Broke my Wifi config - how to restore?

[skywizard]

OK AI bot I have been playing with the flint 4 wifi and had to use the ssh command to restore the 3 wifi bands but now I do not have the option to congigure / use MLO - the option is not in the GUI.

How do I enable MLO or get the MLO option back in the wireless GUI.

[AI_bot]

Please provide the exact SSH command(s) used to restore the three Wi‑Fi bands and the Flint 4 firmware version shown under SYSTEM → Upgrade. The MLO entry can disappear when the wireless configuration is rebuilt or changed outside the GL.iNet interface; these details will determine whether the change can be reversed safely or whether the wireless configuration must be regenerated.

Avoid making further SSH changes for now. A factory reset may restore the default MLO configuration, but it would erase your settings, so it should not be the first step.

This reply was generated by AI. Please verify its accuracy.

GL.iNet Technical Support reviews and responds to relevant threads on business days. Please allow time for a staff response.

[skywizard]

@AI_bot

Please provide the exact SSH command(s) used to restore the three Wi‑Fi bands

I used these commands:-

cp /etc/config/wireless /etc/config/wireless.backup
rm -f /etc/config/wireless
wifi config
wifi reload

@AI_bot

the Flint 4 firmware version shown under SYSTEM → Upgrade.

• Current Firmware

• Version - 4.11.0

• Firmware Type - beta3

[AI_bot]

wifi config rebuilt /etc/config/wireless as a basic OpenWrt configuration; it does not recreate the GL.iNet MLO configuration and GUI metadata. Since you made a backup first, test restoring it:

cp /etc/config/wireless /etc/config/wireless.generated
cp /etc/config/wireless.backup /etc/config/wireless
wifi reload

Wi-Fi will disconnect briefly. Refresh the Admin Panel and check whether WIRELESS → MLO Wi-Fi returns. This also restores the previous wireless state, so the missing-band issue may return. If that happens, keep both files and avoid running wifi config again; firmware 4.11.0 beta3 will likely need its vendor wireless configuration regenerated through a factory reset or firmware reinstallation without retaining settings, which erases the current configuration.

This reply was generated by AI. Please verify its accuracy.

GL.iNet Technical Support reviews and responds to relevant threads on business days. Please allow time for a staff response.

[skywizard]

@AI_bot

Since you made a backup first, test restoring it:

That is trying to restore the broken wifi setup.

root@FLINT_4_Main:~# cp /etc/config/wireless /etc/config/wireless.generated
root@FLINT_4_Main:~# cp /etc/config/wireless.backup /etc/config/wireless
cp: can't stat '/etc/config/wireless.backup': No such file or directory

root@FLINT_4_Main:~# wifi reload
killall: mapd: no process killed
killall: p1905_managerd: no process killed
killall: bs20: no process killed
root@FLINT_4_Main:~#

What next?

[AI_bot]

The copy failed before changing /etc/config/wireless, so wifi reload only reloaded the current generated configuration. The killall messages are harmless in this context. Also, you are correct: restoring the old file would have restored the original broken Wi‑Fi state, so that was not a suitable next step.

There is no backup available at the stated path, and wifi config cannot reconstruct Flint 4’s GL.iNet MLO configuration. The reliable recovery is now to reinstall the Flint 4 firmware through SYSTEM → Upgrade → Local Upgrade with Keep Settings disabled, then configure the router again manually. This erases the current configuration but allows the firmware to regenerate its vendor Wi‑Fi and MLO defaults. Do not restore a full configuration backup afterward, because it may restore the damaged wireless configuration. Keep the router powered on throughout the installation.

This reply was generated by AI. Please verify its accuracy.

GL.iNet Technical Support reviews and responds to relevant threads on business days. Please allow time for a staff response.

[gfondeur]

You know how to use

Summary

This text will be hidden

?

[skywizard]

@gfondeur

You know how to use

Obviously not.

[gfondeur]

Just a suggestion

[charles2]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.

If convenient, we recommend resetting the router to factory defaults, as this is the simplest way to restore the original Wi-Fi and MLO configuration.

Alternatively, you may refer to the following post, which provides SSH commands for manually creating a Guest MLO Wi-Fi network:

@will.qiu

Please try connecting to the router via SSH and running the following command to add a Guest MLO SSID:

# Keep the original files for rollback.
[ -f /root/wireless.before-guest-mlo ] ||
    cp /etc/config/wireless /root/wireless.before-guest-mlo
[ -f /root/mlo.before-guest-mlo ] ||
    cp /etc/config/mlo /root/mlo.before-guest-mlo

GUEST_MLO_SSID="$(uci -q get wireless.guest2g.ssid)-MLO"
GUEST_MLO_KEY="$(uci -q get wireless.guest2g.key)"

# Generate four different local/unicast MAC addresses and avoid existing ones.
while :; do
    TAIL5="$(hexdump -n 5 -e '5/1 ":%02X"' /dev/urandom)"
    MAC2="02${TAIL5}"
    MAC5="06${TAIL5}"
    MAC6="0A${TAIL5}"
    MLDMAC="0E${TAIL5}"

    uci show wireless | grep -qiE "$MAC2|$MAC5|$MAC6|$MLDMAC" || break
done

# Remove only an existing manual Guest MLO configuration.
for SECTION in wlanmldguest2g wlanmldguest5g wlanmldguest6g mld1; do
    uci -q delete wireless.$SECTION
done
uci -q delete mlo.mld1

uci -q batch <<'EOF'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g=wifi-iface
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.device='MT7990_1_1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.network='guest'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.mode='ap'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.encryption='sae'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.wds='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.isolate='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.hidden='0'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.ifname='ra4'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.vifidx='5'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.ieee80211k='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.bss_transition='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.mld='mld1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.guest='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.init='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.disabled='0'

set wireless.wlanmldguest5g=wifi-iface
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.device='MT7990_1_2'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.network='guest'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.mode='ap'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.encryption='sae'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.wds='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.isolate='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.hidden='0'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.ifname='rai4'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.vifidx='5'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.ieee80211k='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.bss_transition='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.mld='mld1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.guest='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.init='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.disabled='0'

set wireless.wlanmldguest6g=wifi-iface
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.device='MT7990_1_3'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.network='guest'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.mode='ap'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.encryption='sae'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.sae_pwe='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.wds='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.isolate='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.hidden='0'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.ifname='rax4'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.vifidx='4'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.ieee80211k='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.bss_transition='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.mld='mld1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.guest='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.init='1'
set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.disabled='0'

set wireless.mld1=wifi-mld
set wireless.mld1.eht_t2lmnegosupport='1'
set wireless.mld1.mode='ap'
set wireless.mld1.encryption='sae'
set wireless.mld1.hidden='0'
set wireless.mld1.mldgroup='2'
set wireless.mld1.guest='1'
set wireless.mld1.isolate='1'
set wireless.mld1.disabled='0'
set wireless.mld1.init='1'
set wireless.mld1.iface='ra4 rai4 rax4'

set mlo.mld1=wifi-mld
set mlo.mld1.disabled='0'
add_list mlo.mld1.bands='2g'
add_list mlo.mld1.bands='5g'
add_list mlo.mld1.bands='6g'
EOF

# Apply the separate SSID, existing Guest password, and generated MACs.
for SECTION in wlanmldguest2g wlanmldguest5g wlanmldguest6g; do
    uci set wireless.$SECTION.ssid="$GUEST_MLO_SSID"
    uci set wireless.$SECTION.key="$GUEST_MLO_KEY"
done

uci set wireless.wlanmldguest2g.macaddr="$MAC2"
uci set wireless.wlanmldguest5g.macaddr="$MAC5"
uci set wireless.wlanmldguest6g.macaddr="$MAC6"

uci set wireless.mld1.ssid="$GUEST_MLO_SSID"
uci set wireless.mld1.key="$GUEST_MLO_KEY"
uci set wireless.mld1.mld_macaddr="$MLDMAC"
uci set mlo.mld1.mld_macaddr="$MLDMAC"

uci commit wireless
uci commit mlo

wifi reload 

To restore the original configuration:

cp /root/wireless.before-guest-mlo /etc/config/wireless
cp /root/mlo.before-guest-mlo /etc/config/mlo

wifi reload 

Thank you for your understanding and support.

[skywizard]

Thanks Charles - I can file that scrpit for future reference.

I have since factory reset the router which did restore the WiFi, but recently something went wrong with AdGuard and Unbound - I determined I was unable to resolve any DNS when using AdGuard beta + Unbound.

I have once again done a factory reset but this time I did not restore any setting from file and manually set up again. I am still using the AdGUard beta without Unbound for the time being - I will reinstall Unbound soon….