Restore your PacketMole unit

This page walks you through restoring PacketMole on a router that was factory-reset back to GL.iNet defaults.

What you need

• The router, plugged into power and connected to the internet via its WAN port.
• A Mac, Linux, or Windows computer with an SSH client (Terminal or PowerShell).
• About 10 minutes.

Step 1 — Connect to the router

Plug your computer into one of the router's LAN ports, or join its default Wi-Fi network (for the Away unit only). In a browser, visit http://192.168.8.1 and set a new admin password when prompted.

Step 2 — SSH in and reinstall

Open a terminal and run:

ssh root@192.168.8.1
# enter the password you just set
curl -fsSLo /tmp/recover.sh https://updates.packetmole.com/recover.sh
sha256sum /tmp/recover.sh   # compare against the value printed on your setup card
sh /tmp/recover.sh

The recovery script verifies a digital signature on the firmware before installing it, so even if our update server were compromised the unit would refuse to install tampered firmware. The sha256sum step is an additional belt-and-suspenders check — match the hex string against the one printed on the setup card you got with the unit.

If the hashes don't match, stop and email support@packetmole.com with your unit's serial number. The unit will download the latest overlay, apply it, and reboot (takes ~90 seconds).

Step 3 — Re-link to Tailscale

After the reboot, visit http://192.168.8.1 again. You'll see the PacketMole setup page. Click "Sign in with Tailscale" and complete the login flow just like you did the first time. For the Home unit, you'll also need to re-approve its route in the Tailscale admin console.

Still stuck?

Email support@packetmole.com with the serial on the unit's sticker and we'll help.