Can't install packages in OpenWrt

I would like to connect my router to an OpenVPN connection and attempted to follow instructions on https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/vpn/openvpn/client
No, as I attempted to install the required packages, I get this:

# opkg update && opkg install openvpn-openssl luci-app-openvpn openssl-util
Downloading http://downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/ar71xx/packages/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Collected errors:
 * opkg_download: Failed to download http://downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/ar71xx/packages/Packages.gz, wget returned 1

The url in my /etc/opkg.conf is not available anymore, so I pulled up a browser and went back in the directory path until I found that http://archive.openwrt.org/snapshots/trunk/ar71xx/ exists just fine but now, it has three sub directories:

  • generic
  • mikrotik
  • nand

and I'm really unsure which path is the right one for my router, how can I find out?

My router is a TP_Link TL-WR740N

Generic would be the right one for you.

But you have a really ancient firmware if you have not that generic in the path.
You have a 4/32 decice that will not run the current 18.06.1 well. Likely.

You should update to 17.01.x release from that arbitrary anicient trunk snapshot from 2016 or earlier.

What does this mean? Plus will the 17.01.x release allow me to use openvpn?
What's the worst that can happen when I try to load the wrong version, will it be rejected or could I lock myself out (i.e. the router would stop working and not let me download a correct fw version)?
Where do I find the correct 17.01.x version? I got as far as https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/17.01.6/targets/
Plus under https://openwrt.org/toh/start?dataflt[Brand*~]=tp-link&dataflt[Model*~]=wr741nd it says 18.06.1 is supported....?

from my device:
cat /proc/cpuinfo
system type : Atheros AR7240 rev 2
machine : TP-LINK TL-WR741ND
processor : 0
cpu model : MIPS 24Kc V7.4
BogoMIPS : 232.24
wait instruction : yes
microsecond timers : yes
tlb_entries : 16
extra interrupt vector : yes
hardware watchpoint : yes, count: 4, address/irw mask: [0x0ffc, 0x0ffc, 0x0ffb, 0x0ffb]
ASEs implemented : mips16
shadow register sets : 1
kscratch registers : 0
core : 0
VCED exceptions : not available
VCEI exceptions : not available

read

The core OpenWrt starts to be too large for devices with only 32 MB RAM or only 4 MB flash.
17.01.x is practically the last modern release that can be recommended for those devices.

almost there. Not packages, but the actual firmwares:
https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/17.01.6/targets/ar71xx/generic/

Easiest would have been to start from
https://downloads.openwrt.org/

1 Like

By the way,
you have so far given two different IDs for the device...

Be sure to download the firmware for the correct device.

It actually says TL_WR740N on the back of the device where cpuinfo prints: TL-WR741ND - Not sure what is correct. Also, fro https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/17.01.6/targets/ar71xx/generic/ which pakage do I need? :open_mouth:

That's the struggle I have - which one is it?

740n or 741nd, factory or sysupgrade?

Plus on the sticker on the back it reads Ver 2.5 which doesn't seem to be an option....

Possibly solved in

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