For hardware offload to function, several components must work in concert. The kernel's nftables subsystem, enhanced by kmod-nft-offload , interacts with the network driver using a standardized API. Specifically, the offload logic leverages the netdev_ops->ndo_setup_tc() interface and the TC_SETUP_CLSFLOWER classifier to communicate with the driver.
Real-world reports confirm significant improvements. Users have reported achieving over 900 Mbps in speed tests when hardware offloading is working as intended, compared to much lower throughput when it is not. kmod-nft-offload
On supported SoCs (System-on-Chips)—particularly those from MediaTek (like the MT7621 or Filogic series)—this module allows the firewall to hand off traffic processing to a dedicated Network Processing Unit (NPU) . This can result in Gigabit speeds with near 0% CPU utilization. 3. Benefits and Trade-offs kmod-nft-offload - [OpenWrt Wiki] package For hardware offload to function, several components must
kmod-nft-offload is a crucial kernel module for anyone looking to maximize the performance of their OpenWrt router by leveraging . Real-world reports confirm significant improvements
If you experience random reboots or dropped connections under high load, your device driver might have a buggy implementation of the offload API. Disabling "Hardware flow offloading" in the firewall settings will instantly revert the system to stable software routing.
If you are running OpenWrt on a compatible device, enabling this feature can be done via the command line or the LuCI web interface. Via the LuCI Web Interface Navigate to > Firewall . Scroll down to the Routing/NAT Offloading section.