Edit: Resolved! The ISP added a BS suffix ".net" to my username, deleting it fixed the Auth issue.

Hi guys!

I'm having trouble migrating from TP-Link A7 v5 stock firmware to OpenWRT.

Specifically I'm having trouble connecting to my ISP via PPPoE.
Before the migration - the router connected w/o fancy PPPoE settings (MTU,VID...) to my ISP.

Here's my network setup:

1. FTTH
2. Nokia G-010G-Q GPON
3. TP-LINK Archer A7

Before migration - I took notice the mac address under "Internet" section in
"Status" tab under "Advanced" page on my router's admin web portal

Because I vaguely remember that my ISP technician paired the GPON to a MAC address

I have copied my PPPoE credentials from my ISP web portal,
and also cross reference them against the saved credentials in the TP-Link portal.

Post migration - I configured my WAN interface to use PPPoE , entered my credentials,
made sure that the WAN MAC address is the same as before,
and all I'm getting is AUTH_TOPEER_FAILED

I've exported my /etc/config/network here

I've also exported the output of logread -f | grep ppp here

After several trial and errors - I have given up and tried to use TFTP method to revert the
firmware back to to the TP-LINK stock firmware, also w/o much success
I used a Windows machine running tftpd64 , downloaded the latest firmware from here
renamed the file to "ArcherC7v5_tp_recovery.bin"
placed the file in tftpd64 server directory ("C:\Program Files\Tftpd64")
changed my LAN settings to 192.168.0.66 / 255.255.255.0 / 192.168.0.1
and performed the recovery boot steps.
I watched the logs of tftpd64 being filled with the download attempt,
watched it succeeds , watched the router quickly flashing the power LED,
but no matter how many times I attempted this - the router goes back to load OpenWRT.

Can someone help me either revert back to the stock firmware or help me fix my PPPoE settings?

I haven't used PPPoE myself, but if you can't get it working and you think that you're sending the same stuff, maybe get yourself another ISP-configured TP-link ("I broke mine and need a new one" and I imagine that they send one out), then either use the first device or another Linux machine with at least two Ethernet ports between it and the ISP, bridge the two ports, and use tcpdump to capture a pcap file containing the traffic and open it up in Wireshark to see what the two are sending differently?

It wasn't a ISP configured router. It was entirely mine. I do suspect different things being sent in stock/openwrt. If I was able to revert to tplink firmware I would chase this lead, but for now - I bought another TP link router, waiting for it to arrive, then arranging a technician to pair the new router with the GPON (thus abandoning OpenWRT efforts entirely)

Says right in the logs your PAP auth is failing, so you have something off. Could be your auth method, could be your credentials, or could even be it's being rejected because your SD-MAC changed (did you compare them?). You need the logs from the other side to be able to tell.

What I would do is contact your ISP and ask for Level 2 tech if some sort and get the business/enterprise config for PPPoE devices. Tell them you need the manual configuration for PPPoE for your device, and just work through those settings. They also be able to check logs and see which step your auth is failing at.

As someone who works for a fiber ISP...

They're doing PPPOE over GPON?

..... But why though?

I'd call and ask if they could change your connection type to standard DHCP

In the imaginary scenario that they left the web portal of the GPON open, and left the default credentials untouched, what can I learn from it? What exactly am I looking for?

The reason that I didn't think that you are right is that I've literally copy pasted the credentials from the ISP portal.

Level 1 support, when he asked my credentials - did not raise any issue when I repeated them to him.

I did end up talking to a lvl 2 support.

He did a reverse-facebook-pitch "drop the the" and by the he meant the ".net" suffix at the end of the username - AS IT IS SPECIFIED ON THE ISP PORTAL.

This was a week long frustration that was never meant to be.

LOL, well at least you got it figured out, yeah?