Simple Setup

RaspAP gives you two different ways to get up and running quickly. The simplest and recommended approach is to use our custom Raspberry Pi OS image with RaspAP preinstalled. This option eliminates guesswork and gives you a base upon which to build. Alternatively, you may execute the Quick installer on an existing compatible OS. Each method is described in the following sections.

Installation method

Pre-built imageQuick Install

Custom Raspberry Pi OS Lite images with the latest RaspAP are available for direct download. This includes both 32- and 64-bit builds for ARM architectures. Before downloading a custom OS with RaspAP preinstalled, refer to this resource to ensure compatibility with your hardware.

Operating system	Debian version	Kernel version	RaspAP version	Size
Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite	12 (bookworm)	6.6	Latest	871 MB
Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) Lite	12 (bookworm)	6.6	Latest	903 MB

These images are automatically generated with each release of RaspAP and are made available here. You may choose between an arm64 or armhf (32-bit) based build.

Have slow download speeds?

As a courtesy, starting with v3.4.1, we've made available Torrent files for the image. The downloads will still come from Github, but it will be able to completely finish without falling victim to Github's token timeout issues. Please connect with us if you still have issues downloading. If you prefer to not utilize the Torrent method, there are a few other methods suggested in this GitHub thread.

Important

Newer distributions of Raspberry Pi OS require a user to be created on first boot. For security reasons, RaspAP's custom OS images do not preconfigure a user. For this reason, you must use the custom settings in Raspberry Pi Imager or Etcher to define a user when writing to the SD card. Failure to do so will cause a headless setup to stall with an interactive prompt to create a new user.

After downloading your desired image from the latest release page, use the Raspberry Pi Imager utility to flash the OS image onto a microSD card. The Pi Imager is recommended because it can modify basic Raspberry Pi configuration settings, such as setting a user/password, initial WiFi connectivity, and enabling SSH server. Once completed, insert the card into your device and boot it up. The latest RaspAP release version with the most popular optional components will be active and ready for you to configure.

SD Card flashing alternative

balenaEtcher is an alternative to Raspberry Pi Imager, but it does not offer the ability to modify the basic Raspberry Pi configuration settings mentioned above.

Note

To ensure that wireless operation isn't blocked by rfkill, the WiFi country is preset to "US" in these images. If this is not your country, be sure to change this with sudo raspi-config and choose Localisation Options on first boot.

Alternatively, start with a clean install of the latest release of Raspberry Pi OS. Both the 32- and 64-bit release versions are supported, as well as the latest Desktop distributions. Consult this FAQ before installing RaspAP in a desktop environment.

Tip

Be sure to use an official power supply with your device. Power supply requirements differ by Raspberry Pi model. Inadequate voltage is the source of many WiFi issues.

Update RPi OS to its latest version, including the kernel and firmware, followed by a reboot:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get full-upgrade
sudo reboot

Set the WiFi country in raspi-config's Localisation Options: sudo raspi-config.

Important

Failure to perform this step will prevent the RPi from enabling wireless operation. When this happens, you will see the warning Wi-Fi is currently blocked by rfkill in the console.

Install RaspAP from your device's shell prompt:

curl -sL https://install.raspap.com | bash

The Quick installer will complete the steps in the manual installation for you. At the end of the install process, accept the prompt to reboot your system.

Initial settings

After completing either of these setup options, the wireless AP network will be configured as follows:

    IP address: 10.3.141.1
    Username: admin
    Password: secret
    DHCP range: 10.3.141.50 to 10.3.141.254
    SSID: RaspAP
    Password: ChangeMe

Post-Install action

It is strongly recommended that your first post-install action is to change the default admin authentication settings. Thereafter, your AP's basic settings and many advanced options are now ready to be modified by RaspAP.

Tip

If this is not a clean install or you are configuring a device with a non-standard integration try following the manual installation instructions or deploy RaspAP in a Docker container.

Next Steps

The most common use-case for RaspAP is to be a Repeater. There are many other use-cases and features to explore in our Core or Experimental Features, or look at joining our Insiders for even more.

Discussions

Questions or comments about the Quick start? Join the discussion here.