TP-Linked Archer A7 v5.8 Reset Button Not Working

I've successfully installed OpenWRT 21.02.1 on my TP-Linked Archer A7 v5.8 (without opening the case by using TFTP method to install 19.x.y version and then use sysupgrade image to install 21.02.1).

However, the reset pin is not working in OpenWRT 21.02.1 (long-pressing it did nothing), and I can only reset the router through OpenWRT LuCI or SSH.


There is a specific process to get OpenWrt to reset via the button, described in the link above. Normally the button is used to get to failsafe mode. Most of the time, people use the GUI reset button or the CLI via failsafe to reset their devices. I'm not completely positive that all devices will actually reset using the reset button, but the article does seem to suggest that they should.

Reset pinhole button is not responding in OpenWRT (it will not take me to failsafe mode nor factory reset the router). However, WPS button will work to enter failsafe mode (but not factory reset). Reset pinhole is physically working as I can make router enter TFTP recovery mode again.

Same here. A quick test with a hotplug script showed that the system does not detect any actions on the reset button but only on the wps button. You could use the WPS button as a reset button by copying the content of /etc/rc.button/reset to /etc/rc.button/wps.

Of course, this only works once if you do this on an active install. This would have to be baked into a custom image to persist across resets.

Personally, I'd just go with failsafe mode and use the CLI to reset the router to defaults if/when needed.

firstboot -y && reboot now