OpenWrt Fast Path

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hello OpenWRT colleagues and experts,
I understand that since 18.06 OpenWRT provides fast path / Hardware offload support for kernel version 4.14 and later. Based on which the necessary packages are enabled in the make menu config , built the firmware and flashed it on a Linksys WRT 32X router enabled the firewall cnfiguration in the LUCI to enable the hardware offload. BUt somehow i do not see any change in the throughput.

The same does work for TpLink Archer C7 AC 1750 v5.
So this puts a question , is this hardware offload dependent on the router ?

i searched and saw this link https://github.com/gwlim/openwrt-sfe-flowoffload
and i dont see the Linksys WRT 32X or Linksys 1900 AC is supported.

Can some one please confirm me this? If not , is there someway i could get the fast path working on OpenWRT forware for this router.

2

OpenWRT 18.06 for TP-Link Archer C7 AC 1750 v5 is an ar71xx target which is on an older kernel (4.9) and does not support fast path.

 Highlights of this release since the previous LEDE 17.01 and OpenWrt Chaos Calmer 15.05 versions are:

    Linux kernel updated to version either 4.9.111 or 4.14.52, depending on the architecture
    [...]
    Updated Linux kernel:
        Kernel 4.9.111 for ar7, ar71xx, arc770, at91, brcm2708, brcm63xx, ixp4xx, lantiq, layerscape, mpc85xx, orion, rb532 and uml
        Kernel 4.14.52 for apm821xx, archs38, armvirt, ath25, bcm53xx, brcm47xx, cns3xxx, gemini, imx6, ipq40xx, ipq806x, kirkwood, malta, mediatek, mvebu, mxs, octeon, octeontx, omap, oxnas, pistachio, ramips, sunxi and x86

The soon to be released 19.07 will be ath79 target which is on kernel 4.14 an supports fast path.

Or you can install a snapshot (ath79 target) today.
ToH Archer C7 v5

3

Hello Thanks for your reply
Yeah for TP Link Archer C7 V5, i updated the kernel and got the fast path working. I am looking for info on how to get it working for Linksys WRT 32X or Linksys 1900 AC .

I meant i used the snap shot and with this. the fast path worked for Tplink

Wondering how to get it working for the LInksys WRT 32X or linksys 1900 AC

Are these supported?

4

Linksys WRT 32X and Linksys 1900 AC are both on mvebu target which is on kernel 4.14

--> As far as I know yes.

You may try the snapshots for those as well for testing..

5

Thank you Relentless
Yes the kernel version is 4.14.

i enabled the packages kmod-ipt-offload kmod-nf-flow and kmod-nft-offload

FLashed the router. On the Luci Firewall page we did see the hardware offload and i enabled that . restarted the router, but not able to see the change in the throughputs

Is there anything else i am missing ?

6

The default package kmod-ipt-offload and the firewall setting hardware offload should be enough.
Note that it affects only WAN connections.

I don't know kmod-nf-flow and kmod-nft-offload.

7

Be aware that, in both cases, you will only have software flow offloading available (provided your kernel is 4.14 or newer), as so far there are only hardware flow offloading drivers available for mt7621.

8

thanks for your replies slh! Much appreciated