OpenWrt 24.10 Brings Linux 6.6, Multipath TCP, TLS 1.3, Better WiFi, and New Device Support

OpenWrt 24.10.0 is the first stable release in the OpenWrt 24.10 series, a Linux-based operating system designed for embedded devices such as routers, network switches, and IoT hardware.

It replaces vendor-supplied firmware, offering advanced customization, improved security, and extensive networking capabilities. The update includes over 5400 commits, upgrading the Linux kernel from 5.15 to 6.6, adding TLS 1.3 support, enhancing WiFi6 (802.11ax) compatibility, and introducing initial WiFi7 (802.11be) support. Notable changes include Multipath TCP activation, improved Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) support, and a refined package management system, which maintains OPKG while dropping APK support.

More than 100 new devices now support compatibility, bringing the total supported devices to over 1970, with added targets for AllWinner D1, Intel XScale IXP4xx, LoongArch CPUs, StarFive JH71x0, and STM32 SoCs, while developers removed older targets like ath25, bcm63xx, and octeontx.

Developers updated core components, including musl libc 1.2.5, glibc 2.38, gcc 13.3.0, and binutils 2.42. The upgrade process from OpenWrt 23.05 is mostly seamless via sysupgrade, but certain devices, such as the Qualcomm Atheros IPQ806X and Zyxel GS1900, require specific upgrade procedures.

OpenWrt is used for networking because it’s flexible, secure, and good for advanced routing, making it great for tech users, developers, and businesses that want more control over their networks.

OpenWrt 24.10 Features:

• Operating System – OpenWrt 24.10.0
• Kernel – Linux 6.6.73
• Toolchain – GCC 13.3.0, musl 1.2.5, glibc 2.38, binutils 2.42
• Package Manager – OPKG (APK not supported)
• Networking
  • WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and early WiFi 7 (802.11be) support
  • Multipath TCP support on devices with large flash storage
  • Improved Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) support
• Device Support
  • Supports 1,970+ devices
  • Newly added: AllWinner D1 (RISC-V), Loongson LoongArch, StarFive JH71x0, STM32, Intel IXP4xx
  • Removed: ath25, bcm63xx, octeontx, oxnas
• Storage and Flash Support
  • UBI layout changes for Linksys E8450/Belkin RT3200
  • Flash size optimizations for Xiaomi AX3200/Redmi AX6S
• Security
  • TLS 1.3 support in default images
  • mbedtls 3.6 with updated cryptography features
  • POSIX Access Control Lists (ACLs) for improved file system security
• System Upgrades
  • Supported: OpenWrt 23.05 – OpenWrt 24.10 via sysupgrade
  • Not supported: OpenWrt 22.03 – OpenWrt 24.10 (manual upgrade required)
  • Special upgrade procedures for ipq806x, Zyxel GS1900, Xiaomi AX3200

Core components update:

• Updated toolchain:
  • musl libc 1.2.5
  • glibc 2.38
  • gcc 13.3.0
  • binutils 2.42
• Updated Linux kernel
  • 6.6.73 for all targets
• Network:
  • hostapd master snapshot from September 2024, dnsmasq 2.90, dropbear 2024.86
  • cfg80211/mac80211 from kernel 6.12.6

Following new devices added support for OpenWrt One:

• d1 target for AllWinner D1 RISC-V SoC
• ixp4xx target for Intel XScale IXP4xx SoCs.
• loongarch64 target for SoCs with Loongson LoongArch CPUs.
• starfive target for StarFive JH71x0 (7100/7110) SoCs.
• stm32 target for STMicroelectronics STM32 SoCs.

OpenWrt 24.10.0 comes with a few known issues that might affect certain devices. You should check if your device is impacted:

• LEDs for Airoha AN8855 are not yet supported. Devices like the Xiaomi AX3000T with an Airoha switch will have their switch LEDs powered off.
• 5GHz WiFi is non-functional on certain devices with ath10k chipsets. Affected models include the TP-Link Archer C60 v1, TP-Link Archer C6 v2, and possibly others.
• Ethernet link instability on some MT7530 switches. Users experiencing unstable Ethernet connections should disable Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) as a workaround.
• Kernel warning in the ath10k-ct driver at startup. The warning `WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 1695 at backports-6.9.9/net/mac80211/main.c:270 ieee80211_do_open+0x4e8/0x5e0 [mac80211]` appears during boot but is harmless and can be ignored.
• Xiaomi Redmi Router AX6S images are broken. The OpenWrt 24.10.0 images generated for the Xiaomi Redmi Router AX6S do not boot. We removed the images from the download server. The image builder might also affect images generated for the Xiaomi Redmi Router AX6S.

These above issues are expected to be fixed in the main branch and the upcoming OpenWrt 24.10.1 update.

Users can upgrade most routers on OpenWrt 23.05 to 24.10 using the sysupgrade tool, which keeps the current settings. However, there are some exceptions, so it’s best to check the release notes for details. You can also search for your device in the firmware selector to find the right image.

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