Hello! I apologize if it has been asked before (using the mobile connection)
I installed on my router the OpenWrt but I cannot get the internet working
my router is TL-WR841N v8 and used dynamic ip in the settings before (on tp links firmware), while using the DHCP type of connection in WAN I'm receiving ip address and DNS, and a gateway but i'm not getting any internet connection. what am I doing wrong and how to fix it?
thanks in advance!
You'd probably start by upgrading to a (security- and otherwise) supported version of OpenWrt, which will involve replacing this hardware with one meeting (and surpassing) minimum system requirements.
As-is, you don't even mention the OpenWrt version in use (but given that it's a 4/32 device, it can't be a semi-current one released within the last half decade), nor provide enough information about what it happening (ping from the router, by DNS, by IP, nslookup, traceroute, etc. - then comparing with the same on one of your clients, plus its IP addresses, etc. pp.). But given the security status of your device/ the running firmware, you really need to switch to modern OpenWrt first.
I'm sorry if I have missed any important information that I should have mentioned.
so the version I used is the latest I found on this website that suits my router which is 17.01.7 and I don't get any pings from the menu of the router to any website/ ip address
That's exactly (one of) the problems, 17.01.x has been EOL and out of (security-) support since early 2019, for half a decade by now, there've been five major releases (with ~half a dozen maintenance releases each) since then, as well as major structural differences (17.01.x was on ar71xx, contemporary ones use ath79). All of this makes it hard to give advice, it's all been a long time ago - and stuff changed massively in the mean time. Of course, back then 17.01.x was working on devices like that, so there shouldn't be any system inherent issue here - but given that these old versions are EOL (and the device not able to run contemporary versions of OpenWrt due to being 4/32), there won't be much (any) fixing if there were issues. Furthermore, 17.01.7 does contain quite a few unfixed security issues found past its best-by date, it really mustn't be used anymore (in favour of current/ security supported versions).
That said, I would expect configuration issues - or your ISP having locked on the (WAN-) MAC address of your previous router, but you really need to upgrade (hard- and software) quickly either way.
Thanks for your help and your attention to the subject! Currently I have only two options either going back to the official firmware which was developer about 10+ years ago or use one from openwrt, I have found a custom on which runs on 19.07.10 for this router. so you're saying most likely my isp locked it to the mac adress which one running on stock firmware?
That is quite common for some ISPs, especially those not using PPPoE for authentication (e.g. cable, fibre); installing OpenWrt might pick a different MAC as the WAN MAC (it shouldn't, but it might). In some cases it suffices to power off modem/ router for a while (ranging from a few minutes to a few hours), in others it might involve either calling the ISP to manually release the old MAC or to (just) clone the previously used WAN MAC on your WAN.
Well, for TP-Link this device was considered EOL in October 2011 - OpenWrt continued to support it until early 2019, 8-9 years later, but there is a limit of how far this hardware can go - and both 4 MB and 32 MB put a halt on this being viable. Both firmwares can be assumed not to meet security requirements in 2024, 13 (respectively 5 years later. Sadly the world doesn't stop moving, the internet around you has changed significantly since ~2015. Both commercially driven organized crime and state 'tolerated' entities are systematically trying to attack insecure devices on the internet, to add to their botnets, to use for hiding their tracks, to mine crypto scams on your dime, to attack others and widen their botnets, to skim your bank-/ credit card information, to extort you directly by holding your data for ransom or blackmail you with real or fabricated sensitive content.
Software has an expiration date as well, third party firmwares can (and often do) extend these, but the hardware specifications do put a hard upper limit on this - after all you aren't going to install windows 11 on a 2010 vintage computer either (compared to PC specs, your tl-wr842n v6 is more comparable to mid 90s CPU/ RAM specs and late 80s storage specs…).
These days you can find quite some decent (surpassing minimum system specs for OpenWrt) wifi5 routers for 5-20 EUR/ USD on the various used markets, the first new options already start around 15-20 EUR/ USD delivered - and even filogic 820/ wifi6 with 128/256 is often on sale for under 30 EUR/ USD delivered. Walmart is pushing out quite good wifi6 devices for 20 USD that are on the road to getting OpenWrt. Many affordable options to replace a 2010-vintage bottom of the barrel tl-wr841n v6.
thanks for your answer the only reason I tried openwrt is due to the problem my wifi is getting disconnected randomly, or. under load (well i'm not sure 100%) I read on some forums that openwrt would be a better option, right now I had to revere to the original firmware of the router as cloning the original mac didn't solve the problem, i might call the isp if there isn't a problem that comes specificly to openwrt settings that i'm missing.
If you really dislike the OEM firmware,
You can take a look at dd-wrt: tp-link TL-WR841nd v8
thanks for your suggestion, it is not about having an issue that I don't like the firmware, the problem the wifi isn't stable, and its disconnects that requires the router to be restarted manually. the problem with dd-wrt i'm not even getting anything what i'm getting from openwrt for example: gateway, dns servers and etc... however the problem is the same there is no internet.
As already mentioned by slh
If intent on using OpenWrt firmware
I'm thankful for the all the replies that helped me understand that my router isn't supported by OpenWRT anymore, and lacks the very important security features. However, none of the posts have actually answered a simple question I have asked in order to help me. Why my router cannot connect to the internet on Openwrt when I set it to DHCP in WAN, while right now on stock version everything works fine on "dynamic ip" connection type. mac address is the same on openwrt, so what needs to be changed in order to make it work on openwrt?