Hopefully this is just an easy one and I'm doing something super stupid.
I only have access to the GUI, everything is stock, no changes other than the password, connectivity via rj45 into a lan port in the back of the TP-Link.
Basically, I have this router and have successfully put OpenWRT on to the system. Hurrah.
It's just about useful as a network switch, though.
The only problem with that is that (as it states) it requires the relayd and luci-proto-relay packages.
So just get them, then?
How exactly am I supposed to do that?
I can't get internet connectivity to the router itself.
I can't get packages from anywhere else, because I sure as spit don't have the ability to put them together from git.
Even if I were able to do any of that, if I take the first step (changing the subnet), I can't access the router anymore (literally that's the only change made), even on a direct cable connection with nothing else connected.
Is there a step missing from the guide?
Should I have done something else to the router, first?
Are there some hidden guides which actually describe the process in full?
Hope that someone can help, but if not, no worries ... I'll just keep factory resetting and trying weird spit.
You need a network to connect to. If that network doesn't use 192.168.1.X then you don't have to change the subnet. If you do have to change the subnet, go ahead and save and apply it then wait about two minutes for the "revert changes" screen to appear on your PC, then click the red "apply anyway" button. Then disconnect your PC for at least 30 seconds, then re-connect it so it re-acquires an IP address on the new subnet, and enter the new router address into the browser address bar.
To connect to a wifi network go to Networks-Wireless and set up a client mode interface with the SSID and password of the network you're connecting to. Attach it to the existing wan network. Then go to Network-WAN-Physical Settings and make sure the wifi client is the only thing in the network (and the "bridge" box is NOT checked). You should then have Internet to the router to install packages.
Wow, thanks for the super fast response, @mk24 . Very good of you.
So, it is connected to the network, I've tried hardwire and Wi-Fi.
I also, on one occasion, followed this guide:
That gave the same results as other ways ... and when I use the ping service in any of the attempts I get the error: ping: bad address 'openwrt.org'
Also, thanks for this:
Why isn't any of that in the guide? Also, I'm a bit confused by what you've said there ... If I make the Wi-Fi the only thing that's in the network screen, then I won't be able to connect by wire, right?
EDIT - OK, I deleted everything else in the network panel (two WAN ports - one of which I'd like to put to use) other than the top one and it just completely disconnected me and I couldn't get back in. Factory reset it again.
Does your use case call for the connection to the Internet to be by wire, or wireless? You can do either, but you would have to reconfigure to change between the two.
It will be wireless, but I'm happy to go wired until I have everything I need.
So, I've managed to get connected by turning off all the IPv6 stuff, and I've connected a cable to a lan port instead of the WAN port on the back. (this goes to the main router, currently)
So I've got relayd and luci relay, also quickly got a couple of other things, and have backed up.
I'll give it another go from here, and hopefully I can just restore to this setting from the backup, that should bring the packages, too, I'm sure. Would be weird if it didn't!
A backup will only save your configurations, it won’t reinstall your packages, so be sure to get the ones you need before resetting if you won’t have internet access afterwards.