I have no idea how I have so totally botched this box. I have been an OpenWRT user since installed it on my D-link DI-604 (Look kids it's a router with no Wi-Fi!).
I've messed things up before and I'm absolutely not an expert but this time takes the cake.
Somehow in the process of trying to change my Linksys E8450's IP address from 192.161.1.1 to 192.168.0.6 (reasons) It was giving me all sorts of issues and I could add the address but I couldn't access the router from the address. So I got to the point where I could acess Luci from .1.1 and .0.6 and I deleted .1.1 and now I can't access the router at all in any way by either address. I can't SSH into it, the web browser fails, and it doesn't respond to pings on either address. I've wasted too much time trying to fix my mistake I'm just going to nuke it and start over. LOL
Why .0.6? I was trying to transfer files from my current router to my new router using SCP and that whole thing sucks. I wish there was a clean path to migrate from one OpenWRT router to a new one.
MattBatt
I'm even more confused now. I have rebooted this router several times by powering it off and powering it back on. I was attempting to reset it to default by holding the reset button for 10 seconds. It rebooted and now I can get into LuCI again. Which just makes me more confused and I feel like more of an idiot for not knowing what's going on. Have I mentioned I've put OpenWRT on at least a dozen routers? It's a weird outcome but I'll take it.
It's really hard to know specifically what you've done and thus how things got messed up (and why it seems that it is working again??).
Maybe you can provide some additional information bout your existing router and what you want to transfer over (keep in mind, if you do this wrong, you may soft-brick your device). It sounds like your old router is on a different subnet... there are several ways that this can be handled so that you don't end up locking yourself out. But we need to understand more about what you are trying to do.
Dude I appreciate you trying to help, people like you are why opensource is awesome. I was just so amazed at how totally screwed I was that I wanted to share and I wasn't expecting anyone's help.
Yeah I was trying to take a shortcut with the installed software and VLAN settings but I have been sufficiently warned that Manually making all the changes I did over the last 5 years will be easier than copying and pasting settings. I was following this "guide" but he skips over a bunch of important steps like how to connect the two routers correctly so that they can transfer files between. https://tim.bai.uno/how-to-migrate-from-old-openwrt-router-to-a-new-one-with-the-least-downtime-for-your-home-network/ I would not suggest anyone follow this.
Generally OpenWrt converts config files only one major version up except when it does not.
If you move further away best option is to generate config backup, un-7zip it on the desktop and type config back via web ui
If you managed to restore ancient configuration you can reset OpenWrt device to factory state:
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/troubleshooting/failsafe_and_factory_reset#entering_failsafe_mode
Extra step of saving package list in the guide is OK, note that some packages get renames, get added, removed , you need to identify "leaf" packages ie ones that you actually installed and used.
As for minimum downtime - yes, make a fresh device in an isolated environment, then swap the wires.
Network re-numbering is totally against least disruption idea.
Ipv6 link local addresses are 99% a good safety net to gain access if you lock your self out...
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