Warning/Disclaimer:  It might brick your device if you don’t understand what you’re doing. I am not responsible for any things that happened to your device or you. It will be much easier for you if you had experience with linux commands and/or flashed a router with custom firmware before.

Xiaomi Router Mini is probly one of  the cheapest dual band wifi router you can get in the market and it is very powerful device for its price. Luckily for me, i purchased it for only RM60ish including shipping from china, the promotion is already expired though.

First thing i realized when i got the Xiaomi Router is, it doesn’t work with Unifi due to non customizable VLAN tags on the official firmware which is expected due to I did some research before I purchase the device. Hence, I flashed it with OpenWrt. I was expecting OpenWrt to work perfectly with Xiaomi Router Mini. However, I soon realized i was wrong. After some tinkering, I found that not only wireless AC doesn’t work (unable to get the driver working), i am unable to get Hypptv (issues with vlan tagging but only for iptv specifically, PPPoE works fine) working as well.

After I failed to get it working, I tried PandoraBox as well but PandoraBox can’t even support vlan tagging correctly.

I was almost ready to give up... until i found a promising firmware by hiboyhiboyhiboy ( http://www.right.com.cn/forum/thread-161324-1-1.html it is in chinese if you can read) . I've compiled my own version of Padavan firmware, you can check Files you need (to download) section for the link. It customized based on Padavan ( https://bitbucket.org/padavan/rt-n56u ). If you want, you can compile it from the source by following this guide ( https://bitbucket.org/padavan/rt-n56u/wiki/...wToMakeFirmware ).

Updates:
08 January 2016, I've compiled my own version of Padavan's firmware with minimum customization, with come with OpenVPN support and remapped the GPIO and some ports accordingly for Xiaomi Miwifi Mini router. It is compiled from latest commit ( ba454a7 )

Files you need (to download)
1.  Breed bootloader
2. Custom Padavan firmware megablue edition v1
For those who had experience with flashing a router this is the short version or overview of the guide.
1. Gain access to the router console either telnet or ssh or web based console
2. Installing the custom bootloader - Breed
3. Boot into Breed, install the Padavan firmware
4. Do the basic configures and vlan taggings to get it to work with Unifi or Maxis broadband
Gain access to the router console either telnet or ssh or web based console
there are various ways to gain access the to console, I only show the easiest way that I found on ( https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/xiaomi/mini )

1. Connect to your PC to your router with ethernet cable
2. Power on and setup the Xiaomi router until it reboots and gets IP address 192.168.31.1
3. Log-in into the router and grab the value of the stok URL parameter (for instance: "9c2428de4d17e2db7e5a6a337e6f57a3")
4. Replace the <STOK> placeholder and load this URL in your browser or curl, this will start telnetd on the router:

5. It should spit out some wifi error code, that is ok, don't worry.
6. Replace the <STOK> placeholder, the current password and the desired root password and load this URL in your browser or curl, this will set the router root password

It should spit out: {"code":0}
7. Telnet to the router, enter user root and NEWPASS chosen above.

Installing the custom bootloader - Breed
1. Now i assuming you have access to your router console/telnet/ssh.
2. This is the risky part, proceed with extreme caution as a broken bootloader could brick your router, the only way for you to revive the router would be 3. physically wire the TTL connection to rewrite the bootloader.
4. Download Breed for Xiaomi router mini ( http://breed.hackpascal.net/r802%20%5b2015...iaomi-mini.bin) .
5. Copy it to the root directory of a usb thumb drive (1GB free space is more than enough) with FAT/FAT32 partition.
6. Plug the thumb drive into the router.
7. at the console, type  follow by you should be able to see the breed-mt7620-xiaomi-mini.bin
8. type it will list out the partitions on the router flash chip.
9. look for "Bootloader" it should be listed as  mtd1: 00030000 00010000 "Bootloader"
10. now dump a backup of the partition to your usb drive with following command
11. you should also create a backup for all other partitions listed with as well, just name them accordingly.
12. now you’re ready to install the custom bootloader, type
13. it should shows rebooting when the installation is complete.

Boot into Breed, install the Padavan firmware
1. download the custom Padavan firmware megablue edition v1 and unzip it (you dont need to unzip it, it is already in the extracted form)
2. power off your router, look for a pinhole at the back of your router, press and hold it with a pin, while holding the button in the pinhole, power on your router.
3. release the pinhole button when you see orange/yellow light is blinking.
4. open your browser (preferably Chrome) and type 192.168.1.1 into the address bar.
7. you should be able to access the Breed web interface (in chinese but i will guide you!).
8. Now select the second button on the menu it should says 固件更新
9. now you should be located at http://192.168.1.1/upgrade.html select 固件 and upload the custom Padavan firmware. it should look like this https://i.imgur.com/28pq86W.png
10. wait for the progress bar to complete, it should reboots automatically.
11. you might need to boot into Breed for the second time to reset the default settings for the Padavan firmware. to reset the settings, click the 5th button on the menu, the select Config 區 (公版). It should look like this https://i.imgur.com/oFjNtBm.png
click 執行 to reset the settings,

vlan taggings to get it to work with Unifi & Hypptv
1. now the router should be flashed with the the firmware, it should be accessible at 192.168.1.1 with username: admin and password: admin.
2. now we’re going to configure the basic internet and iptv (for unifi, if you’re using maxis broadband you need to adjust the vlan accordingly) .
3. Click Advanced Settings -> WAN
4. WAN Connection type PPPoE
5. Under PPP VPN client setting key in your unifi account username and password
6. Under Ports Isolation and VLAN Filtering
7. Choose IPTV STB Port: LAN2 (last LAN port counting from left to right)
9. VLAN CPU (Internet) VID 500
8. VLAN CPU IPTV VID 600
9. VLVAN LAN2 VID 600
10. it should look something like this https://i.imgur.com/Cxmstbg.png
11. click apply
12. now you should be able to access the internet and Hypptv.
while the rest of the router functions pretty much self-explanatory. i am too lazy to continue as the guide is already extremely long for my taste, There are a lot of things you can do with the Padavan firmware (google it for details)

Now enjoy better network performance with highly affordable price

here, https://mega.nz/#!dVAnBZ4A!V5A26H1a...bDYz673suwhnWnU

For sharing, just compile the firmware on this morning.

MI-3_3.4.3.9-099_1aae35d.trx

Padavan Commits

Hi, I have a Mi3 router that I bought long time ago, kept in my car boot for ages.

Would like to flash it to 'padavan' so that I can use it with my UNIFI.

May I know, IF i want to use the 'latest' compilation by IronTech, which part of the flashing tutorial should be replace with his file?

Hi guys, I just wanted to ask if all of you who have the Mi Router 3 with Padavan installed have the VPN options available.

I got the Mi 3 a coule of years ago, took me a while to install Padavan but I managed to do so.

What I found is that everything works ok but I don't have any VPN Client & Server options menu item.

These days I've been trying to find out why it's missing, I updated the Padavan scripts and source code, checked that OpenVPN was enabled in the firmware module configuration and rebuilt the firmware.

I uploaded it but the VPN options are still not there. I even changed the Skin in the firmware config options to check that it indeed changes, rebuilt  and reuploaded with success on the Skin change, but nothing on the VPN again.

My final try was today when I flahed the @muncheno firmware that he uploaded some days ago. Still no VPN.

Do any of you have a clue about why it's not showing the VPN options? It's not the 3c version, it's the Mi Router 3, with AC wifi.

Thanks in advance

Have you try to reset?
If not, save your setting  and reset?
It sbould be there.

My Mi router is used as repeater mode nowdays, too lazy to change to router mode to check.

Hi, I have a Mi3 router that I bought long time ago, kept in my car boot for ages.

Would like to flash it to 'padavan' so that I can use it with my UNIFI.

May I know, IF i want to use the 'latest' compilation by IronTech, which part of the flashing tutorial should be replace with his file?

Any1 with unifi have try this router?
http://www.lazada.com.my/mi-router-3-76726...Ny&ff=1&sc=GTcC

Best to read the rest of this thread. Unifi will only work with Padavan firmware on Mi 3 router. I had it working but now switched to Time.

And you can get it cheaper than RM149. Mine was about 110.

Hello, who can flash Router Xiaomi 3 for me. I don't know how because the first attempt is fail. I just realize that i am not using ssh but telnet. So i don't know how the step. If anybody can help to flash, i'll pay rm50 include postage to sent the router to the person and the person send to me back. But if my router is damage/ unsuccessful to flashed, i will not pay anything. Please... 

What step are you in?
Where do you really failed?

Current the router is running on xiaomi development firmware? Or stable firmware?

TAKE NOTE that it is Xiaomi Router 3, not mini.
I use TP LINK MR3420, got internet from usb 3g modem that i put into the tplink. So the Xiaomi Router is used as repeater by lan cable from the tp link. I can't flash it through ssh point because a member from Device Team in Miui website suggested me to flash it by connecting lan wire from the Xiaomi to my laptop. But then i don't know the steps, i can't enter 0 to check ssh connection through the process since i am using lan cable. So the flash process failed. Any idea of how to flash the router by lan cable?

Link is shared by irontech on top recently, yet you failed to follow and tell which step are you in.
We need to know what exactly you did that lead you to failure.

If you wanted to pay for the flashing, fine by me.

Sorry dont know how to help you there.

My advise is follow exactly the steps, if need help explain what have been done and where the failure. Good luck.