Running OpenWRT on the Plusnet Hub One (& BT Home Hub 5a)

[#1]

Are you using 3rd party antivirus/security software on your Windows laptop ?

Are you able to ping the hub from the laptop?

I have occasionally come across the situation where the file transfer fails to start, but have never found the cause.  If I quit the tftpd32 app and/or tftpboot command, and try again, it usually starts working.

ie. only see T T T T in PuTTY.

Try removing and re-inserting the LAN cable.

When you executed the tftpboot command, check the server IP address reported by the command matches the laptop's static IP address.  ie. 192.168.1.2

The five ethernet ports on the HH5a do not possess status LEDs.

Correction:  HH5a does not respond to pings when waiting to transfer file using tftp

I presume you configured 192.168.1.2 static IP address to the ethernet port of your laptop, and not to the wireless adapter.

[#2]

Just tried the full thing again a couple of times and still same, T T T T .......

No AV running, tried another LAN cable which is currently connecting desktop to router, checked IP on laptops LAN port and putty was showing 'tftp from server 192.168.1.2; our IP address 192.168.1.1', turned wifi adapter off just to be sure.

It was the status LED's on the laptop LAN port that I wondered if they should be working as they don't do anything, I had the LAN adapter settings window open and it was showing disconnected then it switched to unidentified network when the tftpd boot command was entered.

Possibly not relevant but I was looking at some other info and saw a pic of how somebody had connected everything when doing it from a 'Pi' and the LAN cable was connected to the red socket on the HH5.

[#3]

I wonder if that is a clue with the LAN socket on laptop as showing 'disconnected' ?

Did you try unplugging/plugging in the LAN cable?

Do you have another computer?

Otherwise, do you have a spare ethernet switch which you can connect between the laptop and the HH5a ?

Alternatively, you could perhaps try any old router kicking about, and wire the laptop and HH5a to its LAN ports.  Make sure the router is not using 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2.

[#4]

Had a fun weekend with this.
Tried a win 10 desktop PC, u-boot file would not transfer, when trying to start paste putty put up several lines saying 'ROM VER: 1.1.4 - UART04' then went back to 'ROM VER: 1.1.4  CFG 04 - UART' noticed that when u-boot file was opened in notepad++ on this PC that file looked different to when it was opened on win 7 PC.
Borrowed another Win 7 laptop, all went OK up to entering tftpboot line - nothing else happened - no line of T's, nothing.
I also borrowed a Raspberry Pi but couldn't get anywhere with that, I got as far as 'ROM VER: 1.1.4  CFG 04 - UART' in it's terminal but it would not accept any of the commands given in instructions for using one and got tired of doing searches to decipher it's cryptic error messages.
Tried original laptop again - same as before - T T T T T T .......

Tried 3 different LAN cables including the one currently connecting this PC to router and tried LAN cable in red socket on HH5, LAN properties on all PC's were showing 'unidentified network' after HH5 was turned on..
Turned everything off on all PC's, AV, firewall and anything else that did not look necessary.

Is it time to abandon this?

[#5]

I'm afraid I'm out of ideas.  I presume you did remember to specify port 69 in tftpd32.exe.

Given the corrupted UART boot message you witnessed in Windows 10, double check the 'Filename' field displayed by the tftpboot command is correct and not missing any characters.

What serial to USB adapter are you using?

I presume  the USB adapter's ground connected to the HH5a too.

[#6]

If I remember vaguely then someone mentioned adaptor issue previously and it sounds remarkably closer to it. But I couldnt find the thread anymore.

I had a little issue originally myself when I tried to use the usb adapter. I think I ended up downloading some tool (WCH.CN) TTL tool to update the actual chip on the adapter after which it worked like magic. I think I still have it on my system and can share if you want?

[#7]

Using a PL2303TA adapter but couldn't find any info about updating it. Had it connected up as in some pics I found somewhere but it did have instructions with it to identify connections. I read there were some fakes about but the prolific drivers seem to work OK with it.

Specified port 69 in tftpd32.exe, also tried the 64 bit versions of tftpd and putty on the win 10 PC but no difference, still haven't managed to find out why the u-boot file looked different in win 10 than in win 7 when opened in notepad++, in win 7 it looked like the pics in the v3.1.pdf instructions but in win 10 it had strange characters.

I wondered if it might be a filename problem in earlier attempts so copied the name from the file it's self and put it into the boot command, or from both files as have tried to load the openwrt and lede versions.

After all that abuse I was surprised to find that the HH5 still boots and connects OK, wondering if I should have a go at the plusnet one.

[#8]

Regarding the Windows 10 issue, the u-boot file only contains hexadecimal characters.  You can use regular notepad to inspect the contents of the file, but don't try and copy and paste it into PuTTY.   You could also try using an earlier version of notepad++.  I use v6.9.2.

[#9]

Can anyone help and point me where i can download latest OpenWRT for BT bub 5a / plusnet one hub...

My router blow up and I get this nice looking plusnet one hub from friend, but I can not use another ISP than plusnet.

I have TTL console, router is soldered and ready, but I can not find the firmware... The OpenWRT page give 404 for any downloads...

could anyone point me or upload somewhere ?

regard

 Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Identical post removed.

[#10]

I've not followed this thread I started for quite a while now. However I do still have a PN Hub One with over 100 days of solid up time, working as a VDSL modem, wireless AP, Ethernet switch, OpenVPN client, syslogging to an external server and nfs-kernel tools. 

Anyone who doesn't want/care for bleeding edge versions, and as I've been asked a few times about where to get the firmware from this is a re-post of the link I provided a few months back with the version built by MikeCSmith I am still running: 

https://hobbo.co.uk/index.php/s/DSoesx3nTT3nFEk

[#11]

Hi

I've finished setting up lede on a home hub 5.

The problem now is that I cannot seem to get an internet connection on my SKY adsl line.

Anyone had any luck and give any tips?

Thanks

[#12]

---

@iceze wrote:

Hi

I've finished setting up lede on a home hub 5.

The problem now is that I cannot seem to get an internet connection on my SKY adsl line.

Anyone had any luck and give any tips?

Thanks

---

See my message post number 147 on page 10 of this thread.

Running solid and never needed to reeboot.

[#13]

Hi,

Im looking to do this - is there or does anyone have a schematic with what needs to be soldered to where please? Also (as Ive never done this before) Ive ordered my USB -> TTL device, but how do I connect the soldered cables to the TTL? Thanks for your patience with me - Im sure I can do it

[#14]

Some suggestions:

https://openwrt.ebilan.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=39

https://openwrt.ebilan.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=221

[#15]

Hi. Trying to install on a HH5a... Have connected Tx, Rx & Gnd to a USB/serial converter, but when I ground Boot_Sel2 and switch on, I get this: 

y▒▒▒▒Su[▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ysq▒▒▒▒▒U}[W▒▒

instead of:

ROM VER: 1.1.4

CFG 04

UART

I've double checked grounding, Rx/Tx right way round, baud rate etc.  I've also tried two USB/serial adapters of different types and two HH5a units and get exactly the same result every time.  Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks.