How do I find the chip inside my OpenWRT router?
How do I find the chip inside my OpenWRT router?
I have local bookstore/hackerspace getting a whole pallet of cheap routers from Atlas Media. They are labeled AMW-DBR 1200AC, but they aren't the real model because they came from China and got rebranded. The store wants to know if we can run OpenWRT on these for some projects they're working on, but they need to figure out which processor chip is inside first so they can find a matching firmware file. One employee took one home and plans to take it apart to check what's written on the board inside. I was wondering if there is another way to tell what chipset is there through software or other means if the board isn't labeled?
It isn't looking very good because it is a BCM5358B0 chip, and most routers using this chip are just Tenda models. There are many others that use the BCM5358U version, which might be close enough to make the same drivers work. Generally, Broadcom radios don't run in OpenWRT unless you turn on Wireless-G mode (the only open-source Broadcom driver is tied to that and it can work later). So people will just install this if they need a wired-only router with more security.
The FCCID number that links to BFG-9000 is one of the best ways to get info about a router because most have great pictures showing their inside parts. This means you don't need to take them apart yourself. The only issue would be if you couldn't find an FCC ID, but usually, devices without one weren't legally imported into the US or EU markets back then. Even so, China has its own rules and versions of that number for most things made there, so if you look at Chinese sites, you might find details on many other gadgets.