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docs:guide-quick-start:basic_wifi [2021/08/13 08:44] – commit refinement redalertdocs:guide-quick-start:basic_wifi [2024/12/11 14:36] – update and simplify to be more accurate palebloodsky
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 ======Enabling a Wi-Fi access point on OpenWrt====== ======Enabling a Wi-Fi access point on OpenWrt======
  
-Devices that have Ethernet ports have Wi-Fi turned off by default. +Devices with Ethernet ports have Wi-Fi turned off by default for security reasons. This page contains basic settings to enable Wi-Fi.
-This is a basic description of how to enable Wi-Fi network and most importantly, how to properly configure your country code such that your Wi-Fi network complies with the legal regulations of your country.+
  
 +===== Setup with the web GUI ======
  
-===== Using the web admin GUI ======+  - Connect to LuCI at http://192.168.1.1, and login with your "root" password. 
 +  - Go to **Network → Wireless**. This page lists a separate Wi-Fi configuration for each physical radio (most devices will have one for 2.4 GHz and one for 5 GHz). 
 +  - For each Wi-Fi network, click ''Edit'' (if not there click ''Add'' to create a network) to configure: 
 +      * In **General Setup**, select the ''Country Code'' where your OpenWrt device is installed. This is to ensure your radios meet local regulations. Note this was formerly in the **Advanced** tab. 
 +      * In **General Setup**, enter an ''ESSID'', the name for your Wi-Fi network. 
 +      * In **Wireless Security**, select an ''Encryption'' method, "WPA2-PSK" or "WPA3-PSK" is recommended. 
 +      * In **Wireless Security**, enter a ''Key'', the password devices use to connect to your Wi-Fi network. 
 +      * As needed, configure other settings such as a different Cipher, KRACK mitigation, or additional Wi-Fi networks. 
 +  - Click ''Save & Apply''
 +  - Finally, click ''Enable'' on each radio you would like to activate.
  
-  - Connect to the web GUI at http://192.168.1.1, and login with your "root" password +===== About the Country Code ======
-  - Go to **Network → Wireless**. This page lists a separate Wi-Fi configuration section for each of your physical radios, (many devices you may have, will have one radio for 2.4 GHz and a second one for 5 GHz). +
-  - For each of your radios, you can create a Wi-Fi network by clicking ''Add'': +
-    - On the first Wi-Fi network that you configure, go to the **Device Configuration** and open the tab **Advanced Settings**: in the ''Country Code'' field, select the correct county code, where your OpenWrt device is installed. This is important to ensure your OpenWrt device meets the legal regulations in your country. (all other configured radios will use the same device settings) +
-    - For each Wi-Fi network, in the "Interface Configuration" section, configure your Wi-Fi settings: +
-      * In the tab **General Setup**, enter an ''ESSID'' to become the name of your Wi-Fi network +
-      * In the tab **Wireless Security**, select an ''Encryption'' method (e.g. "WPA2-PSK", recommended for home/small office networks) +
-      * In the tab **Wireless Security**, select a ''Cipher'' (e.g. "auto" is recommended) +
-      * In the tab **Wireless Security**, enter a ''Key'', a secret phrase which clients must use to connect to your Wi-Fi network. NB: With WPA2-PSK, the Key must be at least eight (8) characters. +
-      * If needed, configure further settings according to your needs. Other default settings ordinarily correct for general usage. +
-  - Click ''Save & Apply'' when done.+
  
-Troubleshooting: +To comply with your local regulatory laws, the correct country code for the radios on your device must be setThe default 00 (Rest of the World) country code limits operation to the limited set of channels and transmission power that are allowed anywhere in the world. You will typically have more available channels and higher power levels when you set the country code to your ownBe aware that setting the wrong country code could get you in trouble with local authorities because selecting a channel or transmitting at higher power than is allowed could interfere with other equipmentlike radar. You can also interfere with your neighbor'devices.
-  * If you have configured 5GHz Wi-Fi and have just enabled itbut the 5 GHz Wi-Fi does not seem to start up, consider the following: If your device supports Wi-Fi channels > 100, your OpenWrt device first must scan for weather radar on these channels, before you can actually use such channels for Wi-FiThis may take 1-10 minutes onetime after first reboot depending on your Wi-Fi situation and depending on the number of device-supported channels > 100. You may also experience 1 minute delay on each automatic channel change, as the same scan delay is required for regulation compliance. +
-  * Network / Wireless / Edit / Interface Configuration / General Setup / Network should be left to the "lan" default or to another interface where there is an active DHCP serverDO NOT select "wan" or "wan6" as that'the upstream interface for Internet connection only +
-===== Using the SSH command line =====+
  
-This is not a complete howto on how to create a fine tuned Wi-Fi network on the command line.\\ +On Linux based devices, like OpenWrt, the database of regulatory domains comes from the [[https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/wens/wireless-regdb.git/tree/db.txt|wireless-regdb]]. In there is the list of countries sorted alphabetically by their [[wp>ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] with allowed frequencies, channel bandwith, and transmission strength (dBm) or power (mW). 
-It just shows you the important steps to initially set the basics for properly enabling the Wi-Fi on the command line, to meet the legal regulations of your country:+ 
 +If you plan to set your country code using the web GUI, do that from the dropdown, but if you intend to do it via command line, take note of your [[wp>ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] code on the link. 
 + 
 +===== Troubleshooting ===== 
 +  * If you have configured 5 GHz Wi-Fi and have just enabled it, but it does not start up immediately, consider the following: If your device supports Wi-Fi channels >100, your OpenWrt device first must scan for weather radar on these channels, before you can actually use such channels for Wi-Fi. This will take 1-10 minutes once after first reboot depending on your Wi-Fi situation and depending on the number of device-supported channels >100. You may also experience 1 minute delay on each automatic channel change, as the same scan delay is required for regulation compliance. For more information see [[:docs:techref:dfs|DFS]]. 
 +  * Network / Wireless / Edit / Interface Configuration / General Setup / Network should be left to the "lan" default or to another interface where there is an active DHCP server, DO NOT select "wan" or "wan6" as that's the upstream interface for the Internet. 
 + 
 +===== Using the command line ===== 
 + 
 +This is not a complete howto on how to create a fine tuned Wi-Fi network on the command line. It just shows you the important steps to initially set the basics for properly enabling the Wi-Fi on the command line, to meet the legal regulations of your country:
  
   * Connect with SSH to your OpenWrt device: ''$ ssh root@192.168.1.1''   * Connect with SSH to your OpenWrt device: ''$ ssh root@192.168.1.1''
-  * Execute ''uci show wireless'' to see all the wireless configurations and how many Wi-Fi chips (called “radio” in the config) there are on the device. Identify the radio number (0, 1, 2, etc) that are you aiming to. E.g., ''radio0'', ''radio1'', ''radio2'', ''radioX''+  * Execute ''uci show wireless'' to see all the wireless configurations and how many Wi-Fi chips (called “radio” in the config) there are on the device. Identify the radio number (0, 1, 2, etc) that are you aiming to configure, e.g., ''radio0'', ''radio1'', ''radio2''
-  * Find out your country in a list of ISO/IEC 3166 alpha2 country codes. There is a list in the Wikipedia article about [[wp>ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]]+  * Execute ''uci set wireless.radio**N**.country='XX' '' to set the country code XX for each (N = 0, 1, 2) radio devices your router may have. Refer to the first section of this page.
-  * Execute ''uci set wireless.radio**N**.country='XX' '' to set the country code XX for each (N = 0, 1, 2) radio devices your router may have.+
   * Execute ''uci set wireless.radio**N**.disabled='0' '' to enable all the said radio(s).   * Execute ''uci set wireless.radio**N**.disabled='0' '' to enable all the said radio(s).
   * Commit the changes executing: ''uci commit wireless''.   * Commit the changes executing: ''uci commit wireless''.
   * Reload the wifi interfaces: ''wifi reload''.   * Reload the wifi interfaces: ''wifi reload''.
-  * Wait a couple of minutes to allow the radio(s) booting and eventually DFS scanning. Enjoy  +  * Wait a couple of minutes to allow the radio(s) bootingand for 5 GHz DFS scanning. Enjoy.
- +
  
  • Last modified: 2024/12/11 22:58
  • by palebloodsky