Confirming Archer A7 router version 5.6 will take the openWRT firmware for Archer A7 ver 5

this is my first time attempting to install OpenWRT. This is firmware for the TP Link Archer A7 v5. My router says it is the Archer A7 Vers 5.6. I would love confirmation (or denial) of the compatibility of this firmware for my router.

The firmware I think will work for my router: OpenWrt for Archer A7 vers 5

This is my router: Archer A7

In addition, I went onto my router’s log in page and the hardware version is vers 5.0. I just want to make sure that I’m reducing my chances of installing the wrong firmware and/or bricking my router.

Thanks in advance!

As this is my first post, if there is a better place for it to be I’m happy to have it moved or whatever. Thanks again.

You’re far more likely to get an answer here: https://forum.openwrt.org/

nit: it is OpenWrt

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Thanks, that makes sense. I’d been browsing the subreddit for privacy and came over here.

People on their forums are probably just going to point you to this page anyway

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Looks like it’s fairly easy through serial, that’s the method I’ve used with a few devices and a FT232RL FTDI Serial Module. Ie, one of these:

FT232RL_1024x1024

You can pick them up cheap on ebay or anywhere really. For ease of use, get yourself some male/female jumper wires.

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Thank you for the info! I know just enough to know what that module if not how to use it in practice.
It wasn’t pretty but I got it to work through flashing. I thought I had screwed it up so I was trying a hard reset to see if the router was salvageable but by resetting it the log in page for OpenWrt came up and I’ve got it working.

I’m just learning by attempting things so I don’t know what I don’t know, for instance about the module that allows you to do the transfer.

The USB port goes into your computer, and the serial pins go into the specified ports on the board. You then use something like picocom (serial terminal emulator) to connect directly to the device over serial.

Generally its how flashing works, when you’ve got no network configured or anything else.

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