[Help]:Running openwrt VM passthrough WiFi USB dongle does not work

[owner2gh]

Checklist

• I acknowledge that support is provided on a best-effort basis.
• I acknowledge that the authors and contributors to this repository cannot be held responsible for the results of my use of any information contained in or linked from this repository.

uname

Linux acorn 6.12.57+deb13-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.12.57-1 (2025-11-05) x86_64 GNU/Linux

lsusb

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp. Bluetooth wireless interface Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b52c Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd Integrated Camera Bus 001 Device 004: ID 138a:0017 Validity Sensors, Inc. VFS 5011 fingerprint sensor Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0461:4d65 Primax Electronics, Ltd USB Optical Mouse Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0e8d:7961 MediaTek Inc. Wireless_Device

rfkill

0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no 1: phy0: Wireless LAN Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no

dkms

Status is silent.

iw

phy#0
	Unnamed/non-netdev interface
		wdev 0x2
		addr e4:a4:71:c3:16:8a
		type P2P-device
	Interface wlp4s0
		ifindex 3
		wdev 0x1
		addr be:0a:69:2e:0c:fe
		type managed
		multicast TXQ:
			qsz-byt	qsz-pkt	flows	drops	marks	overlmt	hashcol	tx-bytes	tx-packets
			0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0

What happened?

On a Lenovo X260 laptop running debian 13 is host, openwrt VM is running on it. Openwrt is able to access host RJ-45 to access the Internet. Openwrt is unable to access the passthrough WiFi USB (MediaTek 7921u, ID 0e8d:7961 MediaTek) radio (in my opinion due to latency). I tried many different and <hostdev with ID and address and without address. Nothing has worked so far. I would like to know would VM configuration with WiFi USB work? I appreciate your help.

[bjlockie]

Did you run those commands on openwrt within the vm?

If not, I think you need to blacklist the mt7921u driver on the host.

[morrownr]

Hi @owner2gh

I've run OpenWRT for several years. I also run hostapd in some situations. I don't run either in a VM.

Could we back up and let you explain what you are trying to accomplish?

[owner2gh]

My plan is to run openwrt as WiFi router on an old lapton pc (x86_64). After many attempt with openwrt VM, WiFi USB dongle I concluded the configuration would not work due to latency and power, etc… So now plan is to run openwrt firmware on the pc hardware. So I prepared a openwrt bootable usb and attempted to installl openwrt on pc SSD drive. That’s when openwrt would display the window with two choices, openwrt and openwrt (Fail Safe). It did not matter what was selected, it would display error: start_imge () returned 0x800000000000001. The window display, typing enter, error message pabe and repeat the cycle over and over. To stop I would turn off pc. The sad thing is that even with usb removed the pc would display the openwrt window/error all over again. The pc boot sector is corrupted… So much of my problem. I would like to know what was the configuration of your openwrt?
I posted similar message on the portal. My message was the for almost a day and then disappeared. I used ‘saved replies’ button. I do not know what happened or what I did wrong.
Thank you for your time.
Happy New Your.

[morrownr]

@owner2gh

So I prepared a openwrt bootable usb and attempted to installl openwrt on pc SSD drive.

Okay. Let's talk about OpenWRT. Unlike Ubuntu or other mainstream distros, OpenWRT is literally thousands of different distros and each one is meant for specific hardware. Exactly which download have you downloaded? I'll assume the x86 version.

I see you are trying to boot it from USB storage.

That’s when openwrt would display the window with two choices, openwrt and openwrt (Fail Safe).

I think it is cool that you got this far. I assume you are using a custom x86 version where you add various things like usb packages to allow it work on usb storage:

kmod-usb-storage
block-mount
kmod-fs-ext4
probably more are needed...

I would like to know what was the configuration of your openwrt?

I use 3 specific routers and a RasPi4B. I've never set it up on x86...that is way too much horsepower... or at least is my reasoning for never using x86.

I think it would be fun to try this and I do have a spare x86 system available but it would some days before I could get to it.

[owner2gh]

I think is the latest version of "openwrt, openwrt-24.10.5-x86-64-generic-ext4-combined-efi.img". Using dd command I flashed the SSD of x86_64. That's as far as I have done. A lot of work remains. It is simpler and faster to run openwrt firmware on the SSD than usb.

[owner2gh]

Small progress. Openwrt is up and running. Command lsusb lists WiFi USB adapter (Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0e8d:7961 Mediatek Inc. Wireless_device) and others. Openwrt does not recognize Mediatek radio. Any help is appreciated.

[bjlockie]

There is a mediatek package you have to install.

https://www.monotux.tech/posts/2025/08/openwrt-mediatek/

[owner2gh]

Ok. Once the system is able to access Internet I will do that install. At one time access to Internet was available. While editing and re-editing different files. Internet access is not available presently.

[morrownr]

@owner2gh

Command lsusb lists WiFi USB adapter (Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0e8d:7961 Mediatek Inc. Wireless_device) and others. Openwrt does not recognize Mediatek radio.

Just because lsusb sees it, does not mean the driver is installation. ALL USB WiFi drivers have to be installed with OpenWRT.

The file you need to install is: kmod-mt7925u

[owner2gh]

You are correct. After I installed kmod-mt7921u WiFi USB was available. Now time to configure the openwrt router and see how it works. Thank you all for your help and ideas offered with this project.