No WiFi on WE1326 running GoldenOrb for WG3526

[contempotec]

I picked up a WE1326 router because of its size and that it had gigabit ports and AC level WiFi. I did not mind the internal 4G antennas.

Per guidance, I flashed the unit with GoldenOrb WG3526 lableled firmware (2017-12-15). Unfortunately, even though the WG3526 and WE1326 is identical in spec, there appears to be something slightly different in the execution of that spec. There is no WiFi available for me on the WE1326 running with the WG3526 code. Secondarily, my lights no longer function beyond the power light and the lights associated to the gigabit ports.

Is there any guidance to get the unit fully operational? WiFi is the key concern. I can easily live without lights.

As an aside the Sierra Wireless card, MC7455, I bought for this unit came up and is fully running on T-Mobile after typing in the AT setup commands through the Modem Miscellaneous AT interface.

Thanks in advance!

[JimHelms]

I have requested a GoldenOrb build for the WE1326. Chances are, it will be available by this evening.

[JimHelms]

You can download GoldenOrb for the WE1326 [url=http://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/we1326-GO2018-07-08.zip]HERE[/url]

[contempotec]

Jim, this is awesome. I really appreciate the help and effort to swing this firmware! I will download, flash let give an update.

Cheers!

[contempotec]

Jim,

Looks like you cannot use the built in firmware flash routine to flash from one modem type to the next. Good safety precaution, but ended up not allowing me to get the WE1326 firmware on. So shifted to the recovery method.

"Oh No" moment... When you do the recovery method, all screens are in Chinese. Luckily, I guessed right on the multiple screens by choosing the default. Sorry, if I thought about it, I would have taken screen shots to help you write an additional tutorial. Again, if other folks run into this, just choose the defaults. After a couple of choices, I was presented with a window that let me choose the firmware I wanted to flash. I choose the WE1326 GoldenOrb and it did flash it. Second Oh No moment, the flash stops about 70% into it. Just be patient, after about 30-45 secs or so it does get beyond it and completes.

So new WE1326 firmware up and running. Yea! Unfortunately, it did not fix the issue. WiFi seems to be "not associated".

I did try a re-flash with save setting unchecked using the flash firmware choice from within the WE1326 firmware, but the result is the same with the WiFi not associated.

Unfortunately, the trip to WG3526 firmware land got this boy scrambled. Any thoughts on how I "associate" back the WiFi?

[JimHelms]

I have on occasion ran into the China recovery screen. Not sure why some are in English and others are not. It does make the task rather challenging.

After loading the new firmware, did you change any settings on the WiFi interfaces?

Check your Kernel and System logs for any type of errors or warnings.

You may want to try reloading the latest OEM FIRMWARE and see if it may be a driver issue.

You may have to again use the recovery method to install the OEM firmware as it is an earlier kernel.

In the alternative, you can use [url=http://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26&sid=d7c6285f9e308aeb7dc22999e778d565#p96]THIS METHOD[/url] using PuTTy.

[contempotec]

Jim,

I did change settings to try and see if I could trigger an attach sequence. New name instead of ROOter, new channel, but nothing I tried worked.

I used the recover method to install the OEM firmware. It came up with WiFi running fine. I could see the default WiFi name on my laptop, tablet and phone. I then flashed to the GoldenOrb firmware you provided from within the OEM firmware and got the same "not attached" error for WiFi. Unfortunately, it appears the new firmware still may not be complete for the WE1326.

[JimHelms]

Well, at least we know the WiFi chips are okay if the WiFi works with the OEM firmware.

You are the first one to test the new build so I lack additional confirmation.

There is another build for the [url=http://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/ZBT-WE1326-GO2018-04-15.zip]WE1326[/url] that is a few months older that you might try. It was reported as working.

[contempotec]

The code from April did the trick. The WE1326 is running like a champ with the MC7455 and allowing the gigabit hardline connection as well as the AC level WiFi.

I am surprised that we had to go through all this to get the WE1326 running. I guess not many people buy this unit. The internal 4G antennas got everyone shy of it? Well, I can say that through my testing I get the same internet speeds from T-Mobile with the WE1326 as I do with the WE826 and its external antennas.

The real advantage of the WE1326 is the AC level WiFi. It surprisingly does well against my own high end business level APs in terms of connection speed. Raw connection speed examination for the WE1326 shows speeds that were about 85% of my APs. In real world usage that is not really a noticeable difference.

Jim, as usual, thanks for the support!

[RockinBandit]

I came here from the ROOter thread as Jim had posted the link.

I have not as yet needed to set up wifi but after reading jimhelms post found that I have the same problem, I have just installed the image jimhelms asked dairyman for.

However I was already running the April image as dairyman made it for me, I do recall seeing there as well that wireless is disabled or not associated.

"There is another build for the WE1326 that is a few months older that you might try. It was reported as working."
My mistake I had not tried to set up wifi, I find it strange that the April code did the trick for you.

I also had the Chinese language issue after a hard reset before flashing GO

[contempotec]

RockinBandit,

My process was to use the recovery flash process to get back to the OEM code that Jim also provided in this thread. The WiFi worked fine so I used the OEM's standard flash process to flash to the GoldenOrb 4-15 version. Came up with WiFi and so I put back in the MC7455 and I have been good since.

When I tried this process with the newer GoldenOrb 7-8 version I ended up with the not associated WiFi so I am guessing that that version is missing WiFi code or non-standard setting.

Again, I did all this with my Sierra Wireless card removed from the unit.

[RockinBandit]

@contempotec

I need to rectify some errors from my previous post

Actually I did have WiFi working on the April image but only in N mode no AC available.
The current image WiFi is not working (not associated) but if it was it would be in AC mode.

I am unable to remove my card as it has the Quectel EC25 card built in

Was the OEM code Jim provided in Chinese?
My unit came with OPENWRT Barrier Breaker but I did a hard reset not knowing that it was a flash over the original which happened to be a Chinese firmware.

You have the only other WE 1326 I know of When you view connection log in ROOter does it show variations such as this? obviously it wouldn't say Quectel being Sierra Wireless.

Wed Jul 11 17:25:32 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Quectel EC25)
Wed Jul 11 17:26:00 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Android Android)

[contempotec]

RockinBandit,

Maybe there is two different variations of the WE1326. Mine, bought from thewirelesshaven.com, came without a modem so I bought with it the Sierra Wireless MC7455. I just opened up the base of the unit by removing 4 screw and carefully removing the main board. You have to be careful because all the WiFi antenna wires are there and connected.

Once I had the main board, there was a lovely PCI Express mini connector for me to insert the MC7455 into. I attached the two LTE wires which run to the internal antenna to the proper connectors on the MC7455 and I was good to go. Are you saying that your Quectel EC25 is actually part of the main board and you do not have a PCI Express mini connector? Have you actually opened up your unit, yet?

I never bothered to look at the logs because the MC7455 connected to my carrier after I ran the AT command set that Jim has suggested in one of his tutorials. I was connected onto the WE1326 via my laptop via AC wireless before shutting everything down for the night.

My unit came with stock ZBT firmware in English. It was probably the same code Jim provided the link to. I booted into the stock code and immediately updated to the GoldenOrb WG3526 firmware and that is where my issues began. Again, now that I am on WE1326 GoldenOrb April code, the unit runs as expected.

[RockinBandit]

contempotec,

I bought my unit from the manufacturer Cioswi and chose the model with the Quectel EC-25 modem (Australia variant) installed.
I have not opened the unit, I am not sure but believe it is on the mini-PCIE slot on main board, the router has a sim slot.

I have used the the image that Jim provided it is the same one mine had before I did a hard reset, there is actually a Chinese one there after a hard reset removes the OpenWrt firmware.

I have not been as fortunate as you, once I re-flashed GO 4-15, I only have 11 N wireless but no 11 AC wireless.

Edit, now WiFi is not working at all.

[Dairyman]

There is a new ROOter build for the WE1326 based on the April snapshot build system but with the newest ROOter scripts in it.

http://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/we1326-GO2018-07-15.zip

This should have working Wifi and the best modem support of any of the WE1326 images.

[contempotec]

Dairyman,

Thanks for the build. I just upgraded to it directly from my the April version of GO that I was using. Happily my WiFi is running and that is on both the N and the AC bands.

System Status 2.JPG

Wireless Status 2.JPG

I renamed the AC WiFi to make sure that I was able to get to it easily for my testing. Again, thanks!

RockinBandit,

I am sorry to hear that my process did not work for you. The WiFi's actually was up and running on the OEM/original code, right? The only reason I asked is that I did get a defective WE826 where WiFi was not operational. It was swapped out by thewirelesshaven.com and the new unit has worked smoothly since. It is good to double check you do not have an actual hardware issue.

[RockinBandit]

contempotec,

Looking at your screen shot this is the same as mine, since I have used the new image from dairyman.
Probably my lack of knowledge. My other devices pick up the signal with WiFi N but not WiFi AC, so am thinking those devices WiFi cards aren't capable to use AC

But now have the issue of the modem continuously dropping signal so at present have gone back to my E8732h stick modem.

[RockinBandit]

Dairyman has made a new image GoldenOrb_2018-07-20

I flashed it on the Saturday 21st and it gave me a solid connection for the next 10 hrs before shutting down.
WiFi is working SMS is working.

[contempotec]

Dairyman,

Sadly, I was as fortunate using the 7-20 build. I ended up losing AC WiFi. It became not associated.

System Status 3.JPG

Wireless status 3.JPG

I ended up doing the recovery flash method to get back to the 7-15 build where both N and AC are running fine.

[Dairyman]

You need to set the channel on the 5Ghz Wifi to make it associate.

Also, if you change the Country back to 'World' you will have access to channels below 52.

Channels above 52 have a 1 minute wait to check for radar before they are applied so you have to wait after changing the channel before it works again.

This problem happened because of bad programming on my part and I've fixed it now.

[RockinBandit]

New image just released for WE1326.

I have only been connected for about 100 minutes but it has been stable so far WiFi is working.

[RockinBandit]

As stated in my previous post, I said that WIFI was working, but I rarely use it and is usually connected to another machine next to the router so that worked fine.

I have now had a need to use the WIFI in other rooms and outside the house, in the next room it is fair outside basically have a connection but not strong enough signal to use the net,

When I ran my TP-LINK MR3420 I never had any issues in the same places.

Would other users of any ZBT router let me no how bad/good their signal strength is?