Router Monitoring & Update System

The client had routers deployed across client sites with no visibility into signal quality, connected devices, or SIM information. There was no way to update software or flash firmware onto the hardware without sending a technician to each site. Replacing the fleet had to happen progressively, site by site, without disrupting active connectivity.

We started with R&D to understand OpenWrt's constraints, then designed a shell-based telemetry agent that operates entirely within those limits. We coordinated with the router manufacturer to pre-install the agent at the factory, so replacement hardware arrives at client sites already configured. The over-the-air update mechanism was designed to be backward-compatible across all previously deployed agent versions. For firmware upgrades, we designed a separate Raspberry Pi daemon architecture - keeping the upgrade logic off the constrained router hardware entirely - where the Pi subscribes to Supabase Realtime events, downloads and verifies firmware from a VPS, authenticates to the router's interface, and executes the flash while reporting status to the dashboard throughout.

• 30+ routers live and reporting, with the remaining 150+ fleet being replaced progressively as part of an ongoing rollout
• Successful communication with manufacturer and other parties involved
• Script updates deployed fleet-wide automatically with no technician involvement