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OpenWrt Pocket Travel Router

By flashing OpenWrt onto an MSM8916 USB stick, you convert a cheap $7 dongle into an enterprise-grade portable router with:

  • LuCI Web Interface: Manage firewall, DHCP, and Wi-Fi visually from any browser.
  • Failover / Dual WAN: Seamlessly route traffic between cellular 4G LTE and hotel/café Wi-Fi.
  • WireGuard / OpenVPN Client: Route all connected devices through your encrypted home or cloud VPN tunnel.
  • Ad-blocking: Run adblock or simple-adblock directly on the stick to protect mobile devices.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • Supported MSM8916 eMMC dongle (UFI001B / UFI003 recommended).
  • Fastboot / LK2ND installed.
  • OpenWrt firmware image (openwrt-msm8916-boot.img and openwrt-msm8916-rootfs.img).

Flashing Instructions

Section titled “Flashing Instructions”

  1. Place your device in Fastboot mode:

    Terminal window
    adb reboot bootloader

  2. Flash the OpenWrt kernel and root filesystem:

    Terminal window
    # Flash boot image containing OpenWrt kernel
    fastboot flash boot openwrt-msm8916-boot.img
    

    # Flash rootfs containing OpenWrt system
    fastboot flash rootfs openwrt-msm8916-rootfs.img
    

    # Erase leftover Android userdata
    fastboot erase userdata
    

    # Reboot into OpenWrt
    fastboot reboot

First-Time Configuration & Web UI Access

Section titled “First-Time Configuration & Web UI Access”
  1. Plug the dongle into a USB power supply or computer.
  2. The device will broadcast a Wi-Fi network named OpenWrt (unencrypted on first boot) or assign an IP over USB (192.168.1.1).
  3. Connect your laptop or smartphone to the Wi-Fi or USB network.
  4. Open your web browser and navigate to: 
    http://192.168.1.1
  5. Click Login (default has no password set).
  6. Set a strong administrator password under System -> Administration.

Setting up 4G LTE Cellular in LuCI

Section titled “Setting up 4G LTE Cellular in LuCI”
  1. Navigate to Network -> Interfaces.
  2. Look for the MODEM or WWAN interface (driven by qmi_wwan or cdc_mbim).
  3. Edit the interface:
    • Protocol: QMI Cellular or MBIM.
    • Device: /dev/cdc-wdm0.
    • APN: Enter your mobile carrier’s Access Point Name (e.g., fast.t-mobile.com, wholesale, internet).
    • PIN: Leave blank unless your SIM card requires a PIN code.
  4. Click Save & Apply.
  5. Within 15 seconds, the modem will connect to 4G LTE, acquire an IP address, and begin routing traffic to all Wi-Fi clients!