Need router recommendation for NZ

[Dr.R. Clavan]

Lantis! Need your help.

Received the router today, trying to update firmware to latest gargoyle as per your link above (gargoyle_1.15.x-mediatek-filogic-glinet_gl-mt6000-squashfs-factory.bin).

When I upload the firmware I get "The firmware is not compatible with this device." message.

Current Firmware (GL-iNet)
4.7.13
release2

How to flash it to Gargoyle?

[Dr.R. Clavan]

To be clear: typing this on pc connected via old router. Have tablet connected to new Flint router to flash it.

Have found this thing LuCl and it let me do a forced upgrade. Now my Flint router seems bricked. The LED is on but there are no new networks available.

Have I just bricked an expensive router because the image you linked to is corrupt or something?

[Dr.R. Clavan]

Ok, before I was trying to connect wirelessly to the Flint 2, now I have a wired connection and nothing is happening.

LED on FLint is slowly flashing, tablet is trying to connect but can't.

Router is dead. Connection failed.

Please tell me I can unbrick this expensive beast!

[Dr.R. Clavan]

Ok, using U-Boot I was able to flash back to latest Flint 2 firmware, 4.8.3.

Now trying to upgrade again to Gargoyle. I thought I'd need factory but sysupgrade seems the one it likes.

Ok, I'm on Gargoyle 1.15.X ! Phew. Thought I might have lost the router. Thank you U-Boot!

Why is there a factory image for the Flint 2? From what I read since it was already running OpenWrt only sysupgrade was necessary?

[Lantis]

Sounds like you're sorted now.
Always, always, always consult the OpenWrt wiki for your device before flashing.

For anyone following your footsteps, the sysupgrade image is all this device needs as it is already running an "OpenWrt variant" from OEM.
The ONLY benefit of flashing Factory (which requires its own special process) is to replace the "closed source" uboot provided on the device if the user decides that they can't trust it.
I personally don't believe that is an issue, and giving up the convenient flash recovery process built into it is not worth any perceived benefit, in my opinion.

The factory image is provided in case the user likes tin foil hats, essentially.

[Dr.R. Clavan]

Thanks Lantis! It might be a good idea to put that openwrt link on the page with the images on lantisproject. If it was I would have read it beforehand and not gotten into this trouble.

Anyway, running the latest and greatest now and internet download speed has gone up from 100 Mbps to 525 Mpbs. Waiting for a 2.5Gbps switch I ordered and the setup is complete.

Thanks for the awesome recommendation. This Flint 2 is one hell of a beast. That U-Boot is awesome by the way.

Grtz from across the Tasman!