FAQ¶

What is NoobWRT?¶

NoobWRT is a curated OpenWrt firmware build for the ZTE MF286D. It provides predictable defaults, PassWall 1, modem tooling and a small, maintained package set.

How do I install this on a router that still has the ZTE firmware?¶

Two paths are documented in Installation:

UART + TFTP (recommended) — serial console on the X8 header, boot an initramfs, remove the stock UBI volumes, then sysupgrade -n.
Without a serial cable (community, unofficial) — rebuild root_uImage from the original ZTE file plus our sysupgrade.bin and flash it with ZTE's ZTE_Sales_Update_Framework.exe. Windows-only, region-specific, and limited by the stock kernel/rootfs size.

Which firmware file should I download?¶

Use the sysupgrade image from a maintainer build:

openwrt-ipq40xx-generic-zte_mf286d-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

See Releases.

Is there a PassWall 2 build?¶

No. This repository ships only the passwall1 variant.

Why is the Wi-Fi country `IT`?¶

The device overlay mirrors the reference ZTE MF286D image, which was built for Italy. Change the country in Network → Wireless before using the router elsewhere.

Why is there no phone (VoIP) support?¶

The MF286D has no working VoIP support in OpenWrt. This is an upstream hardware limitation, not a NoobWRT choice.

Can I use the Ethernet WAN instead of LTE?¶

Yes. lan1 is the WAN port. Set network.wan to proto dhcp on device lan1, or configure PPPoE there. The LTE modem then stays available as a second interface.

Why is there no Xray core in the firmware?¶

The firmware partition is only 29 MiB and Xray is ~10.8 MiB compressed. The image ships PassWall without a core; /etc/init.d/passwall-core downloads it into RAM (/tmp/xray) after every boot. Internet is required once per boot. See Packages.

Is it safe to flash this firmware?¶

Flashing firmware carries risk. Follow Installation and ensure stable power. Recovery is possible over UART/TFTP (see Recovery).

Can I revert to stock firmware?¶

Only if you backed up the original partitions. This repository does not ship a stock-restore image. See Recovery.

How do I lock LTE bands?¶

The reference image used luci-app-modemband, which is not part of this build. You can still query and set bands manually with the modem AT port:

# show current bands (example AT port)
gcom -d /dev/ttyUSB1
> AT+ZNLOCKBAND?

Install luci-app-modemband from a compatible feed if you want the LuCI page.

How do I change the UI theme?¶

System → System → Language and Style → Design. Only the bootstrap theme is installed by default.