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| docs:guide-user:troubleshooting:failsafe_and_factory_reset [2023/07/29 13:33] – [Fixing your settings] vgaetera | docs:guide-user:troubleshooting:failsafe_and_factory_reset [2024/06/23 11:45] – Tweak failsafe to remind about setting static IP for the PC richb-hanover | ||
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| ====== Failsafe mode, factory reset, and recovery mode ====== | ====== Failsafe mode, factory reset, and recovery mode ====== | ||
| - | OpenWrt offers several ways to "start over" with your router. | + | OpenWrt offers several ways to "start over" with your router: |
| - | * **Failsafe | + | * **[[docs: |
| - | * **Factory Reset** erases all your packages and settings, returning the router to its initial state after installing OpenWrt. | + | * **[[docs: |
| - | * **Recovery | + | * **[[docs: |
| - | + | ||
| - | <WRAP center round info 90%> | + | |
| - | **Factory Reset** depends on completing the boot process. If **Factory Reset** is not working, try with **Failsafe Mode** instead. | + | |
| - | </ | + | |
| ===== Failsafe mode ===== | ===== Failsafe mode ===== | ||
| - | OpenWrt allows you to boot into a **failsafe mode** that overrides its current configuration. If your device becomes inaccessible, | + | OpenWrt allows you to boot into a **failsafe mode** that overrides its current configuration. |
| + | If your device becomes inaccessible, | ||
| + | When you reboot in failsafe mode, the device starts up in a basic operating state, with a few hard coded defaults, and you can begin to fix the problem manually. | ||
| - | Failsafe mode **cannot**, however, fix more deeply rooted problems like faulty hardware or a broken kernel. It is similar to a reset, however with failsafe, you can access your device and restore settings if desired, whereas a reset would just wipe everything. | + | Failsafe mode can be triggered by pressing (almost any) button on the device shortly after powering it on. |
| + | Each router | ||
| - | **Caveat:** Failsafe mode is only available if you have installed firmware from a SquashFS | + | Failsafe mode **cannot**, however, fix more deeply rooted problems like faulty hardware or a broken kernel. |
| + | It is similar to a reset, however with failsafe, you can access your device and restore settings if desired, whereas a reset would just wipe everything. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Caveat:** Failsafe mode is only available if you have installed firmware from a Squashfs | ||
| + | To verify whether your device has the SquashFS root partition, check for " | ||
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| Line 25: | Line 28: | ||
| /dev/root /rom squashfs ro,relatime 0 0 | /dev/root /rom squashfs ro,relatime 0 0 | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| ==== Entering failsafe mode ==== | ==== Entering failsafe mode ==== | ||
| - | Make sure you use a wired connection, since the failsafe will disable your wireless connectivity. Sometimes you need to connect to a specific network port of your router to get connectivity. **Try the LAN 1 port first.** | + | Failsafe mode starts |
| + | DHCP and wireless connectivity. | ||
| + | You will need to set your PC to a static address on the same subnet | ||
| + | (e.g., 192.168.1.10) and connect via Ethernet. | ||
| + | Sometimes you need to connect to a specific network port of your router | ||
| + | to get connectivity. | ||
| + | **Try the LAN1 port first.** | ||
| + | DSA devices | ||
| - | On most routers, OpenWrt will blink an LED (usually " | + | On most routers, OpenWrt will blink an LED (usually " |
| + | Early in the boot cycle, OpenWrt watches | ||
| + | inside a specific two second window | ||
| **To enter failsafe mode, follow one of the procedures listed below:** | **To enter failsafe mode, follow one of the procedures listed below:** | ||
| - | **Recommended | + | **Simplest - recommended |
| + | This can be the WPS, Reset, or other button on the device. | ||
| - | For most users and most devices, the LEDs now (2018) | + | The LEDs provide clues for timing the button |
| - | + | Watch the LED blinking speeds immediately after powering up the router. | |
| - | There are three different (power) LED blinking speeds during boot for most of the routers: | + | Most routers show three different (power) LED blinking speeds during boot: |
| * A power-on sequence of lights that is specific to the device' | * A power-on sequence of lights that is specific to the device' | ||
| - | * Then a fast 5-per-second blinking rhythm during two seconds, while router waits for user to trigger the failsafe mode, typically by a button press | + | * Then a fast 5-per-second blinking rhythm during two seconds, while router waits for a button press |
| - | * Then either | + | * Then either: |
| - | * A faster, 10-per-second blink if the user pressed a button and failsafe mode was triggered | + | * A faster, 10-per-second blink if failsafe mode was triggered. The device is listening on 192.168.1.1 |
| - | * A slower, 2.5-per-second blink continuing to the end of boot, if the failsafe was not triggered and the normal | + | * A slower, 2.5-per-second blink continuing to the end of normal |
| + | * If you missed the timing | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Alternate for expert users: Wait (with a packet sniffer) for a special broadcast packet and press a button.** The packet will be sent to destination address 192.168.1.255 port UDP 4919. | ||
| + | The packet contains the text "// | ||
| + | So for example, in a terminal and using tcpdump, with the router connected to port eth0 of your computer, you would enter the command < | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Alternate for expert users with serial connection: Watch for a boot message on the serial console and press a key (" | ||
| + | The message shown in the console is "// | ||
| - | **Alternate for expert users: Wait (with a packet sniffer) for a special broadcast packet and press a button.** The packet will be sent to destination address 192.168.1.255 port UDP 4919. The packet contains | + | Usually, it is easiest |
| + | However, do consult | ||
| + | Whichever trigger you use, the device will enter failsafe mode and you can access | ||
| - | **Alternate | + | Note that modern OpenWrt always uses SSH for terminal connections. |
| - | Usually, it is easiest to watch the LEDs. However, do consult the available documentation for your device, as there is no default button assigned as a reset button and not all procedures work on every device. Whichever trigger you use, the device will enter failsafe mode and you can access the command line with SSH (always possible) or a serial keyboard. | ||
| - | Note that modern OpenWrt always uses SSH, but early OpenWrt releases (15.05 and before) offered a telnet connection in this state but no SSH. | + | ================= |
| ==== Fixing your settings ==== | ==== Fixing your settings ==== | ||
| - | Once failsafe mode is triggered, the router will boot with a network address of 192.168.1.1/ | + | Once failsafe mode is triggered, the router will boot with a network address of 192.168.1.1/ |
| + | When in failsafe mode, the DHCP server will not be running. | ||
| + | You must set your computer' | ||
| Using SSH or a serial connection, you can then mount the JFFS2 partition with the following command: | Using SSH or a serial connection, you can then mount the JFFS2 partition with the following command: | ||
| Line 65: | Line 90: | ||
| The JFFS2 partition will be mounted to ''/ | The JFFS2 partition will be mounted to ''/ | ||
| - | You can also transfer files by using scp command/ | + | You can also transfer files by using scp command/ |
| Additional steps required for [[: | Additional steps required for [[: | ||
| Line 87: | Line 112: | ||
| ===== Factory reset ===== | ===== Factory reset ===== | ||
| - | A factory reset returns your router to the configuration it had just after flashing. This works on any install with a squashfs / overlayfs setup (the norm for most installations), | + | A factory reset returns your router to the configuration it had just after flashing. |
| + | This works on any install with a squashfs / overlayfs setup (the norm for most installations), | ||
| - | :!: x86 builds (made for PC/Server hardware) with an ext4 read-write rootfs cannot | + | With a large NOR chip, it can take 3 to 5 minutes |
| + | During | ||
| - | With a large NOR chip, it can take 3 to 5 minutes for the overlayfs to be formatted in the flash. During this time, changes | + | **Caveat: |
| + | * Factory reset depends on completing | ||
| + | * x86 builds (made for PC/Server hardware) with an ext4 read-write rootfs | ||
| ==== Reset button ==== | ==== Reset button ==== | ||
| Line 97: | Line 126: | ||
| - Power on the device and wait for the status led to stop flashing (or go into failsafe mode, as described above). | - Power on the device and wait for the status led to stop flashing (or go into failsafe mode, as described above). | ||
| - | - Press and hold the reset button for 10 seconds. | + | - Press and hold the reset button for 10 seconds. |
| - Release the reset button. | - Release the reset button. | ||
| - | The device will do a hard factory reset (see below) and then reboot. This operation can be slow on some devices, so wait a few minutes before connecting again. | + | The device will do a hard factory reset (see below) and then reboot. |
| + | This operation can be slow on some devices, so wait a few minutes before connecting again. | ||
| ==== Soft factory reset ==== | ==== Soft factory reset ==== | ||
| - | If you want a clean slate, there’s no need to flash again; just enter the following commands. Your device' | + | If you want a clean slate, there’s no need to flash again; just enter the following commands. |
| + | Your device' | ||
| - | Issuing " | + | Issuing " |
| + | Note that this "soft reset" is performed with file system actions, so in some cases it is not enough. | ||
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| - | firstboot && reboot | + | firstboot && reboot |
| </ | </ | ||
| Line 118: | Line 150: | ||
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| - | firstboot -y && reboot | + | firstboot -y && reboot |
| </ | </ | ||
| Line 157: | Line 189: | ||
| ======================================================= | ======================================================= | ||
| - | admin@(none):/# | + | admin@(none):/# |
| [ 102.942293] jffs2reset: This will erase all settings and remove any installed packages. Are you sure? [N/y] | [ 102.942293] jffs2reset: This will erase all settings and remove any installed packages. Are you sure? [N/y] | ||
| y | y | ||
| Line 166: | Line 198: | ||
| ...</ | ...</ | ||
| - | Tips**:** after (a openwrt | + | Tips**:** after (a OpenWrt |
| + | The boot menu accepts | ||
| + | After that bootmenu stage, within 3 to 8 seconds later (depending on CPU speed, etc) the failsafe mode appears & passes, so you have to press the " | ||
| ==== Hard factory reset ==== | ==== Hard factory reset ==== | ||
| === Re-flashing the firmware === | === Re-flashing the firmware === | ||
| - | Factory reset is an [[docs: | + | Re-flash or upgrade |
| - | OpenWrt preserves | + | |
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| sysupgrade -n / | sysupgrade -n / | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | OpenWrt preserves settings [[docs: | ||
| === JFFS2 reset === | === JFFS2 reset === | ||
| - | Force OpenWrt to re-format | + | Reset the JFFS2 partition. |
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| - | umount /overlay && jffs2reset && reboot | + | umount /overlay && jffs2reset && reboot |
| </ | </ | ||
| Line 187: | Line 222: | ||
| === F2FS reset === | === F2FS reset === | ||
| - | Force OpenWrt to re-format | + | Reset the F2FS partition. |
| <code bash> | <code bash> | ||
| dd if=/ | dd if=/ | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== Recovery mode ===== | ||
| - | If neither failsafe mode nor factory reset returns control of your router, you can often replace the firmware of your device using one of the procedures described on the [[docs: | ||