I recently read about TP-Link’s update deadline, and it got me thinking about what people could do with routers that still have perfectly good hardware. Currently, a US waiver permits qualifying TP-Link firmware updates until at least January 1, 2029, and that date could change once again.

At this stage, there’s no need to rush out and replace your router.

But it did give me a reason to explore OpenWrt once again. On compatible hardware, this alternative router firmware lets you keep all your familiar networking functionality while adding a really cool range of tools of your own choosing.

If your TP-Link router supports OpenWrt, you might be surprised at just how many extra features you can pack into its existing hardware.

Check the version of the label first

The same Archer name doesn’t always mean the same hardware is under the hood

OpenWrt is an open-source operating system that can replace your router’s original firmware. Once installed, you can install additional software packages, essentially adding functionality to your router that the stock firmware would never have dreamed of.

That compatibility, though, comes down to the hardware inside. Often, TP-Link changes hardware between revisions, even when the products have the same name.

Here’s a clear example of four TP-Link devices that show why you need to check the label first:

For other models, start with OpenWrt’s official Table of Hardware and be careful to note your device’s specific instructions.

I tested the OpenWrt features that best complement most TP-Link routers. They demonstrate what this software can do and how far you can push your home router. Of course, your TP-Link router’s hardware, memory, and processor ultimately determine which extras it can comfortably handle.

You don’t have to give up the familiar controls

The web interface still handles the everyday jobs

OpenWrt’s browser interface, LuCI, gave me a really familiar place to start, and it’s entirely possible to do everything you need right there without touching the terminal.

I started by reserving an IP address for my laptop so it wouldn’t get changed on the next DHCP lease renewal. It’s an ordinary router task, and one most TP-Link router users would definitely be familiar with.

You’ll also find controls for:

• Wireless networks and internet connections.
• DHCP reservations and local hostnames.
• Firewall rules for both WAN and between networks.

I then installed luci-app-statistics for traffic and system graphs, and luci-app-nlbwmon for usage reports on individual devices. Together, they let me watch connection activity and see just how much data individual devices are transferring.

That’s a huge part of OpenWrt’s appeal. You can start with the everyday settings you’re already used to, then add in tools that make that experience far more powerful.

You can finally make use of your router’s USB port

It can do so much more than share a USB stick

The USB port on many routers can be used to host a network file share, and OpenWrt still allows this functionality with SAMBA. I connected a 128 GB USB stick and used luci-app-samba4, with samba4-server providing the SMB file-sharing service.

I configured it to use a password-protected share with guest access disabled, then mapped it as a network drive on Windows. It appeared in File Explorer alongside my other drives, accessible through a local hostname that I designated using OpenWrt’s DNS server.

Of course, most TP-Link firmware already allows this, so it won’t be a brand-new capability for everyone. But using the USB port for file sharing is only one option. Depending on your router and the connected hardware, you could also use its USB port for:

I could choose what my network filters

AdGuard Home and banIP made the activity visible

I installed AdGuard Home through the adguardhome and luci-app-adguardhome packages. Similar to PiHole, AdGuard filters DNS requests from devices using it, blocking domains associated with advertising, tracking, and malware.

Its dashboard recorded 135 blocked queries out of 722, so roughly 19%. Those were purely DNS requests, so they don’t translate into 135 removed advertisements or blocked pages.

Likewise, network-level DNS filtering won’t catch every single ad, nor will it fill the spaces they leave behind on a page. AdGuard’s log query page conveniently lets me see which domains devices requested and which filters blocked them.

I also installed banIP and luci-app-banip to provide IP-based filtering, including real-time IP blocking. Selecting Spamhaus and DShield blocklists gave me 1,574 loaded entries, which are filtering lists rather than individual attacks prevented.

So why install these applications on OpenWRT? Because it means I could run the tools on the router itself. I didn’t need a separate Raspberry Pi or VM for AdGuard, or software for creating IP blocklists on my PC.

Every device that uses the router’s DNS service can benefit, including phones and smart TVs, while banIP filters all traffic traversing the router. That gives you one place to manage filtering across your entire network, replacing TP-Link’s access control and primitive IP address filtering.

Faster downloads weren’t the only thing worth measuring

SQM gave me a way to manage delays under load

No matter how fast your internet connection, a large download can leave it feeling sluggish. It’s called bufferbloat, and it occurs when excessive queues of waiting data start adding delays. It’s what can make games or video calls seem less responsive while connections are busy.

I installed luci-app-sqm, with sqm-scripts providing Smart Queue Management, a feature that’s not natively available on any TP-Link router. SQM limits throughput to keep those queues under control by trading some peak speed for better responsiveness.

I tested the difference using LibreQOS:

Earlier runs gave me mixed results, and my Starlink connection introduces variability. However, having SQM enabled on OpenWRT resulted in significantly reduced latency under load in every test set.

A USB modem gave me another option

I could define a backup connection and monitor its health

Many TP-Link business gateways such as the Omada ER605 v2 can support a USB cellular modem as a backup internet connection. Unfortunately, many TP-Link home routers don’t. Luckily, OpenWrt can bring similar functionality to supported routers with a USB port.

I tested this feature by connecting my ZTE U30 Pro 5G modem to OpenWrt and installing the kmod-usb-net-cdc-ncm software through LuCI, allowing OpenWrt to recognize it as a network connection.

After confirming the interface could be added as wan2, I used community nftables builds of mwan3 and luci-app-mwan3 for connection management. I then configured a policy that preferred my Starlink connection over mobile and designated my mobile service provider as the IPv4 backup.

The policy essentially worked by testing whether each connection could reach an internet address. It could then switch to the one with a higher gateway metric so long as the interface confirmed WAN connectivity to the outside.

In the past, I successfully configured mobile failover with OpenWrt. However, my mobile provider chose that moment to go down for maintenance, meaning I couldn’t test a live switchover. What I could confirm, though, was that monitoring showed Starlink online and selected, with the unavailable mobile connection correctly marked as offline.

I’d check compatibility before replacing the router

More control is absolutely worth it if you’re willing to maintain it

For owners of compatible TP-Link routers, OpenWRT is a fantastic reason to reconsider buying a replacement. You get to keep all the useful networking functions, make use of your USB ports, and enhance your network by adding features you get to choose.

That’s a lot of potential in hardware you already own.

Yes, flashing firmware does carry risks, and older hardware has limitations. You’ll also need to take responsibility for maintaining the software, and OpenWrt itself doesn’t have infinite support.

Still, there’s plenty of time to investigate your options. If TP-Link’s update uncertainty had me considering a replacement, I’d definitely be checking its model label before putting a new router in my shopping basket.