After the OpenWrt reels, the most common question was some version of "how do I do this on my free Airtel router?" Someone else replied that most routers don't support it. Both are fair, so here is the honest answer.
The short answer
- The box your ISP gave you almost certainly can't run OpenWrt. It is usually a fibre modem (ONT) and a Wi-Fi router in one, built on chips OpenWrt doesn't support, and there is no open-source software for the fibre side anyway. (One exception, for experts: below, under Jio.)
- So you keep the ISP box and add your own router behind it. That is the two-box setup from the reel: box 1 turns fibre into Ethernet, box 2 runs OpenWrt and does everything else.
- "Most routers don't support it" is true for ISP boxes, not for shop routers. Plenty of routers sold in India are supported, as long as you buy the right hardware version.
Two ways to connect your router
Option A: bridge mode (the proper way). The ISP box stops routing and just passes the connection through. Your OpenWrt router logs in to the ISP itself, usually over PPPoE with a username and password. One router, no double NAT, and your router sees the real connection.
Option B: router behind router (works everywhere, no phone calls). Plug a LAN port of the ISP box into the WAN port of your router and set its WAN to DHCP. Turn off the ISP box's Wi-Fi so the two don't fight. You get "double NAT", which is fine for browsing, streaming, ad blocking, SQM and VPN clients. It mainly gets in the way of hosting things and some online games. If the ISP box has a DMZ setting, point it at your router to soften this.
Start with option B. It takes ten minutes, and you can move to bridge mode later.
Airtel Xstream Fiber
- The box: varies by area. Models people report include Nokia, ZTE, Huawei, Sercomm and DASAN units. None of the common ones run OpenWrt.
- Bridge mode: you ask Airtel for it (call 121 or raise a request in the Airtel Thanks app). It is usually switched on for one LAN port. On many units you can't change the WAN settings yourself.
- Your router's WAN: PPPoE, with the username and password Airtel gives you. Users report needing VLAN 100 on your router's WAN. If PPPoE won't connect without it, try with it.
- Heads-up: in 2026 at least one user reported that Airtel switched their bridge mode off and wanted a paid static-IP add-on (about ₹352 a month) to turn it back on. Others in the same thread said theirs still works for free. Ask before you plan around it.
- Landline: Airtel's landline runs through the Airtel box. Check with Airtel whether it keeps working in bridge mode before you switch.
- Easiest path: option B.
JioFiber and Jio AirFiber
- The box: older installs use JioFiber gateways (JCOW414, JCOW411). Newer ones, including AirFiber, often come with the JioRouter AX6000 (JIDU6101).
- The exception: OpenWrt officially supports the JioRouter AX6000 (JIDU6101 and JIDU6J01) as of release 25.12. Installing it means opening the router and using a serial cable, and people have hit errors along the way. It is a project for someone who has done this before, not a first flash.
- Bridge mode: Jio doesn't offer it. Users consistently report it isn't available.
- Your router's WAN: DHCP, not PPPoE. So option B is simple: LAN of the Jio box → WAN of your router, WAN set to DHCP.
- AirFiber: users report the same thing works, with any router behind it set to DHCP.
- Avoid unless you know why you need it: guides to replace the Jio box with your own fibre modem involve copying its serial number, and the JioCall landline stops working.
BSNL Bharat Fibre
- The box: often supplied by the local franchise (Syrotech, Netlink, DASAN, Huawei, VSOL and others). No OpenWrt support.
- Bridge mode: the most open of the four. On many boxes you can do it yourself in the admin page: create a bridge connection with your area's VLAN ID and remove the PPPoE one. If you get stuck, the franchise or local exchange can do it.
- Your router's WAN: PPPoE with your BSNL username and password, on the VLAN ID shown on the box's WAN page (it varies by area). Set MTU to 1492, or lower it if some sites fail to load.
- Watch out: some connections are tied to the old router's MAC address. If PPPoE won't connect, copy the old WAN MAC onto your router. Leave the landline on the BSNL box. IPTV may not work behind your own router.
ACT Fibernet
- The box: in many areas ACT simply gives you an Ethernet cable, with no fibre box at all. Elsewhere you get a router (for example a Huawei unit) that has bridge mode in its settings.
- Your router's WAN: PPPoE, with your ACT username and password.
- Verdict: the easiest of the four for your own OpenWrt router. If you have a plain Ethernet handoff, plug it straight into your router's WAN.
Will bridge mode give me a public IP?
Usually not. Airtel and Jio put most home users behind carrier-grade NAT, so even with bridge mode you can't open ports from the internet. For remote access to your home network, use Tailscale (or ZeroTier). It works from behind CGNAT because both ends connect outwards, and it runs on OpenWrt. If you really need inbound ports, ask your ISP about a static IP (usually a paid add-on), or use IPv6 if your ISP gives it.
Which router to buy
All of these have official images in the current OpenWrt release (25.12.6). Check the hardware version on the label under the router before you buy or flash. Same name, different version, can mean completely different hardware.
| Router | Supported version | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Mercusys MR90X | v1 (v1.2 units reported working) | The router from the two-box reel. Wi-Fi 6, MediaTek Filogic |
| TP-Link Archer AX23 | v1 (and v1.2) | v2 is different hardware and isn't supported |
| Xiaomi AX3000T | RD03 | Newer units need OpenWrt 24.10 or later. RD03v2 is different hardware. Mostly sold as an import |
| Cudy WR3000 | v1 | The newer "3.0" version has no image yet |
| GL.iNet Beryl AX / Flint 2 | GL-MT3000 / GL-MT6000 | Ships with OpenWrt-based firmware, so there's nothing to flash. Pricier |
Don't want to flash anything at all? GL.iNet is the answer. Its routers come with OpenWrt-based firmware from the factory, so you can install AdGuard Home, WireGuard and Tailscale out of the box.
How to check any router
- Turn it over and read the exact model and hardware version on the label (for example "Ver: 1.2").
- Look it up in the OpenWrt Table of Hardware or the firmware selector.
- The version has to match. Then read that device's install notes before you flash.
Sources
- OpenWrt 25.12.6 images: mediatek/filogic (MR90X, AX3000T, Cudy WR3000 v1, GL-MT3000, GL-MT6000, JioRouter AX6000) and ramips/mt7621 (Archer AX23 v1).
- ISP details come from user reports on TechEnclave and the OpenWrt forum, because none of the ISPs document this. For example: Airtel bridge mode and VLAN, Airtel paid bridge mode report, Jio and bridge mode, JioRouter AX6000 install notes. Things change by area and by month, so if your box behaves differently, tell me in the comments and I'll update this page.