ipq806x: add support for TP-Link Talon AD7200

[Bas Mevissen]

On 2020-10-12 12:46, Daniel Golle wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 12, 2020 at 11:59:17AM +0200, Bas Mevissen wrote:
>> On 2020-10-12 11:40, Bjørn Mork wrote:
>> > Bas Mevissen <abuse at basmevissen.nl> writes:
>> >
>> > > Nice work, but does it make sense to add a device that is already
>> > > EOL'ed by the manufacturer? I guess the installed base is also rather
>> > > small.
>> >
>> > Definitely!
>> >
>> > IMHO, it should me enough that there is one user with enough interest to
>> > actually do the work, submit it and - hopefully - maintain it for a
>> > while.
>> >
>> 
>> The latter, maintenance, is my biggest question mark. Technically 
>> keeping
>> the sources compile is the smallest task. You need someone to actually 
>> use
>> recent builds all the time and preferably in multiple use cases to 
>> catch
>> regressions. Otherwise, it might give a false impression that the 
>> device is
>> supported and working.
>> 
>> > In addition,
>> >  - each supported device serves as a template and example for
>> >    similar devices, simplifying support for other products.
>> 
>> It is not really an unique product. It looks like it was (just) 
>> created to
>> be a showcase at CES2016.
> 
> To me it makes sense to support this device because it's easier to do
> than MikroTik or ubnt devices with 802.11ad which have their special
> quirks for EEPROM extraction and such (but yet those are very
> interesting targets imho!). Starting with a TP-Link device which more
> or less implements a plain reference design is a very good start for
> 802.11ad in Openwrt.
> 

OK, good point. I'll buy a few when the price drops :-)
Obviously, my concern about maintenance remains when there is support 
for a more popular equivalent device.

> 
>> 
>> >  - OpenWrt support is good for the environment by increasing the usable
>> >    lifetime of a device
>> 
>> True in itself. I have a very old TP-Link TL1043ND V1.x running (for 
>> which
>> support will be removed soon because it gets very difficult to keep 
>> them
>> going with current software sizes).
>> 
>> >  - you can still buy this device new, despite the EoL announcement
>> >
>> 
>> But should you? I would be very reluctant with buying EOL devices,
>> especially when being a "first" and with the price still up.
>> 
>> I think that OpenWRT should be careful not to spend resources on 
>> devices
>> that have no large install base nor any chance of getting it. In that
>> respect, I would prefer to prioritize on low RAM / low flash devices 
>> instead
>> as they are everywhere and mostly running outdated insecure software. 
>> With
>> things like ZRAM and an external flash drive, there life span could be
>> meaningfully extended.
>> 
>> >
>> > Bjørn
>> 
>> Bas.
>> 
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