Overview

This repository publishes an OpenWrt port for the Realtek subsystem of the Alcatel LINKHUB HH71VM (RTL8197FS + RTL8812FE), together with the source delta it is built from.

The supported deployment is a permanent installation into the Realtek SPI flash. The router then boots OpenWrt on its own and keeps its settings across power cycles.

Loading the build into RAM is still available as an optional dry run for owners who have a UART adapter and want to see the port work on their unit before writing flash. It is not the normal way to use this firmware.

Start here

After any installation attempt, successful or not, please submit a compatibility report.

Firmware files

Builds are distributed as immutable Releases, each with matching checksums, source archives, and a signed package feed. The latest flash bundle contains the firmware, flashing tools, and installation guides. No generated firmware or IPK files are stored in the Git repository; cloning the repository is only needed for development.

See firmware Releases for the bundle checksum and individual image links. The floating latest links are only for downloading new firmware. An installed image uses the exact immutable Release tag embedded at build time for its package feed. See package installation for that ABI boundary.

Before you install anything

Read this section in full. It is short and it is the difference between a recoverable and an unrecoverable mistake.

• Take your own stock backup first. The installer reads the original flash contents of your router over the network and saves them. That copy is what restores your stock firmware if you decide to go back. Do not use a Realtek dump from another HH71VM for recovery: it can contain device-specific settings and may not match your hardware.
• The bootloader is never overwritten. Installation writes only the kernel and root filesystem. The bootloader, the hwsetting area holding the MAC addresses, the vendor configuration, and the vendor JFFS2 partition are left alone. This is what makes recovery possible without opening the case.
• Settings survive a reinstall. They live in their own partition that installation does not touch, so reinstalling the firmware does not clear a configuration that has locked you out. docs/factory-reset.md covers the two ways to clear it: the RESET button, and a TFTP tool that works even when the router does not boot.
• Recovery does not need UART. The stock bootloader drops into its own console when the WPS button is held while power is applied, and brings Ethernet up by itself. The rollback tool uses that path.
• A hardware safety net is still worth having. An SPI flash programmer and a full-chip dump recover a device in any state. Nothing in this repository requires one.
• The Qualcomm modem subsystem is not touched. It is a separate system with its own firmware and settings, and installing OpenWrt on the Realtek side does not reset it.

What works on the reference device

RAM image

Download the latest nfjrom image and verify it against the Release SHA256SUMS.

RAM boot is only a compatibility dry run. It does not exercise flash installation, persistence, sysupgrade, or rollback, and all OpenWrt-side changes disappear at power-off.

Default network settings

These credentials are public. Set a root password and change both Wi-Fi keys immediately after the first boot.

Reporting safely

Both positive and negative results are valuable. Reports should identify the visible board revision, device model, region, stock firmware version, and exact image hash, then include the requested diagnostic output.

Review every log before publishing it. Redact device-unique data you do not want public, including full MAC addresses, serial numbers, IMEI/IMSI values, phone numbers, SMS content, credentials, and keys. Attach searchable text, not screenshots of text.

Repository map

Source and licenses

The source delta used for the published image is included and its OpenWrt and feed revisions are pinned in docs/sources.md.

The source tree contains components under their respective upstream licenses. Project documentation and the RAM boot tool use a separate license. See LICENSING.md for the repository map.