Kmod-nft-offload [work] -
While powerful, hardware offloading changes how packets move through the system, which can break certain features. Common Incompatibilities
If your router features a compatible System-on-Chip (SoC) with a Network Acceleration Engine (found in many MediaTek, Marvell, or Qualcomm chips), this module pushes the routing table directly to the hardware switch chip. Packets are routed at the hardware level, dropping CPU usage for routing down to nearly zero percent. Key Benefits of Enabling kmod-nft-offload
This module acts as a bridge between the Linux networking stack and specialized hardware accelerators or optimized software paths.
: Cuts down packet processing time significantly.
kmod-nft-offload is an OpenWrt kernel module package. It enables flow offloading within the nftables (Netfilter) firewall framework. kmod-nft-offload
: Users have reported that adding the physical WAN interface instead of the virtual PPPoE interface to the flowtable can lead to speed drops (e.g., from 1Gb/s to 200Mb/s). Ensure your configuration targets the correct interface. Enabling the Feature
Flow offloading (especially hardware offloading) often conflicts with features that need to inspect every packet, such as SQM (Cake/HTB) or advanced traffic shaping. If you enable offload, these features may stop working or behave unexpectedly.
kmod-nft-offload is not a "magic button" for every home PC. It is most effective in:
To understand kmod-nft-offload , it helps to understand the standard lifecycle of a network packet versus an offloaded packet. 1. The Standard Path (Software Routing) While powerful, hardware offloading changes how packets move
: To function correctly, it typically requires other modules like kernel , kmod-nf-flow , and kmod-nft-nat .
kmod-nft-offload is an OpenWrt kernel module package. It enables hardware and software flow offloading for the nftables packet classification framework.
Not every processor can use kmod-nft-offload . It requires specific hardware Media Access Control (MAC) or switch architecture drivers. Common Compatible Chips : MT7621, MT7622, MT7981, MT7986 (Filogic series). Marvell : Armada series used in high-end consumer routers. Realtek : Specific managed switch SoCs. Implementation in OpenWrt
nft add rule inet filter forward ct state established,related flow add @my_flowtable Key Benefits of Enabling kmod-nft-offload This module acts
This module enables hardware or software flow offloading within the
An alternative accelerated flow handler that can, in some scenarios, achieve high speeds (900+ Mbps) by bypassing the standard nftables pipeline. Troubleshooting and Limitations
Not all NICs support flow offloading. You generally need enterprise-grade hardware from vendors like Mellanox (Nvidia), Intel, or Netronome.
