TP-Link RE6000XD

TP-Link RE6000XD a WiFi-6 range extender that can be repurposed as a WiFi Access Point with 2.5g WAN connection, and it's probably the cheapest 2.5g WiFi AP out there. It has body design and internal components highly similar to TP-Link AX80 v1 (EU version) except without any USB port.

See paragraphs Hardware or Tags for more details.

Check out Supported Since Commit field for instructions on how to flash OpenWrt, and also Installation section below.

remove the 2 screws at the bottom and the one at the backside. un-clip the case starting at the bottom of the device. Pry the outer case to the side(outwards).

Serial console (UART), unpopulated

Orientation: you can read the word “Top” on the bottom left corner on the Mainboard

                            
  +-------+-------+-------+-------+
  |  TX   |  RX   |  GND  | +3.3V |
  +---+---+-------+-------+-------+
                             |
                             +--- Don't connect
  

• 1. Place OpenWrt initramfs image on tftp server with IP 192.168.1.2
• 2. Attach UART, switch on the router and interrupt the boot process by

pressing 'Ctrl-C'

• 3. Load and run OpenWrt initramfs image:

 
MT7986> tftpboot openwrt-24.10.5-mediatek-filogic-tplink_re6000xd-initramfs-kernel.bin
Using ethernet@15100000 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.2; our IP address is 192.168.1.1
Filename 'openwrt-24.10.5-mediatek-filogic-tplink_re6000xd-initramfs-kernel.bin'.
Load address: 0x46000000
Loading: #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         #################################################################
         ######
         11.9 MiB/s
done
Bytes transferred = 8674604 (845d2c hex)
MT7986> bootm
## Loading kernel from FIT Image at 46000000 ...
   Using 'config-1' configuration
   Trying 'kernel-1' kernel subimage
     Description:  ARM64 OpenWrt Linux-6.6.119

• 4. Run 'sysupgrade -n' with the sysupgrade OpenWrt image

scp -O ./Downloads/openwrt-24.10.5-mediatek-filogic-tplink_re6000xd-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin root@192.168.1.1:/tmp/
openwrt-24.10.5-mediatek-filogic-tplink_re6000xd-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin                                  100% 9180KB  38.7MB/s   00:00  

back on the UART:

cd /tmp/
sysupgrade -n ./openwrt-24.10.5-mediatek-filogic-tplink_re6000xd-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

Your device will reboot and you are now done! 🎉

• OpenWrt Forum thread: https://forum.openwrt.org/t/first-time-installation-on-tp-link-re6000xd/222492/