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Author Topic: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.  (Read 128221 times)

burakkucat

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2014, 07:20:44 PM »

I think kitz just needs a little help . . .

At the busybox shell prompt:
  • enter a "mount" command and see the current status of the mount table
  • plug in an appropriately formatted memory stick/thumb drive into a USB port
  • enter a "mount" command and look at the new entry in the mount table
  • assuming that the above now shows that "/dev/sda" is now mounted as "/mnt/usb1_1", "/dev/sda" is the memorystick/thumb drive and "/mnt/usb1_1" is the mount point
  • now copy the adsl_phy.bin file to the mount point . . . using the above example "cp /etc/adsl/adsl_phys.bin /mnt/usb1_1/"
  • unmount the memory stick/thumb drive . . . using the above example "umount /dev/sda" (Note "umount" not "unmount".)
  • all being well, you now should have a copy of the Broadcom driver on the memory stick/thumb drive
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Blackeagle

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2014, 07:29:11 PM »

  Well done. Is there any chance of putting that file online or emailing it to me with a pm? Many thanks if you can.

Certainly, although the file size is different to the one in kitz post, and I therefore assume that to likely be a more up to date version.  Filesize I have is 945,564 bytes vs 994,476 bytes in kitz post.

b*cat has given suitable instructions for extraction of that BLOB.
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kitz

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2014, 07:34:56 PM »

Quote
The firmware in question was VMG8324-B10A_100AAKL0C0.zip. 

The firmware I currently have installed is Current Firmware Version: 1.00(AAKL.4)b1 which is V100AAKL4b1.bin
I was told to replace the shipped firmware with these three in the following order as one of them contained a major update.

100AAKL2C0_20131205.bin (21.3 MB)
V100AAKL3b2.bin (21.6 MB)
V100AAKL4b1.bin (21.8MB)

Im unsure which version actually introduced the new '039' BLOB, but if any one wants Im happy to send V100AAKL4b1.bin
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kitz

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2014, 07:37:40 PM »

I think kitz just needs a little help . . .

At the busybox shell prompt:
  • enter a "mount" command and see the current status of the mount table
  • plug in an appropriately formatted memory stick/thumb drive into a USB port
  • enter a "mount" command and look at the new entry in the mount table
  • assuming that the above now shows that "/dev/sda" is now mounted as "/mnt/usb1_1", "/dev/sda" is the memorystick/thumb drive and "/mnt/usb1_1" is the mount point
  • now copy the adsl_phy.bin file to the mount point . . . using the above example "cp /etc/adsl/adsl_phys.bin /mnt/usb1_1/"
  • unmount the memory stick/thumb drive . . . using the above example "umount /dev/sda" (Note "umount" not "unmount".)
  • all being well, you now should have a copy of the Broadcom driver on the memory stick/thumb drive

Thank you..   I shall try that after Ive cooked &  eaten.   BBL
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Blackeagle

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2014, 09:20:28 PM »

Put the file I extracted in a hex editor and did a search for broadcom and found a version string and date.

Broadcom DSL Version A2pv6F038f2, Built on 10/10/2012 15:59:54, as against the version on my HG612 A2pv6C038m.d24j.

Fully expect kitz to pull off a much later version.
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kitz

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #20 on: April 03, 2014, 12:16:08 AM »

Im sorry, I fully expected to attempt this tonight...  but a help phone call from a friend meant I didnt manage to get to sit down and eat till 11pm.   I was sat replying to site emails whilst eating and I still have another 141 site mails (not spam) to filter through - still not caught up on since my PC was out of action..  and Ive still got lots of threads to read on the forum.  Apologies if I didnt ansa mail or PMs - I know there's several still outstanding.  :(

I had also intended on being in bed before midnight as I have to be up early tomorrow and not back till late, and dont want to fall asleep in class again - yep I really did cause I was so tired -  so I will have to put this on hold until the weekend now.   
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kitz

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #21 on: April 03, 2014, 02:07:24 AM »

OK..  in hypermode with things to do and not going to sleep now - boy am I going to suffer tomorrow  :D

After more attempts than I want to admit, I think Ive finally got it.  :fingers:  That damn time out was doing my head in if I paused for 5 seconds.   :baby:


I will pass it on to b'cat, les70, blackeagle & dmcdonnell whom are those that I think may need it.
Thank you bcat for your help with the commands.


For my own notes in case I have to do it again
/dev/sda1 on /mnt/usb1_1

 > echo && bash
~ # mount
~ # cp /etc/adsl/adsl_phy.bin /mnt/usb1_1/
~ # umount /dev/sda1

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kitz

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #22 on: April 03, 2014, 02:23:23 AM »

PS   Just to correct something.  It was questioned tonight that I may be unhappy with this router, when I was trying to give a neutral response as I really havent had chance yet to see what its capable of, and I'd hate to say its great & the next day find something really annoying about it.

But so far I'd like to say, that aside from the config issues which Im hoping to report back to ZyXel on..  Im actually quite pleased.   Its very smart and a very good replacement combined unit for the HG612, TG582n and GigEswitch. 
My stats are better than on the HG612 and so far everything works ok.  I will say more when I get time to explore and RTFM.
The only downside is that its not n00b friendly, but if I can get a config tutorial done, then this should help anyone trying to set it up for vdsl.

and now I am off to bed.... laters......
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les-70

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2014, 07:59:36 AM »

  I tried the new Binary object but, on first try, it did not sync when started after the swap  :( .  I noticed that the putty log has a few odd characters in it that I did not see of the screen so I will try later. The modem was connected the whole time so next time I will try with the line disconnected.  Below are the commands that I used, but as I said they did not lead to a working modem.  Hopefully others will have more luck.

 Set tftp server running on 192.168.0.63 with new  adsl_phy.bin
  then login

# cp -ar  /etc /tmp
# cd /tmp/etc/adsl
# ls
adsl_phy.bin
# rm adsl_phy.bin
# tftp -g -r adsl_phy.bin  192.168.0.63
# ls
adsl_phy.bin
# mount -o bind /tmp/etc /etc
# xdslcmd stop
# xdslcmd start --up
# xdslcmd --version
xdslcmd version 1.0
DSL PHY: AnnexA version - A2pv6F039g1.d24j
******* Pass *********
# xdslcmd info
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Idle
Retrain Reason:   0
Last initialization procedure status:   0
« Last Edit: April 03, 2014, 09:20:49 AM by les-70 »
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Bald_Eagle1

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2014, 08:40:25 AM »

So it appears that either "adsl" or "xdslcmd" prefixes can be used for the stats commands (unless one firmware version uses "adsl" & the other needs "xdslcmd").

Kitz's version:-

adsl --version
adsl version 1.0
ADSL PHY: AnnexA version - A2pv6F039g1.d24e


Les-70's version:-

xdslcmd --version
xdslcmd version 1.0
DSL PHY: AnnexA version - A2pv6F039g1.d24j


Looking at a full set of relevant data from Kitz's live connection, the output from "adsl" commands seems to have all tab spaces stripped out, being replaced by a relevant number of spaces.

Does the format of the data obtained via "xdslcmd" commands also include all spaces or a combination of tabs & spaces?

e.g. xdslcmd info --stats
 
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les-70

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2014, 09:18:10 AM »

 Bit confused here. The les version is swapped into an HG612 hence trying to use xdslcmd.  Kitz probably does not have anything called xdslcmd in the zytel.   The fact that they are different may be why, on first try, I have not got it working in an HG612
« Last Edit: April 03, 2014, 09:22:24 AM by les-70 »
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roseway

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #26 on: April 03, 2014, 10:18:31 AM »

Quote
So it appears that either "adsl" or "xdslcmd" prefixes can be used for the stats commands (unless one firmware version uses "adsl" & the other needs "xdslcmd").

Some modem/routers provide a number of alternative command prefixes which do the same thing. The Billion 7800DXL, for example, has 'adsl', 'adslctl' and 'xdslctl', the first two of which are just links pointing at the third.
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les-70

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #27 on: April 03, 2014, 10:35:37 AM »

  I had a second try at swapping the the adsl_phy.bin file to the 039 version but it still would not sync.  First I tested stopping and starting things with the default 038 version and then did both

     xdslcmd stop     which does not seem to loose sync and
     xdslcmd connection --down      which does loose sync
   
     I then swapped as before and then tried

     xdslcmd start     followed by
     xdslcmd connection --up   which failed to start, previously before the swap it worked and started the sync. 

It is disappointing as the xdslcmd commands otherwise all seem to work.  snr qln etc are reported but I would need to try another test with a disconnected power up to prove that they were not values remembered from the 038 sync.    I hope others have more luck or can use asbo's HG612  tool kit to try proper insertion.  When I tried to swap the 038 file into a modem running 035 firmware the swap caused an seg fault error when you tried to start xdslcmd. The 033 and 030 file swapped into the 035 firmware and run successfully though.   This time it looks more promising as no errors are reported but.........
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dmcdonnell

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A
« Reply #28 on: April 03, 2014, 10:50:47 AM »

I have 3 versions that Zyxel mailed me

100AAKL2C0_20131205.bin (21.3 MB)
V100AAKL3b2.bin (21.6 MB)
V100AAKL4b1.bin (21.8MB)

I have to go out now and I have an appt this eve but I shall certainly have a look later.

I wonder if you can post these .bin files, please?
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dmcdonnell

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Re: ZyXel VMG8324-B10A Preliminary findings.
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2014, 10:56:53 AM »

As a test, I have extracted the adsl_phy.bin BLOB from f/w downloaded from  the ZyXel site.  The firmware in question was VMG8324-B10A_100AAKL0C0.zip

The firmware can be extracted using a tool called jffs2dump from the package mtd-utils[1]. I actually didn't extract it that way, and used dd, but then I needed the tool to reverse the endian-ness of the file.  This file was then mounted by creating a fake flash device using the following commands.

Question: When working with these ZyXel firmwares, and extracted files, is it only firmware blobs that require their endianess changed?

TIA
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