[GCC 7.2 BUILD] Optimized TP-Link Archer C7 V2 AC1750 LEDE Firmware

If you invest 2m to make a search in this very topic you will find out that the Archer C5 1.2 is exactly the same HW as the C7 v2, you only have to "convert" the C5 to a C7.

It has been answered by @chuck here https://forum.openwrt.org/t/gcc-6-3-build-optimized-tp-link-archer-c7-v2-ac1750-lede-firmware/1382/69

There are no new nightlies from @root for more than 6 days, hope he'll be back soon with a new build with the patches.

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According to https://git.lede-project.org/?p=source.git;a=commit;h=7bbf4117c6fe4b764d9d7c62fb2bcf6dd93bff2c
it seems Archer C7 could be ported to kernel 4.9

Great news!!!

Wonderful. Looking forward to try TCP BBR.
Would it be compatible with fast-path ?

LEDE 17.01.4 patched for WPA2 ready for download (NOT OPTIMIZED FOR @r00t, JUST STANDARD AND STABLE LEDE VERSION):

http://downloads.lede-project.org/releases/17.01.4/targets/ar71xx/generic/

I'll wait for @r00t's patched version.

If there's a build of LEDE 17.01.4 with just FastPath, I would flash it.

I also noticed this fork: https://github.com/shunjou/lede-ar71xx-optimized-archer-c7-v2 by shunjou

@shunjou, could you provide more info on this? Thanks!

EDIT: did a quick scan of https://github.com/shunjou/lede-ar71xx-optimized-archer-c7-v2/commit/4c80d0b1dbba4b4b773db9b3583bba459f210f4e and seems it is probably LEDE v17.01.4, with Kernel v4.4.92

EDIT2: did a diff of config.seed, seems like:

  • added fdisk
  • added busybox
  • added PHP7
  • added ntfs-3g
  • removed dnscrypt
  • removed ddns
  • removed 464xlat (which was buggy in the first place)

^ among quite a few other additions/removals; more removals than additions however.

EDIT3: flashed it but cannot install nfs-kernel-server (for the purposes of accessing my USB HDs plugged into my C7 over the network):

opkg update
opkg install nfs-kernel-server

Downloading http://downloads.lede-project.org/snapshots/packages/mips_24kc/packages/nfs-kernel-server_2.1.1-1_mips_24kc.ipk

Collected errors:

  • satisfy_dependencies_for: Cannot satisfy the following dependencies for nfs-kernel-server:
  • kernel (= 4.4.93-1-10fe3f48b906daa67e959756d0a63862) * kernel (= 4.4.93-1-10fe3f48b906daa67e959756d0a63862) * kernel (= 4.4.93-1-10fe3f48b906daa67e959756d0a63862) * kernel (= 4.4.93-1-10fe3f48b906daa67e959756d0a63862) * kernel (= 4.4.93-1-10fe3f48b906daa67e959756d0a63862) *
  • opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package nfs-kernel-server.

^ does not work with shunjou's build, but does with r00t's.

I build with trunk, not the stable branch.

The reason the package install failed is as the error shows. The kernel version in the build you flashed is 4.4.92 and it was bumped to 4.4.93 yesterday in trunk.

As the readme states, package selection was intended for my own use and largely to trim down the selection by r00t to free up space. Otherwise, the patches and kernel config used are nearly the same aside from using a different sfe patch so that sqm works on the wan interface. This disables sfe on wan but I don't mind since I and most others really only benefit from it on lan. Other minor inclusions and changes can be easily viewed from the commit history and diff of config.seed as you did. I like the idea of adding nfs server support though, so I ran a new build with it just now.

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Thank you @shunjou! My uses for my C7 are similar to yours in what I've seen in the config file; looks like I'll be flashing momentarily :slight_smile:

EDIT: flashed, configured, and my Kodi instances at home are happy, thanks again! :smiley:

Meanwhile there is no @r00t version, I've manually updated the two packages (wpad and hostapd) and added:
option wpa_disable_eapol_key_retries '1' in the /etc/config/wireless to mitigate the WPA2 bug.

If anyone's curious: get the following .ipk files from https://downloads.lede-project.org/snapshots/packages/mips_24kc/base/

hostapd-common_2017-08-24-c2d4f2eb-3_mips_24kc.ipk
hostapd-utils_2017-08-24-c2d4f2eb-3_mips_24kc.ipk
wpad_2017-08-24-c2d4f2eb-3_mips_24kc.ipk

Manually upgrade them via opkg install packagename.ipk

And optionally but recommended: put the new option @Klingon mentioned via text editor under all config wifi-iface 'default_radioX' instances in /etc/config/wireless. If some clients are unstable after this, you may need to remove the option line.

Tested on r00t's last stable build. shunjou's contains the latest versions of hostapd (common + utils) and wpad.

In the most recent versions of this firmware (as well as latest trunk nightlies), 5Ghz Wifi is pretty unstable for me on some client devices (multiple Android phones specifically).

I only use this router as a dumb WiFi AP connected by LAN cable to my main router (DLink DIR860L).

I'm on channel 44 if that helps. Does adjusting transmit power actually do anything, or is it recommended to leave on auto?

Last question: Is there a reason why this router is still on kernel version 4.4 while other devices are well into the 4.9 version?

This was my latest test on C7_v2, still running SNAPSHOT r4967-5508510e74 I found to be very stable. With SQM Queue Discipline set to cake and test_triple_isolated_IIt_cake_qos

@shunjou

Thanks for sharing your build!

LEDE Reboot SNAPSHOT r5115 _ 8-184c92e

Could You please integrate the Netlink Bandwidth Monitor Package? Content is empty due to missing "nf_conntrack_netlink"

netlink2

Netlink

WiFi Clients performs well / even with "Enable key reinstallation (KRACK) countermeasures" Switch | 2,4 + 5 GHz

KRACK

Stats (without QoS Setup) DL 50 / UP 2,5

23718879

Klingon, please tell me what was your reasoning behind the action to point me to that firmware?
I never saw such a buggy firmware in my life on a router!
speedtest returned error message that cannot perform test because of a verryyyy big latency test
luci web interface extremelly laggy
I never saw such a bad and instable 5 ghz wifi ... etc

The reason it's so simple.

I'm using the lastest stable version and in my case is working like a charm.
I have 3 wired devices: 1 Smart TV, 1 Computer, 1 Videoconsole.
Wireless Clients: 3 Phones on 2,4 Ghz., 2 Tablets on 5 Ghz., 1 SmartTV on 5 Ghz., 1 Tablet on 2.4 Ghz. and I have no problems at all.

My internet speed test over the wired computer is 300 MB. symmetric (SQM OFF), and over 5 Ghz. I get 1300 Mbps (163 MB/s).

but that firmware version which you pointed me to I think it's from the nightly builds; anyway you're lucky and I'm not the only one reporting extremelly instable 5 ghz on the latest 2 firmwares; I am back now to the august version but soon I'll flash back the stock one because nothing compares to it when it comes to the 5ghz speed and stability; I have tested already few reccomended dd-wrt builds which had also their version of fast path enabled and I was hoping to find improvements from the LEDE but unfortunatelly is not the case , one big minus using openwrt based firmwares would be (at least for me) that there is no easy option to configure a transparent client bridge on the same subnet, only gargoyle had that option but there are many more inconveniences too; so far , for a regular user, nothing beats the stock firmware ...

@shunjou branch working great as an AP here. 2 days 7 hours. Key reinstallation enabled. Ch 153 80mhz 5Ghz.

WIll you add support for the c7 v4 variant??

I (also) use a r00t version from August on my C7 V2s in production, but I find it extremely stable with both radios. Note, I have reconfigured the WAN port to a VLAN interface that ends up in an OPNsense firewall, so no worries about ppoe or sqm for me.
Regarding transparent bridging, that is achieved through the Physical Settings tab in the Interface. So you take the LAN interface, give it an IP address that is used to access the AP, then you go to Physical Settings and add the Wireless Network interface. The two will be bridged. I have never seen anything so elegant for defining bridges.

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Glad i found this thread. Have installed the 2017-09-10 release last night, and i have doubled my wireless - LAN throughput over the standard lede i ran previously. Throughput is now the same as i got with the TP link firmware - 50 Mb/sec.

Thanks for the effort, and please keep up the good work.

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