = HWSERIAL.read();
    Serial.write(incomingByte);
    light();
  }
}

Here is a photo of the setup:
postimg.org/image/l6xt09hrj
Note that you have to connect both grounds, Teensy RX, TX (pins 8 and 9, marked D2 and D3) to TX, RX pins on U35WF (pins 6 and 7 counted from left on the front of the big connector between the two boards - fortunately it's more accessible than on the U25WF), respectively.
TTL voltage levels difference (3.3V in U35WF, 5V in Teensy) seems to cause no trouble without any conversion.

I guess any Arduino or similar board could do the same job as Teensy, I just had it lying around.

Sorry about the unclickable links, I guess I'm not allowed to post links (that's really stupid, OpenWrt, btw.)

Thanks (RinaGute) for your firmware, It works well!

Only issue is ethernet network, I am running on 100 Mbit only (ralink driver), although it could run 1Gbit. Did anyone have success running 1Gbit speed?

Does anybody knows if this product from aliexpress is the same of this topic?
option 1 product 32619148829 = aliexpress Special-blueendless-usb-3-0-to-sata-6TB-with-wifi-hdd-enclosure-cases-3-5-With
option 2 product 32760911703 =aliexpress Nas-Wifi-Router-3-5-HDD-enclosure-Sata-USB-3-0-Aluminum-Wifi-Extender-SSD-HDD

I just received my Kimax BS-U35WF (the bigger, boxier one that fits a 3.5" drive, had MTK MT7620N written on a chip inside). The stock interface is feature-poor, for sure, but worse, it's useless for me as it seems to require a formatted drive (as per instruction booklet and lack of recognition of the blank drive). I don't have any other hardware to format my 3.5" drive, so I really need to put openWRT on this.

I downloaded the 4 files from @RinaGute at h**ps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0iF4l2rag1dZm9IWTVJbWkyQkE?usp=sharing
#1) u35wf.patch
#2) openwrt-ramips-mt7620-u35wf-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
#3) openwrt-ramips-mt7620-u35wf-full-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
#4) config.backup

I think I'm expected to upload #2 or #3 via the stock firmware update page, but what am I supposed to do with the patch & config? #3 is obviously 'fuller' than #2, but what's the difference really?

Basically, what are the instructions?

Thanks a lot for any help!

Well, I got impatient, uploaded the #3 "full" image, and promptly regretted it. My BS-U35WF turns on, lights flash, but I can't find any way at all to interface with it.
When it starts there's plenty of LED activity - red, blue, both, Ethernet LEDs, but after about a while it settles down to a steady red LED and intermittent flashes from the Ethernet LEDs.
It doesn't have a wifi signal.
Connecting the USB3 cable causes a greyed-out drive to appear among my devices - can't do anything with it.
It's connected via Ethernet to my router. The router log shows only this after turning on the BS-U35WF.
Jan 16 21:40:32 E3000 daemon.info dnsmasq-dhcp[707]: DHCPDISCOVER(br0) 20:0a:8e:7b:14:bc
Jan 16 21:40:32 E3000 daemon.info dnsmasq-dhcp[707]: DHCPOFFER(br0) 192.168.1.3 20:0a:8e:7b:14:bc
I can also find the device under the "Device List" section of my router shortly after it starts. It shows it's a "br0" interface, which I think means "bridged". Not sure of the implications of this. However, it disappears after a minute or two, or if I try to use PuTTY to ssh or telnet to the IP address. PuTTY or browser requests time out.

If there's any way to fix this, please let me know. Otherwise I'll just trash the device in a couple weeks.

Thanks,

(Last edited by alazyworkaholic on 17 Jan 2017, 00:54)

Have you tried SSH and telnet access after reboot without USB cables connect to it (just Ethernet)?

Yes, I have. I wouldn't know what username or password, but regardless, any telnet or ssh connection from PuTTY is refused.

Original firmware does not have SSH access. Looks like the flashing process did not complete successfully. If you do not have web UI anymore it is most likely you have to connect at serial port to flash from u-boot.

I gave it one last try, and success! Well, sort of, but not all is lost.
Before, I had connected it to my router.
This time, I connected it directly to my computer's Ethernet port, tried 192.168.1.1 in a browser, and I got the Luci web interface!
I was able to log in, look around, set root password, set up ssh, etc.
So I have access to and control of my device.

BUT

Still no joy when I connect the BS-U35WF to my router via Ethernet.
My router is a Linksys E3000 running Shibby's Tomato firmware.
I can see in the device is connected to 192.168.1.50 from my router's log/device list, but I cannot connect to that address either via web browser nor ssh.
From my computer, I just get "Connection timed out".
From my router's terminal, I get

ssh: Couldn't set S)_PRIORITY (Bad file descriptor)
ssh: Exited: Error connection: No route to host

Still, I now hope it's just a configuration issue. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot for the help.

Hi friends,
I have that device too, can someone share original firmware for backup.

Hello friends.
I tried all the available firmware for this device, which is only found. And work khshad, phuonglm, RinaGute, and they all behave completely differently in so far as concerns mount that drive.
Firstly, there is a problem with the mounting section mtdblock5, I understand that it should expand the root partition? Here is the log from the firmware of all authors:

 0.490000] 4 ofpart partitions found on MTD device spi32766.0
[0.500000] Creating 4 MTD partitions on "spi32766.0":
[0.510000] 0x000000000000-0x000000030000: "u-boot"
[0.520000] 0x000000030000-0x000000040000: "u-boot-env"
[0.530000] 0x000000040000-0x000000050000: "factory"
[0.540000] 0x000000050000-0x000001000000: "firmware"
[0.670000] 2 uimage-fw partitions found on MTD device firmware
[0.690000] 0x000000050000-0x00000016648c: "kernel"
[0.700000] 0x00000016648c-0x000001000000: "rootfs"
[0.710000] mtd: device 5 (rootfs) set to be root filesystem
[0.720000] 1 squashfs-split partitions found on MTD device rootfs
[0.730000] 0x0000004b0000-0x000001000000: "rootfs_data"
..
.
13.620000] jffs2_scan_eraseblock (): End of filesystem marker found at 0x10000
[13.640000] jffs2_build_filesystem (): unlocking the mtd device ... done.
[13.650000] jffs2_build_filesystem (): erasing all blocks after the end marker ...
[69.870000] random: nonblocking pool is initialized
[92.530000] done.
[92.530000] jffs2: notice: (348) jffs2_build_xattr_subsystem: complete building xattr subsystem, 0 of xdatum (0 unchecked, 0 orphan) and 0 of xref (0 dead, 0 orphan) found.
[92.560000] block: attempting to load / tmp / jffs_cfg / upper / etc / config / fstab
[92.580000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[92.590000] block: attempting to load / tmp / jffs_cfg / etc / config / fstab
[92.600000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[92.630000] block: attempting to load / etc / config / fstab
[92.640000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[92.650000] block: no usable configuration
[92.980000] jffs2: notice: (344) jffs2_build_xattr_subsystem: complete building xattr subsystem, 0 of xdatum (0 unchecked, 0 orphan) and 0 of xref (0 dead, 0 orphan) found.
[94.000000] block: attempting to load / tmp / jffs_cfg / upper / etc / config / fstab
[94.010000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[94.020000] block: attempting to load / tmp / jffs_cfg / etc / config / fstab
[94.040000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[94.050000] block: attempting to load / etc / config / fstab
[94.060000] block: unable to load configuration (fstab: Entry not found)
[94.070000] block: no usable configuration
[94.080000] mount_root: overlay filesystem has not been fully initialized yet
[94.100000] mount_root: switching to jffs2 overlay

In the Mount points the menu it is possible to mount the partition mtdblock5, but it is not mounted, because message says that it is already mounted.
Second, when you add entries in the fstab file, it is not processed for ntfs partitions, they are not visible to select menu items, while selecting a swap these sections, you can select and add them to the menu. What am I doing wrong.
Third, I have never failed to enter safe mode, telnet interrupts the saints according to the timeout.
Who needs the firmware, please, I have the original version since 1.2.2 to 1.3.5 and dump flash memory.

(Last edited by filin.rsb on 29 Jan 2017, 17:54)

I tried and Breed loader, very much, but it does not work the original firmware.
Someone tell me how to connect to the firmware of the author RinaGute disk with partitions ntfs? Tried different options, or ntfs-3g is not installed, or does not see the drive when added to the fstab file, although blkid sees it.
My native language is Russian, I ask forgiveness for the mistakes.

Hi, i need the original firmware, can you share to me?

It looks like your device is configured as a rooter.
First you need to address an fixed IP address to it on the same network of your rooter but on a different address. Then disable DHCP server for Ethernet.
You may also config wlan to act as a DHCP server on a different network and config forward rules on firewall {my first choice until configuration got stable) or config wlan as a AP bridge with no DHCP server.

I don't understand what configuration is necessary to make the U35WF work well with my existing router.

Please let me know if my understanding of steps to follow is correct, because the U35WF has no button, so no easy way to invoke the failsafe mode.

1) Go to my main router's (shibby tomato firmware) DHCP page and set a fixed IP address to the U35WF's LAN MAC address.
2) In U35WF OpenWRT LUCI interface, go to Network -> Interfaces -> LAN -> General Setup -> DHCP Server -> check "Ignore Interface" "Disable DHCP for this interface".
3) Disable U35WF firewall in Network -> Firewall

Is that right? I'm afraid that if I disable DHCP it'll become impossible to connect to the U35WF from my computer over my network.

Other thoughts:

A) Does this page describe what I'm trying to do?
wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/dumbap

B) Is the U35WF a "switchless" device? (as it has only a single physical Ethernet port)

C) Is it necessary to assign the U35WF a static ip address? What's wrong with letting the main router assign it something with DHCP?

D) Would it be possible to join my main router and this U35WF into a single network so that some wireless devices could connect to the main router, others to the U35WF's wireless, and have them all talk to each other, ex. UPNP, file sharing, etc?

Thanks,

How can I insure myself against losing the ability to connect to the U35WF after disabling DHCP?

Would assigning a static-IP in the U35WF to my computer's MAC address do it?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I disable DHCP, then the U35WF will never assign an address to anything, and I'll never be able to connect to it. Or not?