@Spartan06 

Hello Spartan,  

To start we must mention that your particular router is end of life, and has been for sometime.  The Archer C8 V1 was EOLd at the end of 2016 when the V2 was cut in.  Once a product is EOLd development of future firmware is ended, unless a known bug or security concern comes up. To this point we do not know of any.  Addressing your immediate concern about the firmware being "locked"  The only locks you may encounter is regionally based where you can't install another region's firmware.  Hardware based where you can't install a different version's firmware for instances a V4's firmware can't go on your V1. Or a downgrade lock.  Sometime to keep a router form being exposed to a bug a lock will be placed to prevent downgrades to lower/less secure firmware.  You are on an old firmware, even for your router so please use this link to download the last firmware released for your product.