Error: Network device not present after sysupgrade

[maxminhtran]

Howdy folks.

My openwrt One router was working fine, but after I did a sysupgrade to the latest firmware 24.10.4 r28959-29397011cc on Nov. 7 2025, it does not connect to the internet after a reboot. Using luci I found that my WAN has the error message: Network device is not present. I have search the internet and this forum for a solution, but did not find one.

Is there something that can be done?

[psherman]

Let's take a look at the config in text form... that usually can shed some light on the situation:

Please connect to your OpenWrt device using ssh and copy the output of the following commands and post it here using the "Preformatted text </> " button (red circle; this works best in the 'Markdown' composer view in the blue oval):

Remember to redact passwords, VPN keys, MAC addresses and any public IP addresses you may have:

ubus call system board
cat /etc/config/network

[maxminhtran]

Here are the results that I got from running the two commands. Thanks.

---

root@MaxOpenWrt:~# ubus call system board
{"kernel": "6.6.110","hostname": "MaxOpenWrt","system": "ARMv8 Processor rev 4","model": "OpenWrt One","board_name": "openwrt,one","rootfs_type": "squashfs","release": {"distribution": "OpenWrt","version": "24.10.4","revision": "r28959-29397011cc","target": "mediatek/filogic","description": "OpenWrt 24.10.4 r28959-29397011cc","builddate": "1760891865"}}

root@MaxOpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/network

config interface 'loopback'option device 'lo'option proto 'static'option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'option netmask '255.0.0.0'

config globals 'globals'option ula_prefix 'fd2a:c7a2:da6f::/48'option packet_steering '1'

config deviceoption name 'br-lan'option type 'bridge'list ports 'eth1'

config interface 'lan'option device 'br-lan'option proto 'static'option ipaddr '192.168.1.1'option netmask '255.255.255.0'option ip6assign '60'

config interface 'wan'option device 'br-wan'option proto 'dhcp'option hostname '*'

config interface 'wan6'option device 'eth0'option proto 'dhcpv6'option reqaddress 'try'option reqprefix 'auto'option norelease '1'

config interface 'wifi'option proto 'none'

config deviceoption name 'br-wan'option type 'bridge'

root@MaxOpenWrt:~#

[psherman]

Unfortunately, the way the information was pasted into the forum makes it unreadable. Please try again, making sure to use the "markdown" mode instead of the rich text editor (the little switch circled in blue in the image above)

[maxminhtran]

root@MaxOpenWrt:~# ubus call system board
{
    "kernel": "6.6.110",
    "hostname": "MaxOpenWrt",
    "system": "ARMv8 Processor rev 4",
    "model": "OpenWrt One",
    "board_name": "openwrt,one",
    "rootfs_type": "squashfs",
    "release": {
        "distribution": "OpenWrt",
        "version": "24.10.4",
        "revision": "r28959-29397011cc",
        "target": "mediatek/filogic",
        "description": "OpenWrt 24.10.4 r28959-29397011cc",
        "builddate": "1760891865"
    }
}
root@MaxOpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/network

config interface 'loopback'
    option device 'lo'
    option proto 'static'
    option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'
    option netmask '255.0.0.0'

config globals 'globals'
    option ula_prefix 'fd2a:c7a2:da6f::/48'
    option packet_steering '1'

config device
    option name 'br-lan'
    option type 'bridge'
    list ports 'eth1'

config interface 'lan'
    option device 'br-lan'
    option proto 'static'
    option ipaddr '192.168.1.1'
    option netmask '255.255.255.0'
    option ip6assign '60'

config interface 'wan'
    option device 'br-wan'
    option proto 'dhcp'
    option hostname '*'

config interface 'wan6'
    option device 'eth0'
    option proto 'dhcpv6'
    option reqaddress 'try'
    option reqprefix 'auto'
    option norelease '1'

config interface 'wifi'
    option proto 'none'

config device
    option name 'br-wan'
    option type 'bridge'

root@MaxOpenWrt:~#

[psherman]

@maxminhtran

config interface 'wan'
    option device 'br-wan'
    option proto 'dhcp'
    option hostname '*'

...

config device
    option name 'br-wan'
    option type 'bridge'

What we see here is that your wan interface is using br-wan but there is nothing inside the br-wan bridge, so it probably didn't even come up.

A big question is why you were using a bridge here in the first place.... but the solution is simple:

1. Delete the device stanza for br-wan
2. change the device in the wan network interface to eth0
3. Restart and test again.

[maxminhtran]

@psherman

A big question is why you were using a bridge here in the first place.... but the solution is simple:

1. Delete the device stanza for br-wan
2. change the device in the wan network interface to eth0
3. Restart and test again.

That works! Thank so much.

As to why I had the "br-wan", I do not know. My router was setup close two years ago, so I don't remember. Could it be that I upgraded from the 22 firmware instead of 23?

[psherman]

@maxminhtran

Could it be that I upgraded from the 22 firmware instead of 23?

No... the OpenWrt One didn't have anything before 24.10.0-rc1

But, glad that it's working now!

If your problem is solved, please consider marking this topic as [Solved]. See How to mark a topic as [Solved] for a short how-to.
Thanks!