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Abandonware to OpenWRT: Google OnHub WiFi Router, model PGR1900 by TP-Link

Here are my OpenWRT adventures with the Google OnHub WiFi Router, model PGR1900 by TP-Link.

The Backstory

I found a new looking Google OnHub WiFi Router, model PGR1900 by TP-Link on the street... in the box! I thought it could have been a great win.

But alas, NO.  This WiFi Router has been abandoned by Google, magically turned into eWaste by the fuck-the-planet losers at Alphabet.  Cloud-managed hardware CAN be evil, and this is Case Study #1.

This is very distasteful of Google, as these devices have good hardware and could have had 5 or 10 more years of life left in them.  It's just that Google and its partners can't make any money on something they already sold, so they prefer them to be landfilled to induce you to buy more expensive junk.

Even more evil: They are incorrectly listed as "in production" on Amazon. 

So what to do with this Google Paperweight?  I'm going to pursue OpenWRT, in hopes to address the nasty problems caused by Google.  Before getting too far ahead of ourselves, see the OpenWRT page on this model.

Here are the steps I took to install OpenWRT on this device:

Power Adapter

My trash-found Google Router didn't have a power adapter, so first I had to find out what kind of power it needed.  The device, of course, doesn't list the adapters full specs on the label, so what to do?  Look at the eBay pictures of these devices that people are selling, and hope they're selling them with the original power adapter.

In a couple minutes I found a PGR1900 being offered for $20, including the power adapter.  Good luck selling it for more than $5.  But anyhow, the power adapter's label was clearly visible:

12 VDC @ 3 Amps, center-positive.  Looks like a 5.5mm x 2.1mm barrel jack.

I'm not going to buy the adapter just yet, as I don't want to spend any money on this until I get it working.  

Instead, I decided to use my general purpose adjustable power adapter to power it up.  These things are very handy if you often deal with missing power adapters (trash finds or whatever).  I plugged my adjustable adapter into the the router, and ta-da, the PGR1900 starts up with lights a-glowing... and after a minute, my iPhone can see the former user's SSID.  So generally, the router is alive!

If I end up finding that this router is useful, then I will find (or buy) an adapter that specifically provides 12 VDC, 3A with a center-positive barrel jack. 

[Security Side note: Since I now know the former user's SSID, I did a quick search of the SSIDs in my neighborhood, and there it is!  Looking up the MACADDR of this person's new router reveals that the former owner of this distasteful Google router has migrated to GL.iNet hardware. This is a far, far better choice, as GL-iNet is capable and natively runs OpenWRT software.]

Revealing the Developer Mode Switch

One of the steps to getting this to work with OpenWRT is to press the developer mode switch, but Google has buried the Developer Mode switch:  The switch is hidden under a screw, under the bottom rubber foot.  Why did Google spend good money to bury this switch?  Screws and threaded holes cost real money.  The only valid reason I can think of: since they're not stupid, it must be because they're jerks.

Anyhow, I pealed off the rubber foot with the help of a hot air station set to 150 ºC, revealing the screw.   That was easy.  

Since I've been there, you probably don't have to remove the rubber foot!  The screw can be revealed if you do a little strategic cutting with an X-Acto #11 knife (see photo).  

After locating the screw, I stuck the foot back on and cut a notch in the rubber.  

The screw is easily removed from the router with a 1.5mm Allen (hex) wrench.  From there, I can stick a bent paper clip in the screw hole and feel the "click" of the switch. 

Revealing the Developer Mode Switch
Foot Cut, Revealing the Developer Mode Switch Screw

 OpenWRT Firmware Preparation

I downloaded the OpenWRT firmware, to my Mac, as revealed on the OpenWRT page on this model.

I got an old 4 GB USB-A thumb drive (with a cheap USB-C adapter) and used Disk Utility to re-partition the stick as FAT.

I copied the firmware file to the stick, via drag and drop in the finder.

Installing OpenWRT

So I went and installed OpenWRT via the procedure documented on the OpenWRT page.  And it tanked.  Nothing.  Tried it 7 times.  Never worked.  Anger,  Frustration.

And then I decided to use a new 32 GB USB-A thumb drive.  And it worked!  Yay!  Sometimes I hate USB for being so finicky.

And that's where I am now.  I haven't deployed it yet, but for now, my PGR1900 seems to have a new lease on life.

 


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