Hi,
I setup the PiFI SSID, password, VPN clients, etc.
If the device was power cycled (like after a power outage or so), all the configuration is lost and I have to re-set it up.
Is there a way to make the settings persistant?
Thanks!
This is unusual as it’s persistent by design but happy to take a closer look and figure it out.
Can I ask these questions as it will help a lot:
- Pi 4 or Pi 5?
- Are you using PiFi Kit too (USB Adapter) or just the software?
Hi,
- Pi4
- Just the Software
Please let me know if I can export any log file for debug
Thanks
Here is the system report
PiFi Status: connected
LAN IP: 192.168.3.14
Ethernet: connected
Port: WAN
Hardware: Pi 4
Offline: false
PiFi USB: missing
Beta: Joined
AP: Unavailable
STA Mode: notconnected
AGHome: On
Protocol: wireguard
Wireguard: connected
OpenVPN: disconnected
ForceDNS: Off
App Version: 1.0.53
System Time: 2025-06-14
Firmware Version: 0.1.4.1
What may have happened (though very rare — I haven’t seen it myself) is that the device booted into failsafe or recovery mode, which uses a temporary RAM-only filesystem. In this state, any settings will be lost after a reboot.
To check if it’s now working normally:
- Change something simple like the SSID.
- Reboot the device.
- Confirm whether the change persists.
Why might this happen?
1. SD Card Issue
If the SD card is failing or corrupted, OpenWrt may be unable to mount the persistent storage (/overlay
), so it defaults to a temporary RAM filesystem.
2. Power Loss During Write
If the device lost power while saving settings, it can corrupt the filesystem. On the next boot, it might skip mounting /overlay
and fall back to a read-only mode.
If that’s the case, reflashing PiFi to a fresh SD card should fix it. But try the SSID rename test first — it’s a quick way to confirm whether it’s back to normal.