Meraki MR18

This forum discuss about how to JTAG different devices.
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ricktendo
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Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Cisco Meraki MR18

Post by ricktendo »

Updated post with videos and openwrt-ar71xx-nand-mr18-initramfs-kernel-ecc.bin for JTAG flashing to kernel2







Useful Links
OpenWRT WiKi: https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/meraki/mr18
OpenWRT Forum: TOPIC DELETED
Solderless Adapter: http://www.embeddedcomputers.net/products/Solderless/
Download Config: http://www.usbjtag.com/jtagnt/router/mr18.php
MR18 v1.0 Final build: https://github.com/riptidewave93/Openwrt-MR18/releases
OpenWRT Releases (BUILD# / targets / ar71xx / nand / mr18-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar): https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/
Installing CT WiFi on MR18: https://ct-networks.zendesk.com/hc/en-u ... eraki-MR18

Free up more space for packages
If you already have your MR18 configured with OpenWRT/LEDE, backup your current config and restore your access point to factory defaults. We'll remove the partitions and restore it later from backup.

Hook up your UART adapter. Do not power on your MR18 just yet. Fire up Putty and initiate a serial connection to your AP. Press and hold the "2" key on your keyboard, then apply power to the MR18.
Note: If you do not have a UART adapter this can also be accomplished by using the usbjtag nt to delete kernel1 forcing it to boot from kernel2.

Make sure your serial console displays this after booting:

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part2: Copying image to memory ...................................................
done.
If it says part1, stop right there and try again. If it still says part1, make sure your UART is properly connected.

Wait for the MR18 to boot completely and connect a LAN cable from your PC to the AP. Set your network card to a static adress 192.168.1.2 with netmask 255.255.255.0.

Now you should be able to login to LuCI at 192.168.1.1. User is root, password is blank.

Go back to Putty and open an SSH connection to 192.168.1.1. Once again, login is root, password is blank.
Enter the following to list all the UBI partitions:

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ubinfo -a
Now we'll remove all partitions EXCEPT board-config. Once again, DO NOT TOUCH board-config

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ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N rootfs
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N rootfs_data
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N storage
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N diagnostic1
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N diagnostic2
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N caldata
Names of the following two partitions depend on whatever version of Meraki firmware you had initially. Type ubinfo -a again to see what's left and copy and paste the names of the remaining rootfs_some_number1 and rootfs_some_number2 partitions. Oh, and DON'T TOUCH that board-config partition!

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ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N rootfs_##########1
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -N rootfs_##########2
Now all that's left is the board-config partition.

Time to make a caldata partition. Enter the following:

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ubimkvol /dev/ubi0 -N caldata -s 128KiB
The caldata partition is created and will be populated when performing a sysupgrade, so go to LuCI, select an OpenWRT, LEDE or Cucumber MR18 sysupgrade image to flash and make sure you deselect the "keep settings" checkbox.

After an automatic reboot, you'll have almost 100MB of memory for your software.

You can now restore your config from backup or start configuring from scratch.
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usbbdm
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Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:33 pm

Post by usbbdm »

Looks like it is a MIPS core. I did not get the free device even after I called them.
A little bit tweak is needed to the software or xml will allow it to be added.
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

Did you also do the webinar?

What current xml is similar and would I need to modify/copy in order for it to be recognized?

Can you also tell by the serial log on the openwrt wiki what the firmware section layout should be as well?

If you could give me an idea how you determine/calculate xml layout I would like to learn myself.
usbbdm
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Posts: 8962
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:33 pm

Post by usbbdm »

ricktendo wrote:Did you also do the webinar?

What current xml is similar and would I need to modify/copy in order for it to be recognized?

Can you also tell by the serial log on the openwrt wiki what the firmware section layout should be as well?

If you could give me an idea how you determine/calculate xml layout I would like to learn myself.
I did webinar and had a phone call, but this guy reject send me the device.
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

You think support for meraki is possible, will you try?

What can I do to help?
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

Updated post with video, links and I also attached kernel with ecc
bingo600
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Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:47 am

Post by bingo600 »

I just got an USBJTAG NT , for installing openwrt on a MR18
The MR18 has the latest Cisco fw onb it , the one that doesn't allow any commands via serial.

I have seen this video (quite good)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRymK4TjCJs

But i was wondering if anyone could point me to a recent set of (OpenWRT) binaries to flash on the MR18.
Maybe an older image set is ok , as i suppose i can upgrade openwrt it self , once the MR18 is running openwrt or ??


TIA

/Bingo
usbbdm
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Posts: 8962
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:33 pm

Post by usbbdm »

https://openwrt.org/toh/meraki/mr18
Try that. If you need help please let me know.
bingo600
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Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:47 am

Post by bingo600 »

Just did change a MR18 to OpenWRT

I only soldered a 2x5 header , as that's all thats needed.

Would have added a few pics , but they get rejected


Jtag "Kernel2 ECC image" in the first post in this thread : http://usbjtag.com/vbforum/attachment.p ... 1462032212


Seems like one should use a sysupgrade image from the latest stable release , not the trunk.

Sysupgrade image : mr18-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar
from here https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/ ... 71xx/nand/

The below isn't needed if using an image from stable , instead if trunk
See this video , to get OWRT webinterface working after sysupgrade (8 minutes in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lUrxKBYF2Y

Trick was:
Load the missing luci packages , to enable web if etc.
Update AP (Make sure DNS and internet is accessible , ie. ping google.com)
------------
opkg update
opkg install luci



Thank you to all persons that made this possible.

/Bingo
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

bingo600 wrote:Just did change a MR18 to OpenWRT

I only soldered a 2x5 header , as that's all thats needed.

Would have added a few pics , but they get rejected


Jtag "Kernel2 ECC image" in the first post in this thread : http://usbjtag.com/vbforum/attachment.p ... 1462032212

Sysupgrade image : openwrt-ar71xx-nand-mr18-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar
from here https://archive.openwrt.org/snapshots/t ... 71xx/nand/

See this video , to get OWRT webinterface working after sysupgrade (8 minutes in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lUrxKBYF2Y

Trick was:
Load the missing luci packages , to enable web if etc.
Update AP (Make sure DNS and internet is accessible , ie. ping google.com)
------------
opkg update
opkg install luci



Thank you to all persons that made this possible.

/Bingo
Delete kernel1 to force boot from kernel2

See my video, for some reason not showing on post1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRymK4TjCJs
bingo600
Junior Member
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Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:47 am

Post by bingo600 »

ricktendo wrote:Delete kernel1 to force boot from kernel2

See my video, for some reason not showing on post1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRymK4TjCJs
I did delete kernel1 , and flashed kernel2.
The 1'st OWRT boot went ok ...
It was the boot after the web/sysupgrade that didn't have any webserver running.

It was fixed by (for me) , using ssh to the AP , change to DHCP (make it internet ready) , reboot and then upgrade/install luci.

/Bingo
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

bingo600 wrote:I did delete kernel1 , and flashed kernel2.
The 1'st OWRT boot went ok ...
It was the boot after the web/sysupgrade that didn't have any webserver running.

It was fixed by (for me) , using ssh to the AP , change to DHCP , reboot and then upgrade/install luci.

/Bingo
If you use the latest "stable" release this is not an issue, these include luci.
bingo600
Junior Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:47 am

Post by bingo600 »

ricktendo wrote:If you use the latest "stable" release this is not an issue, these include luci.
Ahhh ... Might be that

I used sysupgrade image from the trunk (snapshot), that you actually link to in the toppost.

Do you have an URL to the correct stable DL directory ??

/Bingo
bingo600
Junior Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:47 am

Post by bingo600 »

Btw:

Can anyone tell me if Owrt is "dead/absorbed" by LEDE ?

I can't seem to find any 2019 owrt image , but finds MR18 LEDE images from march.

Should one use LEDE instead of OWRT , to get "updates" (security)
Or are they still separate tracks, that are actively maintained ?

/Bingo
ricktendo
Junior Member
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Post by ricktendo »

bingo600 wrote:Ahhh ... Might be that

I used sysupgrade image

/Bingo
Yes, the sysupgrade image but from a stable build, example: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/ ... pgrade.tar

https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/

P.S. LEDE and OpenWRT are one now

Edit: Bingo, did you use the instructions to free up space for packages?
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