Applying changes
Pressing Save on a page does not change how the router works yet. Changes are collected as pending changes, and you apply them after reviewing them. Unless you press Confirm within 5 minutes after applying, the change is reverted automatically, so even a change that locks you out of the web UI undoes itself.
Workflow
- Change settings on a page and press Save. "Saved. Use “Review changes” at the top to review and apply." appears.
- ⚠ Pending changes: n appears at the top. Press Review changes.
- In Review changes, check the differences between the running configuration and the new one.
- If you like, enter a Comment (optional), tick I have reviewed the changes above and press Apply.
- The top shows "✓ Applied. Confirm if everything works." with the time left. Check that the web UI and the Internet still work, then press Confirm.
To make several changes, save each of them and apply them all at once.
Review changes
The Review changes dialog shows:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Diff | Differences between the running and the new configuration. Added lines start with +, removed lines with - |
| Cannot apply because of the following problems | Where the configuration has a problem and what it is. You cannot apply until it is fixed |
| Affected services | Services that are reloaded or restarted |
| Note | Things to know before applying |
| Pre-check | Result of testing the generated configuration files with each service. You can only apply when it shows ✓ Passed |
| Comment (optional) | A note for the configuration history (e.g. Add port forwarding for games) |
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Discard changes | Throws away all pending changes and goes back to the running configuration |
| Close | Closes the dialog. Pending changes are kept |
| Apply | Applies the changes to the router |
Confirm and automatic revert
After applying, the router waits for confirmation. The top shows the time left with Revert and Confirm.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Confirm | Keeps the applied configuration |
| Revert | Goes back to the configuration before applying, right away |
| Nothing | After 5 minutes, the configuration before applying is restored automatically |
If you applied a change that cuts off the web UI (LAN address, zones, firewall and so on), just wait 5 minutes. The change is reverted automatically and you can open the web UI again.
- While a change awaits confirmation, you cannot apply another one. Press Confirm or Revert first.
- Pending changes that you have not applied yet are kept when a change is reverted automatically.
- If the router restarts while waiting, it reverts at startup if the deadline has passed; otherwise it keeps waiting for the remaining time.
- You can also confirm with
confirmin the CLI.
Configuration history
Applied configurations are kept in SYSTEM › History, up to the latest 50.
- Select a row under Applied revisions (newest first). Each row shows the number, time, user and comment. The configuration in use is marked (running), one awaiting confirmation (awaiting confirmation).
- The differences from the running configuration appear on the right.
- To go back to it, press Restore this configuration.
A restore is recorded as a new revision. It also has to be confirmed within 5 minutes; otherwise the configuration from before the restore comes back. Restore this configuration is not available while a change awaits confirmation.
Automatic reverts and other changes made by the router itself are recorded with the user system.
Permissions
Applying, confirming, reverting, discarding changes and restoring need Edit for the role area Changes (review, apply, confirm, history). Viewing the history needs View.
| Permission | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Page area Edit, Changes Edit | Save, then apply and confirm yourself |
| Page area Edit, Changes View | Save only (into the pending changes). Ask a user with permission to apply them |
| Page area View | View only. The page shows "You have read-only access" and the fields are disabled |
There is a single set of pending changes on the router. All web UI users and the CLI see and edit the same pending changes. For roles, see Admin users and roles.
Things that do not need applying
The following take effect when you save them and never appear in the pending changes:
- Account settings (your password, two-factor authentication, language, SSH public keys)
- Admin users and roles
- VPN users (adding, changing, disabling and deleting them, adding and removing devices, VPN passwords)
- Some secret values (monitoring PSK, passwords and community, the L2TP/IPsec pre-shared key and so on)
The settings of each VPN method and the VPN groups need applying like everything else (Remote access VPN).