Buffalo WBMR-HP-G300H, The experimenting with

[pyed]

before we start I want to say: I'm a complete n00b.

Hi, the reason I got this ADSL modem/router in the first place is because DD-wrt supports it, so after flashing from stock firmware to DD-wrt and using it for couple months, I heard about OpenWRT so I moved from DD-wrt to the world of OpenWRT, I compiled my own build with packages I need. I got obsessed with monitoring my bandwidth so here I am chilling on Gargoyle pages.

nuff said, I'm writing the thread that I wished I found when I first heard about Gargoyle, I searched the forums, site, there's not enough info about this router, so I decided to take the risk and compile Gargoyle build for this modem and share my story.

Everything is working great!, I just compiled a build with minimum packages ( this is how I like it ) I think I only added USB support + wireless driver '**kmod-ath9k**' + changed annex B for annex A + vsftpd.
*note*: Read Openwrt page for WBMR, it helped me A LOT http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/buffalo/wbmr-hp-g300h

So I ended up with the squashfs.image file ready to get flashed. the way I came from DD-wrt to OpenWRT is by only doing this:

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cd /tmp
wget link.to.file.image
mtd -r write file.image linux

It was easy and fast, so I flashed my router using the same method to Gargoyle.

I logged in to the webui via 192.168.1.1 and I noticed that the PPPoE settings doesn't have four important options which are:

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config atm-bridge 'atm'
	option vpi '8'
	option vci '35'
	option encaps 'llc'
	option payload 'bridged'

I had to SSH into the router and edit '/etc/config/network' manually, for me the VPI should be 0 and the VCI should be 35 other than that no connection will get established.

I've been using WBMR with Gargoyle for 24 hours now and it's stable enough for normal user, the monitoring options is just amazing, thanks to the guys behind this great project.

Here's my build in case any one want to use it and can't compile their own build ( which I recommend doing )
link: https://cloudup.com/cr470_LttY0
md5sum: a7f00c9783889a6a3a6f57fae2ffa9a2

Here's some info about the build:
1.5.X (Built 20130812-1113 git@45d4eb0)
| Gargoyle version 1.5.X | OpenWrt Attitude Adjustment branch
| Gargoyle revision 45d4eb0 | OpenWrt revision r37174
| Built August 12, 2013 | Target lantiq/custom

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root@Main:~# cat /proc/version
Linux version 3.3.8 (pyed@debian) (gcc version 4.6.3 20120201 (prerelease) (Linaro GCC 4.6-2012.02) ) #1 Mon Aug 12 15:42:45 AST 2013

there's little issue I faced with OpenWRT before and now i'm facing it with Gargoyle, when you compile the latest OpenWRT attitude adjustment, you will end with version 12.09.1, and opkg.conf will have the wrong src URL, I posted about it in Openwrt forums, you can find the solution here: http://bit.ly/13xmJTI

REVERT BACK TO DD-WRT
WARNING: Do not try to revert to DD-WRT using mtd or you may have to debrick (see https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=43954).

Just grab the 'uImage.bin' from dd-wrt and flash it through gargoyle's webUI, and force the upgrade, it worked for me.

I'll try to keep this post updated about new issues.

[frengo1989]

Hi,
first of all, thanks for your post and your work. I have installed your build on my WBMR-HP-G300H, everything is working fine except for my wifi signal, which is really awful (in comparison with stock buffalo firmware and dd-wrt firmware). I've played with some settings (using the LUCI interface), but the situation is the same: unstable signal and short range.
Any advice?

[samu]

Hello,
i'm currently playing a bit with gargoyle and wbmr-hp-g300h .

If you are stuck building your custom firmware you can use as starting point this stable.config available here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8guwJ ... sp=sharing

i use it as follow:

After a new "make custom" when you reach the menu
just go for "Load an Alternate Configuration File" and specify
the full path to the stable.config .

This build has been tested for some days and it's quite stable, it's built with support for pppoe and Annex A and of course, you need to set your correct vpi/vci as already specified by top submitter.

i hope it will help you

[pyed]

Hi,
first of all, thanks for your post and your work. I have installed your build on my WBMR-HP-G300H, everything is working fine except for my wifi signal, which is really awful (in comparison with stock buffalo firmware and dd-wrt firmware). I've played with some settings (using the LUCI interface), but the situation is the same: unstable signal and short range.
Any advice?

sorry for the super late reply, anyway it's been about 5 months and I'm still using the same version that I linked in the first post, I never faced problems with the wifi signal, can't say it's better but not worse.

[pyed]

Well, two days ago I compiled a new firmware from source, the new 1.6 for the WBMR, upgraded it via WEBUI everything seems fine, then I restored my backed up configuration files from the 1.5.10, and HOLY SHIT it's bricked

I really have no idea why that happened, but the thing is DO NOT do that, I'm away from home now and I should be back within 5 days, then I'll try debricking it and see what happens

[pyed]

sorry I'm late, my Macbookpro died on me yesterday I sent it to Apple and they told me I've to pay ~600$ for new logic board

anyway, the good news is that I was able to recover my WBMR I'ts easy process, you can find it here on openwrt pages:
Troubleshooting -> How to recover from bricking
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/buffalo/wbmr-hp-g300h

I failed to recover from this bricking via OSX and Windows, maybe I'm not that good, but linux worked great for me, I used Archlinux, others used Ubuntu.

to summerize the proccess for linux users:

download and install tftp-hpa, and start the service.

download the uImage file from the openwrt wiki (link above) and decompress it, you'll end up with one file ending in uImage, rename it to "frimware.ram" and place it in the serving folder, for me it was `/srv/tftp`

make your IP static on 192.192.168.11.2 and the gateway 192.168.11.1

plugin your ethernet and hold the AOSS button, then plug the power cable, the led below the power light must turn ON for couple of seconds, your tftp server will get request for the "frimware.ram" from wbmr, then wbmr will install the new image which you should only use to install a complete version of gargoyle or openWRT with `mtd` command, and be aware that if your WBMR lost the power and turned off, it will be bricked again and you have to do the whole process again, since the firmware is installed on the RAM. just move your gargoyle or openwrt image and `mtd -r path/to/image linux`.

and to transfer the image to WBMR, I think there's couple of options, but I the one I used is starting HTTP server and ssh into WBMR and `wget` the image from my PC, to start simple server I used python `python -m SimpleHTTPServer`

right now I'm trying to build the new gargoyle 1.6 from source on Arch, ( I lost the first one with my macbook ), if it worked out great i'll upload it here, but don't try to recover an old config backup

[pyed]

Well I ended up compiling it on Debian server, I faced some problems compiling on Arch, so I had this 1gbit server for another project I'm working on and I thought, why not, and man compiling stuff on servers like that is a joy.

anyway this one has some gargoyles plugins, and it's annex A only, every thing seems to work fine. if anyone is intersted, here it is:

image link : http://d.pr/f/5jme
mirror: https://cloudup.com/c1ieunN16oL

md5: 155bc99a6289672984ad45da36147c4e
config: http://pastebin.com/uTmeAZQX

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------------------------------------------------------------------
|            _____                             _                 |
|           |  __ \                           | |                |
|           | |  \/ __ _ _ __ __ _  ___  _   _| | ___            |
|           | | __ / _` | '__/ _` |/ _ \| | | | |/ _ \           |
|           | |_\ \ (_| | | | (_| | (_) | |_| | |  __/           |
|            \____/\__,_|_|  \__, |\___/ \__, |_|\___|           |
|                             __/ |       __/ |                  |
|                            |___/       |___/                   |
|                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Gargoyle version 1.5.X    | OpenWrt Attitude Adjustment branch |
| Gargoyle revision f70487a | OpenWrt revision r38347            |
| Built January 29, 2014    | Target  lantiq/custom              |
------------------------------------------------------------------

root@Main:~# cat /proc/version
Linux version 3.3.8 (pyed@zeus) (gcc version 4.6.3 20120201 (prerelease) (Linaro GCC 4.6-2012.02) ) #1 Wed Jan 29 19:44:03 CET 2014

[pyed]

Hi again.

I finally got around compiling 1.6.2, I had some free time on a server and thought, why not ?
this one is compiled on Archlinux, lots of dependencies, lots of yak shaving, it's no surprise tho.

I haven't had the time to test this yet, I'll edit this post later.

link: See Next Post
md5: ad6f148be68f9f2175a5d77a1caa2ef5
config: http://pastebin.com/dLrNcgze

Edit: this build works fine, but it has the 'undefined' everywhere problem.

[pyed]

Ok, after a couple of compiles, I got it right,
what was causing the 'undefined' is that I didn't set this option:

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CONFIG_PACKAGE_gargoyle-i18n

now everything works fine, so here's 'hopefully' a solid 1.6.2 compile

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------------------------------------------------------------------
|            _____                             _                 |
|           |  __ \                           | |                |
|           | |  \/ __ _ _ __ __ _  ___  _   _| | ___            |
|           | | __ / _` | '__/ _` |/ _ \| | | | |/ _ \           |
|           | |_\ \ (_| | | | (_| | (_) | |_| | |  __/           |
|            \____/\__,_|_|  \__, |\___/ \__, |_|\___|           |
|                             __/ |       __/ |                  |
|                            |___/       |___/                   |
|                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Gargoyle version 1.6.X    | OpenWrt Attitude Adjustment branch |
| Gargoyle revision b70bfc1 | OpenWrt revision r42171            |
| Built November 02, 2014   | Target  lantiq/custom              |
------------------------------------------------------------------

link: http://www.bit.ly/Gargoyle-1-6-2WBMR
md5: 219032f5aa6ccb419649fc73e79e2b98
config: http://pastebin.com/vwv4sdq2

Edit: I've been using this build for ~3days without any problems.

[Fa55u]

Is this the best modem/router combo for Gargoyle? Looking for an all in one solution so I can get rid of all the modems and routers I have lying around

Does it work with a recent build?