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Rayhunter Flasher

Step-by-step interactive guide to install EFF's Rayhunter IMSI catcher detector on your mobile hotspot.

Orbic RC400L Detecting… ~15 min
0
What You'll Need

Rayhunter is EFF's open-source tool that turns a compatible mobile hotspot into an IMSI catcher (stingray) detector. This guide walks you through flashing it on your computer.

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Legal Disclaimer: Use this program at your own risk. EFF believes running Rayhunter does not violate any laws in the United States. Check your local laws.
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Regional note: The TP-Link M7350 supports LTE bands for Europe, Asia, and Africa (B1/B3/B7/B8/B20). It will likely not work in North/South America. For the Americas, use the Orbic RC400L instead.
  • Orbic Speed RC400L — ~$15–30 on eBay/Amazon. Kajeet RC400L also works.
  • TP-Link M7350 — widely available in Europe/Asia. Multiple hardware versions supported.
  • USB-C cable — for the USB method only. Must support data transfer.
  • A SIM card — does not need an active plan.
  • FAT-formatted SD card — required for TP-Link. Used to store all Rayhunter recordings.
  • A computer — with a terminal available.
  • WiFi access — for the recommended WiFi install method.
1
Prepare Your Device

Unbox your Orbic RC400L. Insert your SIM card (under the battery). Pop the battery back in and snap the cover on.

Charge fully, then hold the power button until it boots.

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Default WiFi password: Check the sticker on/under the device. This is also the admin password for the installer.

Insert your SIM card and a FAT-formatted SD card into the TP-Link M7350. The SD card is required — Rayhunter stores all recordings on it.

Power on the device and let it boot. Connect to its WiFi network.

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SD card required: The TP-Link installer will fail if no FAT-formatted SD card is inserted. Format it as FAT32 before inserting.
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Disable sleep mode: After installation, go to the TP-Link admin panel → Advanced → Power Saving and turn off auto-sleep, or Rayhunter will stop recording when no devices are connected.
2
Download Rayhunter

Select a release below. Releases are automatically filtered for your platform. The latest stable version is pre-selected.

Fetching releases from GitHub…
✓ Selected:↓ Download
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After downloading, extract the archive and confirm the installer binary is present.
  • Downloaded the platform archive.
  • Extracted and confirmed installer is present.
3
Connect to Your Device

Choose your connection method. WiFi is recommended — simpler, no driver setup.

Connect your computer to the device's WiFi, then verify by browsing to:

http://192.168.1.1

You should see the device's admin page.

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While on the hotspot's WiFi, your computer won't have internet. Download everything beforehand.

Plug a USB-C cable from the device to your computer. The installer uses ADB over USB.

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The installer auto-downloads ADB if needed. USB command: installer orbic-usb.

If you have driver issues, install the Zadig WinUSB driver from zadig.akeo.ie.

Ensure ADB is installed: sudo apt-get install android-sdk-platform-tools. You may need udev rules.

4
Open a Terminal in the Installer Folder

Navigate to the extracted Rayhunter folder containing installer.

Open PowerShell in that folder:

  • Hold Shift + right-click inside the folder → "Open PowerShell window here"
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Or open PowerShell and run: cd "$HOME\Downloads\rayhunter-vX.X.X-windows-x86_64"

Open Terminal.app and cd to the folder:

cd ~/Downloads/rayhunter-vX.X.X-macos-arm
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Required: Remove the quarantine flag first: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine installer

Open a terminal and cd to the folder:

cd ~/Downloads/rayhunter-vX.X.X-linux-x64

Make the installer executable:

chmod +x installer
5
Run the Installer

In your terminal, run:

./installer orbic --admin-password 'YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD'

Replace YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD with the Orbic's WiFi/admin password.

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Changed defaults? Add: ./installer orbic --admin-password 'pass' --admin-username 'user' --admin-ip '192.168.1.1'
./installer tplink

The TP-Link installer does not require an admin password.

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Make sure a FAT-formatted SD card is inserted before running the installer. The installer will fail if it can't find one.
./installer orbic-usb

USB method provides ADB access and a root shell. No password needed, but requires USB drivers.

./installer tplink

The TP-Link uses the same command for both WiFi and USB connections.

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Do not unplug or power off the device during installation. It reboots multiple times. Wait for the success message.
6
Verify Installation

After the installer finishes, look for a green line on the device's display — Rayhunter is running!

On TP-Link models with a black-and-white display, Rayhunter shows emoji indicators instead: recording / warning / paused.

Connect to the device's WiFi and open:

http://192.168.1.1:8080
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Red line? Rayhunter detected suspicious activity. Download logs from the web UI and optionally report to EFF.
  • Green line (or emoji indicator) visible on device.
  • Web UI loads at http://192.168.1.1:8080.
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Troubleshooting & Tips
Installer can't find the device▼
Make sure you're connected to the device's WiFi or have USB plugged in with drivers. Try browsing to the admin page (http://192.168.1.1) first. For USB, try a different cable/port.
Installer hangs during reboot▼
Wait 3–5 minutes. If truly stuck, remove battery, wait 10s, reinsert, and re-run the installer.
Wrong password / auth error▼
The admin password is the WiFi password on the device sticker. Factory reset: hold reset button under back panel until reboot.
Unable to determine sdcard path▼
The TP-Link requires a FAT-formatted SD card inserted before installation. Format it as FAT32 on your computer, insert it into the M7350, and try again. Different hardware versions may mount the SD card at different paths — file an issue on GitHub if the error persists.
TP-Link goes to sleep and stops recording▼
The M7350 sleeps after a period with no connected devices, stopping cellular connections. To keep Rayhunter running, disable sleep mode in the TP-Link admin panel: Advanced → Power Saving → turn off auto-sleep. Or keep a device connected to its WiFi.
PowerShell / SmartScreen blocks installer.exe▼
Right-click installer.exe → Properties → check "Unblock" → Apply. Or run: Unblock-File .\installer.exe
macOS says the installer "can't be opened"▼
Run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine installer first. If "No Orbic device found," set System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow accessories → "Always" temporarily.
Permission denied or ADB not found▼
Run chmod +x installer. Install ADB: sudo apt-get install android-sdk-platform-tools. May need udev rules for USB.
How to test if Rayhunter works▼
In the web UI, enable the Test Heuristic under Config. Alerts fire on every new tower — noisy but confirms it works.
Using a non-Verizon SIM▼
Most Verizon Orbics are actually unlocked. After flashing, users have successfully used SIMs from other carriers.
TP-Link won't accept my SIM PIN▼
Some users report the M7350 doesn't accept their SIM PIN. Try inserting the SIM in a phone first, removing the PIN lock, then putting it back in the TP-Link.
Reporting detections to EFF▼
Download logs from the web UI and send to EFF via Signal: ElectronicFrontierFoundation.90. Include date, location, device, and version.
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Full docs: efforg.github.io/rayhunter