Previously, I recommended the RAX3000M router to everyone, which offers a great entry-level device with 512M memory + MediaTek MT7981 + AX3000 specifications for just around 100 dollars, and it's also flashable. I purchased one myself, and in this episode, I'll unbox it for you and provide a tutorial on how to flash it. The packaging is quite plain, as it is a carrier-customized device and an entry-level model. The front features the router's appearance and the RAX3000M model number.

Upon opening, you'll find the router itself, similar to other carrier-customized devices I've purchased in the past, with packaging that is as minimalistic as possible.

The included power adapter is 12V1A, which is normal considering the low power consumption of MediaTek chips, especially for an entry-level device.

Honestly, the appearance is really good-looking. For a 100-dollar router, it's definitely worth it!

The back is covered with numerous ventilation holes for heat dissipation, as well as stickers with the device's information.

The Mesh and reset buttons are located on the back, not on the side with the network ports.

The sticker includes the default username and password, MAC address, and other information, along with a QR code for the app, which supports mobile app management.

On the back, there are 4 Gigabit ports, 1 WAN + 3 LAN, and a USB 3.0 port that is not typically found at this price point. With a USB port, the device's playability soars, and after flashing, it can even be used as a light home NAS.

Disassembling the device is also simple: remove the two screws under the sticker, and you can slide off the back cover.

Once the back cover is removed, you can see the heat sink that covers the entire device, which is quite large and should handle the 7981 chip without issue. There are 5 antennas in total, including 4 external ones and 1 internal one.Remove the two screws that secure the PCB, then take off the antenna to remove the PCB. There is also a heat sink on the back side.

By removing the heat spreader, you will see the only chip on the back, a 128MB SLC flash memory chip, the Winbond 25N01GVZEIG.

After removing the heat spreader on the front, you can see a shielding cover underneath, which is thermally connected to the heat spreader with thermal paste. Upon removing the shielding cover, you can see the CPU and wireless chip below.

The largest chip, the MT7531A, is the switch chip.

The SOC is the MediaTek MT7981, a dual-core A53 1.3GHz processor, integrated with 2.4G and 5G basebands. Next to it is the 512MB DDR4 memory from Nanya. Just imagine, this is a $10 router, and it comes with 512M of memory, what a concept!

The wireless RF chip is the standard for the 7981—MT7976CN, which integrates 2.4G and 5G FEM.

Having finished the disassembly, let's now proceed to flash the firmware, as the default system from China Mobile is quite poor. Connect to any of the router's LAN ports, open 192.168.10.1, and enter the default username and password (which can be found on the sticker at the back of the router).

Save the settings casually, as we won't be using this system.

Go to the main interface and click on 'More'.

Click on 'Management'—'Configuration Management'.Upload the rax3000m-ssh.conf configuration file from the firmware package to unlock the SSH function, which facilitates flashing. The download link for the firmware package is on Baidu Pan: /s/1AUM5Mjvq2Z_iTHceZZ2Ib, with the extraction code: sbc7.

After uploading, once the router has restarted and you can access the backend, use the MobaXterm software to SSH into the router's backend. You can search for this software on Baidu and download it. The IP is 192.168.10.1, select SSH, and click OK.

The SSH account after unlocking is root, and the password is 1234567890, enter it and press Enter.

Upload the uboot.bin from the firmware package to the tmp directory.

Enter the command `cd ..` to go back to the root level, then input `cd tmp` to enter the tmp directory, and input `mtd write uboot.bin FIP` to flash the uboot.

If the device does not get stuck in boot, the flashing is successful. As long as the boot does not die, you can flash at will. Enter the `reboot` command to restart the router, unplug the router's power supply. Use a needle to press the reset button, plug in the power supply, and once you see the blue light flashing, you can release the needle. Manually set the network card IP to 192.168.1.2, subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, and gateway to 192.168.1.1, then save.

Enter 192.168.1.1 to open the uboot interface.

Upload the factory firmware from the compressed package.

After the upload is complete, click update to flash the firmware.

Seeing 'update complete' indicates that the flashing is finished. At this point, set the network card's IP acquisition back to automatic.Enter 192.168.2.1 to access the firmware backend. If you want to flash the firmware again, you don't need to enter uboot. Just click on System - Backup Upgrade, and flash without retaining the configuration. Most firmwares are universal. However, be aware that there is a 64GB EMMC version of the RAX3000M, and the firmware is not universal. Flashing it could brick the device, so make sure you don't get the wrong one; look for the NAND version. The screenshot I have is already the interface of someone else's firmware that I've flashed.

The firmware flashing is now complete, so have fun experimenting!

I also tested the wireless quality of the router with the following house structure.

I tested the speed right next to the router and at points A and B. At 15PM, the speed next to the router could reach 940M, which is the limit due to the Gigabit LAN port. Otherwise, it could go even higher. Moreover, the firmware's wireless performance is excellent, and I didn't encounter the disconnection issues with MediaTek and Apple devices, which have been fixed by the developer. You can find the firmware on your own on the internet; I won't provide it to avoid any potential issues.

At point A, the speed is somewhat reduced, but 640M is still a very good performance.

At point B, the speed is around 90M, which I think is quite strong for a router in the hundred-dollar range.

That's it for this episode. This hundred-dollar router is currently the king of cost-performance, offering great value! However, be aware that its heat dissipation is quite average, so it's recommended to elevate it and ensure good heat dissipation during the summer!

Thank you for watching.