Is it possible to backup/restore to a different router

[SirChris93]

I currently have the the RT-N66U router, a friend gave me the RT-AC68U router. I currently have Merlin on the N66U router. I tried looking everywhere but can't find anything. I know you can backup the router, but I'm not sure if it's possible to backup/restore if the routers are different models.

My main concern is having to setup my OpenVPN on my router all over again.

 

[skeal]

I currently have the the RT-N66U router, a friend gave me the RT-AC68U router. I currently have Merlin on the N66U router. I tried looking everywhere but can't find anything. I know you can backup the router, but I'm not sure if it's possible to backup/restore if the routers are different models.

My main concern is having to setup my OpenVPN on my router all over again.

No it won't work. Also you cannot save settings and import on the same model. They remain different in that way. OVPN is easy to set back up with screen shots. Certificates can be backed up by saving jffs and manually putting them back in the right spot.

 

[elorimer]

I currently have the the RT-N66U router, a friend gave me the RT-AC68U router. I currently have Merlin on the N66U router. I tried looking everywhere but can't find anything. I know you can backup the router, but I'm not sure if it's possible to backup/restore if the routers are different models.

My main concern is having to setup my OpenVPN on my router all over again.

It might depend a bit on which Merlin you have (I just updated my N66U with the 43 fork), but you might try the backup/restore utility here User NVRAM Save/Restore Utility (R26.2). It hasn't been updated in a while (but then Merlin stopped supporting the N66 a while ago too), but using the migrate feature you should be able to get a lot moved over. Not scripts and stuff. For that backup and restore jffs in the webui.

You can also use the utility to print out the settings for the N66 as a sort of checklist to manually restore.

 

[L&LD]

I currently have the the RT-N66U router, a friend gave me the RT-AC68U router. I currently have Merlin on the N66U router. I tried looking everywhere but can't find anything. I know you can backup the router, but I'm not sure if it's possible to backup/restore if the routers are different models.

My main concern is having to setup my OpenVPN on my router all over again.

The firmware changes between the unsupported RT-N66U and the still supported RT-AC68U are too great. Not to mention the version differences in OpenVPN itself.

When you flash the RT-AC68U with the latest RMerlin firmware you want to use, make sure you do a full reset to factory defaults with a minimal and manual install. Formatting the jffs on the next boot is also recommended (followed by 2 more reboots, minimum) as is sanitizing your network to give the new router a known/good state to begin working in your network from. With a used router, it wouldn't hurt to also perform a WPS NVRAM erase too before you started seriously configuring it.

See the links below for more detailed steps, the link with how to save your current settings is also advised over the now outdated and unsupported, but once great SaveRestore Utility from john9527.

As for the OpenVPN configuration? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how much easier it has become with the many changes since your original setup. Start with the defaults and change after asking specific questions here. You may even find that no customizations are needed.

 

[Torson]

Although unsupported lately I had a positive similar experience using the nvram restore script as a migration restore - as mentioned in @elorimer's post above. Give it a try!

 

[Striker317]

It might depend a bit on which Merlin you have (I just updated my N66U with the 43 fork), but you might try the backup/restore utility here User NVRAM Save/Restore Utility (R26.2). It hasn't been updated in a while (but then Merlin stopped supporting it a while ago too), but using the migrate feature you should be able to get a lot moved over. Not scripts and stuff. For that backup and restore jffs in the webui.

You can also use the utility to print out the settings for the N66 as a sort of checklist to manually restore.

This is the worst advise ever unless you are looking for trouble.

 

[Torson]

I strongly disagree with @Striker317 take on this specific issue.
When you start configuring a brand new environment there are only positives to take from the experience (along with your own experience certainly.) In this case spending another 30' minutes or so trying to understand the options at hand would not hurt by any means (unless you don't have the 30' and/or you do not want to rely on the knowledge gained from the previous experiences.)

 

[SirChris93]

No it won't work. Also you cannot save settings and import on the same model. They remain different in that way. OVPN is easy to set back up with screen shots. Certificates can be backed up by saving jffs and manually putting them back in the right spot.

I finally managed to make it back on here to respont, @skeal would I do the screenshots for OpenVPN on my router?

 

[elorimer]

This is the worst advise ever unless you are looking for trouble.

Danger is my middle name.

If you use the script you can print out all your settings without having to do screenshots of every page. The migrate feature is kind of interesting because it will only import stuff that has a corolary in the new router. Anyway, if you run the script in migrate format, you can delete all the stuff you don't care about or don't understand and keep the stuff that is a pain to recreate, like DHCP reservations and import just that. Or run the migrate script on a factory default setting to see what nvram variables are there and compare them yourself.

 

[Torson]

BTW what I see as the most labor intensive operations in repeating the success (keep it positive) of one environment to the next one are very few. DHCP reservations - choose ranges for devices and then the figures don't matter - i.e. printers x.x.x.50 - x.x.x.x, VoIP x.x.x.100-x.x.x.x etc. OpenVPN servers you'll have to understand the encryption level you need and then no need for screen shots - that easy - export your settings and use clients as appropriately. For OpenVPN clients you have to understand which version of ovpn is supported by your firmware and then hopefully your provider can generate the .ovpn files as appropriately. QoS main concepts - look around these forums. And never forget Diversion and Skynet.