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DUT configuration status

Record of state, applied configuration, and firmware per DUT. Update when flashing, changing network, or applying fixes.

Summary table

DUT Port VLAN Power Firmware SSH Internet Notes
Belkin RT3200 #1 11 100 Relay OpenWrt 23.05.5 ✓ ✓
Belkin RT3200 #2 12 101 Relay LibreMesh 2024.1 ✓ ✓
Belkin RT3200 #3 13 102 Relay OpenWrt 23.05.5 ✓ ✓
Banana Pi R4 14 103 Relay OpenWrt 24.10.5 ✓ ✓
OpenWRT One 1 104 PoE (native) OpenWrt 24.10.5 ✓ ✓ swap eth0/eth1, port 1
Librerouter 1 2 105 Relay (ch 4) LibreRouterOs 23.05 + LibreMesh ✓ ✓ 12V DC jack, opkg feeds 23.05.2
Librerouter 2 3 106 Relay - Pending Pending Reserved
Librerouter 3 4 107 Relay - Pending Pending Reserved

Serial and SSH: rack-cheatsheets.

Internet access (opkg)

By default each DUT is on its isolated VLAN (100-108) with gateway 192.168.XXX.254 (per-VLAN). When libremesh-tests moves a port to VLAN 200 (mesh), the gateway becomes 192.168.200.254. VLAN changes are per test via labgrid-switch-abstraction (CI) or switch-vlan (manual); there are no global modes. See Lab architecture.

DUT network config (gateway, DNS, secondary IP, firewall) is handled by test fixtures or dut_gateway.py:

  • Gateway and DNS persist in UCI (uci set + uci commit)
  • Secondary IP on the gateway subnet (e.g. 192.168.{vlan}.x/24 isolated, 192.168.200.x/24 mesh) so the upstream router can route replies
  • Firewall stopped (fw3/fw4) since test DUTs do not need it

Initial provisioning (once per DUT, via serial): provision_dut.py configures everything in one command: mesh IPs, gateway, DNS, firewall off, NTP, and per-device hooks (OpenWrt One eth swap, LibreRouter opkg feeds). The real LibreMesh br-lan address used by mesh assertions remains the node's dynamic 10.13.x.x address.

python3 scripts/provision_dut.py --all --dry-run   # verify commands
python3 scripts/provision_dut.py --all              # apply all config

For mesh IPs only (legacy): python3 scripts/provision_mesh_ip.py --all.

Hardware data per DUT (switch port, isolated VLAN, serial, ssh_alias): configs/dut-config.yaml, duts section.

Relation to manual SSH to the DUT: SSH access to DUTs.

opkg fails with "wget returned 5"

Many DUTs have no RTC and boot with wrong date. SSL fails. Fix before opkg update:

date -s "2026-02-22 16:00:00"   # current date/time
opkg update

To persist, enable NTP (sysntpd):

uci set system.ntp.enabled='1'
uci commit system
/etc/init.d/sysntpd restart
date   # verify

opkg fails with "Failed to send request: Operation not permitted"

Typical cause: firewall blocking outbound. Test fixtures stop the firewall automatically, but after a DUT reboot it may return. Quick fix:

/etc/init.d/firewall stop     # fw4 (OpenWrt 24.x) or fw3 (23.x)
iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT 2>/dev/null   # fw3 only
opkg update

If ping 8.8.8.8 fails (no route), check gateway and DUT VLAN with dut_gateway.py. If ping 8.8.8.8 works but ping downloads.openwrt.org says "bad address", DNS is missing:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver 8.8.4.4" >> /etc/resolv.conf
opkg update

LibreRouter: SNAPSHOT feeds missing

If opkg update fails with 23.05-SNAPSHOT URLs: move to 23.05.2 and comment non-existent feeds. See Librerouter 1.

Belkin RT3200 / Linksys E8450 - General notes

All three Belkin RT3200 units (Linksys E8450 equivalent) share target mediatek/mt7622 and aarch64_cortex-a53.

U-Boot: Interrupt char \x03 (Ctrl-C). Must be a single byte for Labgrid's proactive interrupt mode. Previous value "0\n" (two chars) disabled proactive mode and caused U-Boot activation timeouts.

SPI-NAND layout change in OpenWrt 24.10+

From OpenWrt 24.10, SPI-NAND flash layout for E8450/RT3200 changed from image version 1.0 to 2.0. That implies:

  • No direct sysupgrade from 23.05.x (layout 1.0) to 24.10+ (layout 2.0). The image is rejected with: image is incompatible for sysupgrade based on the image version (1.0->2.0).
  • Bootloader update required: run UBI installer 1.1.0+ (unsigned) before flashing 24.10+. See OpenWrt wiki: Linksys E8450.

For now devices stay on OpenWrt 23.05.x until 24.10+ is needed. If upgrading, plan bootloader update (via U-Boot or recovery).

Belkin RT3200 #1

Serial: /dev/belkin-rt3200-1. Port/VLAN mapping: summary table.

Firmware (detail): mediatek/mt7622, aarch64_cortex-a53.

Network: Internet access template.

Belkin RT3200 #2

Serial: /dev/belkin-rt3200-2. Mapping: summary table.

Firmware (detail): LibreMesh 2024.1 on OpenWrt 23.05.5, mediatek/mt7622.

Network: Internet access template.

Belkin RT3200 #3

Serial: /dev/belkin-rt3200-3. Mapping: summary table.

Firmware (detail): mediatek/mt7622 (same OpenWrt line as table).

Network: Internet access template.

If config does not persist after reboot: see Corrupt overlay.

Corrupt overlay (rootfs_data) - Belkin RT3200 / Linksys E8450

Symptoms: Network/UCI config does not persist after reboot. Each boot: default config, opkg "Operation not permitted", SSH host key changes. firstboot -y does not fix (UBIFS corruption remains).

Diagnosis:

mount | grep overlay

If you see ubifs (ro,...) and upperdir=/tmp/root/upper → overlay is corrupt; system uses ramoverlay (tmpfs) and nothing persists.

dmesg | grep -i -E "ubi|ubifs|overlay|read-only|error"

Typical errors: bad node type, switched to read-only mode, fallback to ramoverlay.

Fix - Re-flash with sysupgrade:

Belkin uses UBI layout; mtd "rootfs_data" is not a separate mtd (UBI volume 5). Reliable repair is re-flash:

  1. Configure network manually (so DUT can download):
ip route del default 2>/dev/null; true
ip addr add 192.168.102.108/24 dev br-lan 2>/dev/null; true
ip route add default via 192.168.102.254
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.conf
date -s "2026-03-12 12:00:00"   # current date
  1. Download and flash on DUT (use .itb, not .bin):
cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/23.05.5/targets/mediatek/mt7622/openwrt-23.05.5-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb
sysupgrade -F -v /tmp/openwrt-23.05.5-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb

-F forces flash even if metadata missing. Router reboots; after boot overlay should mount rw.

  1. If overlay still broken after sysupgrade: may need manual UBI volume delete:
mount -o remount,rw /overlay
umount /overlay
ubirmvol /dev/ubi0 -n 5
reboot

On next boot init creates a new volume and overlay should work.

  1. After repair: apply Internet access template (VLAN 102 for Belkin #3) and verify persistence with reboot.

Kiss of Death (OKD) on Belkin RT3200 / Linksys E8450

What is Kiss of Death?

Kiss of Death (OKD) is a common brick on Belkin RT3200 (Linksys E8450) running OpenWrt. The router becomes fully unresponsive: no lights, no LEDs, no response after power cycle, power loss, or normal reboot.

Root cause: Bootloader bug (TF-A BL2 v2.9/v2.10). On boot it reads NAND and a correctable error (common bad block) causes fatal failure. Not hardware; bootloader firmware in flash.

Typical trigger: Power cycle via relays, power loss, or reboot after tests (including initramfs in RAM). RAM tests do not write flash but coincide with power cycles that trigger the bug.

Reference: OpenWrt Wiki - Recovery from OpenWrt Kiss of Death (OKD) - Linksys E8450

Recovery (procedure used March 2026)

Use mtk_uartboot + serial + TFTP to rewrite fixed bootloader, no JTAG.

CRITICAL: reset vs BL2 error Failed to load image id 3 (-2)

Until option 8 (preloader) and option 7 (FIP) have finished writing to NAND, a full chip reboot loads BL2 from flash again. That BL2 then tries to load image id 3 (BL31/FIP) from NAND. If that region is still missing or corrupt, you get ERROR: BL2: Failed to load image id 3 (-2) and you never reach U-Boot. This is expected; it is not a “lost setenv” problem.

  • Do not run reset from the shell and do not power-cycle between option 8 and option 7, or before both completes. Use only the recovery menu’s option 9 (Reboot) (or equivalent) after both writes succeed.
  • setenv serverip / setenv ipaddr apply to the current U-Boot in RAM (from mtk_uartboot). They are enough for TFTP in that same session. You do not need saveenv to flash options 8 and 7 in one uartboot session. (saveenv is optional; avoid it if unsure.)
  • If you already reset and see BL2: Failed to load image id 3: run mtk_uartboot again — that is the only way back to U-Boot until NAND is fixed.
  • If you are at MT7622> and need the menu again without resetting the chip: try bootmenu or help and look for a menu command. If nothing works, mtk_uartboot again and press Down arrow immediately when U-Boot starts (step 3 below) before spending time in the shell.

Prerequisites

  • USB-serial adapter: Use a reliable 3.3 V TTL adapter for this flow. CH340 adapters often complete the BootROM handshake then time out while uploading the BL2 payload (sending payload... / panic in bootrom.rs) because they drop bytes under sustained traffic. FT232RNL (or another genuine FTDI / CP210x known to work at 460800+) is strongly recommended. Plug the adapter directly into the PC when possible; long chains of USB hubs make CH340 failures more likely. See USB-TTL serial adapters.
  • 3.3V USB-serial TTL on J10 (router TX → adapter RX, RX → TX, common GND; do not connect VCC).
  • Ethernet cable LAN 1 to PC.
  • Files in a folder (e.g. ~/recoverBelkin):
  • mt7622-ram-1ddr-bl2.bin - RAM loader (mtk_uartboot).
  • openwrt-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-preloader.bin - fixed preloader (22.03.7, renamed).
  • openwrt-23.05.5-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-bl31-uboot.fip - FIP with fixed U-Boot.
  • mtk_uartboot - Linux binary.
  • TFTP: sudo apt install tftpd-hpa. Configure /etc/default/tftpd-hpa with TFTP_DIRECTORY="/srv/tftpboot", TFTP_ADDRESS=":69", TFTP_OPTIONS="--secure".
  • Copy preloader and FIP to /srv/tftpboot/.
  • PC Ethernet on the same L2 as U-Boot: U-Boot expects TFTP at 192.168.1.254 while the DUT uses 192.168.1.1. If the PC still has another subnet on that cable (e.g. 192.168.0.5), TFTP fails with ARP Retry count exceeded. Flush and set 192.168.1.254/24 on the correct interface. Generic commands: Belkin U-Boot TFTP — PC Ethernet IP.
  • Serial permissions: sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER (logout/login).
  • Restart TFTP: sudo systemctl restart tftpd-hpa.

Step by step

  1. Run mtk_uartboot (adjust /dev/ttyUSB0 if needed). If the serial adapter is marginal, try --brom-load-baudrate 115200 --bl2-load-baudrate 115200 (slower but sometimes enough for CH340; FT232RNL usually needs no flags):
sudo ./mtk_uartboot -s /dev/ttyUSB0 -a -p mt7622-ram-1ddr-bl2.bin -f openwrt-23.05.5-mediatek-mt7622-linksys_e8450-ubi-bl31-uboot.fip

After you see Received FIP / U-Boot output, open the console in a second terminal: screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200 (avoid && screen in one line if the tool exits with a non-zero code).

  1. Power on the router right after pressing Enter. In a few seconds the handshake should complete and BL2 should start loading the FIP.

  2. In screen: as soon as U-Boot starts, press Down arrow repeatedly to interrupt autoboot and open the recovery menu (do this before a long stop at MT7622> if you want options 7/8). If you are already at MT7622>, run bootmenu if available (help lists commands), or re-run mtk_uartboot and catch the menu earlier. Optionally run setenv serverip 192.168.1.254 and setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.1 before choosing option 8 so TFTP does not use a stale 192.168.200.1 from the lab.

  3. Write preloader (option 8): choose "8. Load BL2 preloader via TFTP then write to flash". Wait "Loading..." → "Erasing..." → "Writing 131072 byte(s)..." four times (offsets 0x0, 0x20000, 0x40000, 0x60000). Press Enter to return to menu.

  4. Write FIP (option 7): choose "7. Load BL31+U-Boot FIP via TFTP then write to flash". Wait same write flow. Press Enter to return.

  5. Reboot: option "9. Reboot" or wait for auto reboot.

  6. Disconnect serial and Ethernet. Power router from PSU only. Should boot with lights and OpenWrt/LibreMesh banner.

Notes

  • If mtk_uartboot panics with Operation timed out right after sending payload..., the cause is almost always the USB-serial chip (CH340 + hubs) or wiring; switching to FT232RNL fixed this in lab practice (April 2026).
  • If ARP retry fails on TFTP: first confirm the PC has 192.168.1.254 on the Ethernet port cabled to the router (ip addr flush + add, see Belkin U-Boot TFTP — PC Ethernet IP). If the link is correct but ARP still fails, try in U-Boot: setenv ethaddr 00:11:22:33:44:55; saveenv.
  • If it does not boot after process, repeat 1-6 (sometimes two attempts).
  • Verify: after boot, grep "(release)" /dev/mtd0ro should show v2.4 or fixed version.
  • Once applied, fix is permanent and OKD should not recur.

Banana Pi R4

Serial: /dev/bpi-r4. Mapping: summary table.

Firmware (detail): mediatek/filogic.

U-Boot: Interrupt char \x1b (ESC). The boot menu requires a single-byte interrupt for proactive capture by Labgrid. Multi-byte sequences (e.g. \\x0 literal) disable proactive mode and cause timeouts.

Network: Internet access template. No special UCI.

OpenWRT One

Serial: /dev/openwrt-one. Switch ports (PoE + data LAN) and VLAN: summary table and switch-config 5.2.

Firmware (detail): OpenWrt 24.10.0-rc2, mediatek/filogic (update summary table if version bumps).

U-Boot: Interrupt char \x1b (ESC). Same single-byte proactive interrupt requirement as Banana Pi R4. login_timeout: 30.

Swap eth0/eth1: OpenWRT One has PoE on one port only (eth0). Default eth0=WAN, eth1=LAN. If cable is on PoE port, host cannot reach 192.168.1.1 because br-lan (eth1) has no link. Swap:

uci delete network.@device[0].ports
uci add_list network.@device[0].ports='eth0'
uci set network.wan.device='eth1'
uci set network.wan6.device='eth1'
uci commit network
/etc/init.d/network restart

Result: eth0 (PoE) → br-lan → 192.168.1.1. Connect switch cable to PoE port.

After swap: Internet access template.

U-Boot TFTP with PoE: PoE power-cycle could make U-Boot fail with external PHY timeout (EN8811H). Fix: connect both ports to switch - WAN (PoE) to port 1 for power; LAN to port 16 for data (VLAN 104). U-Boot uses LAN link (internal PHY) and avoids timeout. See switch-config 5.2.

Librerouter 1

Serial: /dev/librerouter-1. Mapping: summary table.

Power: 12V DC barrel jack via Arduino relay channel 4 (arduino_relay_control.py on/off 4). PDU: fcefyn-arduino, index 4.

Firmware (detail): LibreRouterOs 23.05-SNAPSHOT + LibreMesh (line summarized in table).

Network: Internet access template.

opkg feeds: 23.05-SNAPSHOT feeds do not exist. Move to 23.05.2 and comment missing feeds:

sed -i 's/23.05-SNAPSHOT/23.05.2/g' /etc/opkg/distfeeds.conf
sed -i -e '/librerouteros_libremesh/s/^/#/' -e '/librerouteros_librerouter/s/^/#/' -e '/librerouteros_tmate/s/^/#/' /etc/opkg/distfeeds.conf
opkg update

SSH: ssh dut-librerouter-1 (needs ~/.ssh/config entry from configs/templates/ssh_config_fcefyn and labgrid-bound-connect).

Librerouter 2

Mapping and state: summary table (port 3, VLAN 106). Serial: - (fill when cabled).

Firmware: (TBD)

Librerouter 3

Mapping and state: summary table (port 4, VLAN 107). Serial: - (fill when cabled).

Firmware: (TBD)

Maintaining the DUT table

  1. Update summary table first (port, VLAN, power, short firmware, SSH/Internet, notes).
  2. In the DUT section: only detail that does not fit the table (serial, arch, UCI, feeds, troubleshooting).
  3. cat /etc/os-release on DUT if firmware line changes.
  4. Record non-obvious UCI or procedures.