Road Map to 2030

This document outlines the primary goals of the OpenWISP project for the period 2026-2030.

If you are interested in a specific feature and would like to collaborate with us, please refer to Help us to grow.

Table of Contents:

Installation & Usability

Simplify the deployment and initial configuration process to lower the entry barrier for new users.

  • Simplified Deployment: Package Python dependencies into a unified archive or executable to enable single-command installation.

  • Cloud Readiness: Provide optimized, preconfigured VM images for rapid deployment across major cloud providers.

  • Edge/Local Instance: Develop a lightweight OpenWISP variant optimized for self-hosting on low-cost hardware, featuring:

    • Support for resource-efficient time-series databases as an alternative to InfluxDB.

    • SQLite and SpatiaLite support for local storage.

    • Integrated FreeRADIUS and captive portal configuration template.

    • Layer 2 auto-discovery for seamless device onboarding.

  • User Experience Studies:

  • Facilitate Upgrades:

    • Notify users through the web interface when new OpenWISP versions are available.

    • Evaluate guided upgrades through the web interface.

    • Verify requirements are met before attempting the upgrade (Python version, other system dependencies).

    • Automatically create a full backup before upgrading.

    • Automatically restore the backup if the upgrade fails.

  • Facilitate the setup of VPN automations: See OpenWISP VPN Deployer Linux Package GSoC 2025 Project Idea for more information.

Agent Improvements

  • Automated Management Interface Detection: Remove the requirement for manual configuration of the management interface in the OpenWISP agent. The agent will automatically identify the management tunnel and determine the appropriate IP address for core operations, including:

    • Connectivity monitoring (ping/checksum)

    • Remote shell access

    • Active monitoring checks

    See also: GitHub Issue openwisp-config#208

  • Full Configuration Reporting: Enable the agent to send the complete device configuration to OpenWISP, providing a comprehensive view of the current state directly in the controller.

  • Local Change Synchronization: Implement automatic detection of local configuration changes. The agent will sync these updates back to the controller to ensure the central database remains accurate and local modifications are not overwritten.

  • Layer 2 Device Onboarding: Enable automatic discovery and enrollment of network devices within the same broadcast domain. This allows OpenWISP to:

    • Detect new hardware as soon as it is connected to the local network.

    • Adopt and configure devices without requiring connection to a cloud controller.

    • Simplify local deployments by removing the need for manual IP discovery or static configuration.

Firmware Tools

  • Pre-configured Firmware Images: Provide ready-to-use OpenWrt images for all supported targets, pre-configured to connect to the OpenWisp demo instance.

  • Custom Image Builders: Supply image builders for all targets to allow users to generate custom firmware locally.

  • Automated Build Pipeline: Automate the compilation and publishing of firmware images and builders to ensure timely updates for new OpenWrt releases and reduce maintenance overhead.

Configuration Editor

  • Enhanced Configuration Visibility: Update the editor to manage full device configurations without overwhelming the interface. Implement a high-level overview with drill-down capabilities for specific details.

  • Data Deduplication: Automatically identify and filter configuration data already stored in templates or existing device settings to prevent redundant entries in the database.

  • Unified Editor Interface: Redesign the editor to display the complete device state with clear visual distinctions between:

    • Current local device settings.

    • Device-specific overrides stored in OpenWISP.

    • Inherited settings from OpenWISP configuration templates.

  • Expanded Variable Support: Enable the use of variables across all field types beyond standard string values.

  • Rich Context Support: Allow the definition of configuration contexts using non-string data types, such as lists and objects.

  • Improved Validation Feedback: Overhaul backend error reporting to provide clear, actionable messages when configuration validation fails.

Documentation

Step-by-Step Tutorials: Develop comprehensive guides for common deployment scenarios, including:

  • Hotspot and captive portal setup.

  • PPPoE configuration.

  • Event-driven automation and custom hooks, such as:

    • Triggering HTTP requests when a device enters a critical state.

    • Executing HTTP requests upon receiving RADIUS accounting stop packets.

Dashboard & Visualization

  • Time-Series Analytics: Add interactive dashboard charts with filtering capabilities to track Device status trends (online, offline, and total counts).

  • Advanced Network Viewer: Replace the current map with a feature-rich viewer similar to Freifunk MeshViewer, supporting toggling between geographic and logical network views.

Indoor Maps

Note

These subjects have been worked on during Google Summer of Code 2025; see the project board [GSoC25] General Map: Indoor, Mobile, Linkable URLs.

  • Building and Floor Support: Implement indoor mapping capabilities to:

    • View device placement per floor within buildings.

    • Provide seamless navigation between geographic, logical, and indoor views.

IP Intelligence

Note

These subjects have been worked on during Google Summer of Code 2025; see the project board [GSoC25] WHOIS Information and IP Address-Based Geolocation.

  • WHOIS Data Collection:help-us Automatically collect and store WHOIS information for the device last_ip when a public IP is detected.

  • UI Integration: Display a summary of WHOIS data in the interface with the option to expand for full technical details.

Geo App Improvements

Note

These subjects have been worked on during Google Summer of Code 2025; see the project board [GSoC25] WHOIS Information and IP Address-Based Geolocation.

  • IP-Based Geolocation: Support approximate device locations derived from IP geolocation data.

  • Location Management: The UI will clarify how approximate locations are generated and provide options to:

    • Manually refine the coordinates to a precise location.

    • Disable the feature for specific devices if not required.

  • Global & Multitenant Controls: Allow geolocation features to be toggled globally or at the per-organization level.

Syslog & Event Hooks

  • Centralized Log Collection: Enable the collection and storage of syslog entries from OpenWrt-managed devices.

  • Log Management API: Provide an API endpoint for querying and searching collected logs.

  • On-Demand Device Logs: Add a dedicated tab to the device details page to load and inspect logs for specific hardware.

  • Real-Time Log Viewer: Implement a global interface for viewing live log streams across all managed devices.

  • Log-Based Automation: Allow the system to trigger alerts or custom actions based on specific log content or patterns.

Wireless Support

  • Optimized Roaming: Implement support for 802.11k and 802.11v to facilitate band steering and network load balancing.

  • Integrated Wireless Management: Provide a user-friendly interface within the OpenWISP device page that offers management parity with the OpenWrt LuCI wireless configuration.

Firmware Upgrade UX

Note

Part of these subjects have been worked on during Google Summer of Code 2025; see the project board [GSoC25] Firmware Upgrader UX improvements.

  • Group Upgrades: Extend firmware upgrade capabilities to allow targeting specific device groups, in addition to per-device or per-organization options.

  • Real-Time Progress Tracking: Enhance visual feedback to provide live status updates during firmware upgrades without requiring page refreshes.

  • Persistent Upgrade Tasks: Implement support for continuous upgrades that remain queued for offline devices, executing automatically once they reconnect.

Mesh Networking

  • Atomic Group Updates: Improve mesh stability by synchronizing configuration changes across groups. This prevents connectivity loss during rollouts (e.g., coordinated radio channel adjustments).

  • Dynamic Topology Mapping: Utilize monitoring data from mesh interfaces to generate real-time topology maps of the active network.

Monitoring Improvements

  • Release Milestone: Address outstanding issues identified for the Monitoring 0.3 release.

  • Database Compatibility: Implement support for InfluxDB 2.0.

  • SNMP Support Finalization: Complete and refine SNMP monitoring support for OpenWrt and Ubiquiti AirOS devices. Review and integrate existing code from GSoC 2021 to provide a stable monitoring baseline.

  • Rapid Health Diagnostics: When a device status reports a "PROBLEM," provide an immediate drill-down view to identify the specific root cause. Ensure full feature parity for these diagnostic insights via the REST API.

Networking Features

  • Bulk Command Execution: Implement the ability to dispatch commands to multiple devices simultaneously, including status tracking and result logging for each target. Maintain REST-API feature parity.

  • Interactive Web Shell: Develop a browser-based interactive terminal to allow direct command-line access to managed devices through the OpenWISP interface.

  • Expanded VPN Protocol Support: Add support for IPsec and SoftEther.

  • Advanced Traffic & Access Control:

    • Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and Layer 7 firewall rules.

    • WPA-Enterprise EAP-TLS integration via OpenWISP RADIUS.

  • Platform & Protocol Expansion:

    • Support for pfSense and Vyatta.

    • Management support for TR-069 / TR-369, NETCONF, and CAPWAP.

    • Integration with proprietary vendor firmwares, including Ubiquiti and MikroTik.