Beginners Questions

General
85

Whats the difference does it make if the firewall is made for rooted phones or for phones that never had a firewall to begin with?

Its a firewall.

Use it.

1 Like
86

What is turmux? A way to run ADB without a computer?

88

What is DNS and how could I make good use of it in eGate?

89

What is the difference between a module and an app?

90

DNS works something like this; when your device reaches out to a Domain, for example youtube.com, your device has no idea where it is hosted or how to connect to it, so it reaches out a DNS provider which has all Domain names and their IP addresses, it sees what is requested (youtube.com) and tells your device which IP address to connect to.
The way to utilize it in a filter would be to have the filter act as the DNS provider for your device and when the device tries to connect to a blocked Domain (i.e. requests the IP address of the website that should be blocked) it will give it a broken IP address (0.0.0.0) or the device’s local IP (127.0.0.1) to loop back to itself or another IP address with a blocked message.

2 Likes
91

And some filters use this to redirect all traffic through its servers, where the content filtering gets applied.

92

what about apps that reach out directly? wouldn’t you need a vpn for that?

94

Does sp flash tool work through the bootloader? Would it work on a device that the bootloader doesn’t work because of a secure boot failure?

95

Pretty sure it works through brom.

96

Has it worked on the TCL?
The TCL has brom but it doesn’t connect to mtk client like your device.

97

I once tried but I couldn’t find a working scatter file

98

Why didn’t you create one?

99

which tcl has brom?

100

All of them besides the tracfone/walmart-family/totalwireless and the new 4058G

101

What is the difference between sp and TWRP

102

SP Flash Tool and TWRP are two different tools used for modifying Android devices, but they serve different purposes.

1. SP Flash Tool (Smart Phone Flash Tool)

  • What it does:

    • Used for flashing firmware (ROMs) directly to the device’s storage (e.g., bootloader, system, recovery partitions).
    • Works at a low level, often in “Download Mode” (not regular recovery mode).
    • Mostly used for MediaTek (MTK) chipset devices.

  • When to use it:

    • When your phone is bricked (won’t boot).
    • To install a stock ROM (official firmware).
    • To unbrick a device or fix boot loops.
    • To flash partitions that TWRP can’t modify (like preloader).

  • How it works:

    • Requires a PC (Windows).
    • Needs USB drivers and a scatter file (partition layout).
    • Often used when the phone is completely dead (no recovery/boot).

  • Risks:

    • Can hard-brick the device if used incorrectly.
    • Requires exact firmware for your device model.

2. TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project)

  • What it does:

    • A custom recovery that replaces the stock recovery.
    • Used for flashing custom ROMs, kernels, mods, backups, and wiping partitions.
    • Works in a graphical touch-based interface (easier for beginners).

  • When to use it:

    • To install custom ROMs (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, etc.).
    • To root your device (Magisk).
    • To backup and restore your system (Nandroid backup).
    • To wipe data/cache/dalvik without a full reset.

  • How it works:

    • Boots into recovery mode (not fastboot/download mode).
    • Doesn’t always need a PC (can flash files from SD card/internal storage).
    • Must be unlocked bootloader to install.

  • Risks:

    • Can cause boot loops if flashing incompatible files.
    • Some devices may lose warranty if bootloader is unlocked.

Key Differences

Feature SP Flash Tool TWRP
Purpose Flashing stock firmware Flashing custom ROMs/modifications
Works on Mostly MediaTek devices Any device with unlocked bootloader
Interface PC-based (Windows) Touch-based recovery on device
Brick Recovery Can fix hard bricks Only works if recovery is accessible
Partition Access Full access (even preloader) Limited to boot, system, data, etc.
Ease of Use More complex (requires scatter file) Easier for beginners

Which One Should You Use?

  • Use SP Flash Tool if:

    • Your phone is dead/bricked.
    • You need to restore stock firmware.
    • You have a MediaTek device and no TWRP support.

  • Use TWRP if:

    • You want to install custom ROMs, root, or make backups.
    • Your phone still boots to recovery/fastboot.
    • You have a Qualcomm/Exynos device (SP Flash Tool is mostly for MTK).

Final Tip

  • SP Flash Tool is like a “factory reset” tool (deep-level flashing).
  • TWRP is like a “Swiss Army knife” for modding (user-friendly customization).
1 Like
103

One is a app on your device and one is a tool on your PC. Both for flashing and more

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105

an app is a program that runs on your device, a module tweaks something on your device

106

Nice.

Very clearly explained, and well-formatted.

Which bot wrote that up?

107

Where’s the topic I couldn’t find it