Thanks for the response. I’m aware that the ART is MAC-address specific (that’s what tipped me off that something was wrong, when it didn’t pick the static IP assignment back up) though based on the OpenWRT wiki it’s relatively easy to modify back to the original values. It’s more about the calibration data for the wireless interfaces; if I’ve blown that away, then it’s going to need refitting.
I also filed a support request earlier today on the contact page, so this is somewhat of a backup in that sense.
And yes, I do agree that the firmware update process leaves a lot to be desired; the whole issue started when trying to install 3.212 over the top of 3.211 from the web interface. This also extends to the uboot upgrade; I probably reflashed it four times today, for no gain, because it was saying a date in July 2019, when the file name on GitHub suggested it was compiled in late 2020. The 2019 date was probably the last version bump upstream. Trying to figure out updating NOR was also very confusing, especially since there’s no .bin builds for the AR300M.
Best of luck with the move, hopefully I won’t require the dump before you’re ready and able to provide it. Please don’t rush on my account.