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| docs:guide-user:network:wifi:dumbap [2021/09/13 20:35] – add code to help disable services on a new flash darksky2 | docs:guide-user:network:wifi:dumbap [2024/02/01 19:55] – [Wireless Access Point (aka "Dumb" Access Point)] intro should be concise palebloodsky | ||
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| - | ====== Wireless Access Point / Dumb Access Point / Dumb AP ====== | + | ====== Wireless Access Point (aka "Dumb" |
| - | {{section> | + | This page describes how to configure your device as a //wireless access point (AP)//, sometimes called a //" |
| + | |||
| + | One common reason for this is to add additional wireless coverage to an existing network, maybe on a different floor or to cover a wireless dead spot. This setup is sufficient for small home or office network, but for larger networks a more sophisticated approach is often used. | ||
| <WRAP box> | <WRAP box> | ||
| - | **Summary:** This document describes how to create | + | Summary |
| - | that extends a network that already has a "main router". | + | - The wireless AP is connected LAN-to-LAN to the main router |
| - | It's called | + | - The wireless AP bridges its SSID wireless interface onto its LAN bridge interface. Wireless traffic on the wireless AP goes to its bridge LAN interface, then to the main router. |
| - | Here are the basics | + | - The wireless AP bridge LAN may have either |
| + | - The wireless AP gateway IP address is set to the address | ||
| + | - The wireless AP does not provide DHCP service, DNS resolution, or a firewall. | ||
| + | </ | ||
| - | * Connect the Dumb AP **LAN** port to the main router' | + | {{section> |
| - | * Configure the Dumb AP's **LAN** port to have a static address on the main router' | + | |
| - | * Set the DNS server and gateway to the main router' | + | |
| - | * Turn off the firewall and DHCP&DNS server (dnsmasq) in the Dumb AP. | + | |
| - | * If using multiple Interfaces (ie a LAN and GUEST), consider setting the LAN interface to 'DHCP client' | + | |
| - | * Configure the wireless SSID, password, etc. on the Dumb AP as desired | + | |
| - | * Reboot the Dumb AP | + | |
| - | The result is a bridged LAN (no internal subnets) that will work fine for home and small networks. | + | ===== External Videos |
| - | People can connect to the Dumb AP over Ethernet or Wi-Fi (using the configured SSID/ | + | |
| - | //Note: The term "Dumb Access Point" appears to have originated in the Raspberry Pi world. From the perspective of a generic network engineer, the correct term would be " | + | Several videos are available on the topic which may be useful for background information.\\ |
| - | </ | + | Bare in mind they are somewhat outdated |
| - | ===== Configuration via OpenWrt | + | Using OpenWrt |
| - | Of course you can achieve this with using the web interface:\\ | + | {{youtube> |
| - | Once you have configured | + | |
| - | - Disconnect | + | Two videos which are outdated but explain firewall and APs: |
| - | - Use the web interface | + | |
| - | - Enter an IP address "next to" your main router | + | {{youtube> |
| - | - Then switch to "DHCP Server" tab (or scroll down in older versions, 18.06 and earlier, of Luci) and select | + | {{youtube> |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | WiFi roaming is much improved in newer mobile devices so configuring Fast Roaming, aka 802.11r, may not be required.\\ |
| - | - In the top menu go to System -> Startup, and disable | + | This video can be misleading as 802.11r has nothing to do with mesh networking. |
| - | # these do not run APs | + | {{youtube> |
| - | for i in firewall dnsmasq odhcpd; do | + | |
| - | | + | ===== Configuration via LuCI ===== |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | These instructions refer to the interface |
| - | fi | + | |
| - | done</code> \\ | + | This setup requires two routers, a computer with an Ethernet port, and an Ethernet cable. |
| - | - Click the Save and Apply button. Hard-Restart your router if you're not able to connect anymore.\\ | + | |
| - | - Go to http://192.168.1.2 (or whatever address you specified) and check if the settings for the LAN interface are the same.\\ | + | Disconnect the wireless AP from your network.\\ |
| - | - Use an Ethernet to connect one of the LAN ports on your main router to one of the LAN/switch ports of your " | + | Use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to one of the LAN ports (not the // |
| - | - You are done.\\ | + | If you use a notebook, turn off WiFi while configuring |
| + | From a browser, navigate | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Go to //Network -> Interfaces// and click on the **Edit** button of the LAN interface. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | It is best to configure the wireless AP to use DHCP to obtain an address from the main router,\\ | ||
| + | but this guide will show how to do it the alternative way - by configuring a static IP address.\\ | ||
| + | |||
| + | Give the wireless AP an IP address "next to" your main router.\\ | ||
| + | By default, | ||
| + | The address should be on the same subnet as your main router | ||
| + | By default, that means the wireless AP router | ||
| + | If you're adding multiple wireless APs, you could use 192.168.1.3, | ||
| + | Save and apply the new IP address. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | A warning screen will apear because you changed the routers IP to 192.168.1.2. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Navigate back to the address you assigned in the previous step (say, http:// | ||
| + | Make sure your browser uses the new IP address you assigned in the previous step. \\ | ||
| + | Why? Because in the next step, the gateway | ||
| + | If things are not working as expected, unplug the network cable from your computer for 10 seconds and plug in again. The currently still active | ||
| + | |||
| + | Login in your router and go back to //Network -> Interfaces// | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Change the IPv4 gateway to point to your main router, 192.168.1.1 by default. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Use the main router (192.168.1.1) for DNS. Same page but the //Advanced Settings// tab. Enter the IP of your main router in the //Use custom DNS servers// field and click //+//. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{:media: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Use the main router for DHCP (and disable | ||
| + | | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Disable IPv6 DHCP. Same page, //DHCP Server// tab again, but click on the //IPv6 Settings// sub-tab. Set the // | ||
| + | **In versions of OpenWrt older than 21.02.0: | ||
| + | Press " | ||
| + | | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | On the " | ||
| + | Most important steps are done, your wireless AP works!\\ | ||
| + | |||
| + | Review next steps for some fine tuning, enable WLAN or even add a Guest Network: | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you plan to add a " | ||
| + | **do not** do the next steps regarding turning off services labeled // | ||
| + | Deleting the WAN / WAN6 interfaces is compatible with having a GUEST network on your wireless AP. | ||
| + | |||
| + | - To save resources on the wireless AP router, disable unneeded services. | ||
| + | - Optionally, remove or disable the //WAN// and //WAN6// interfaces. On the //Network -> Interfaces// | ||
| + | - //Note that by default OpenWrt does not enable wireless access.// So, from a default installation, | ||
| + | Click the // | ||
| + | Use an Ethernet cable to connect one of the LAN ports on your main router to one of the LAN ports (**not** the // | ||
| + | You may need to reboot or power cycle either or both routers, the device connecting your main router to the Internet, and potentially any connected devices. | ||
| + | Done!\\ | ||
| ===== Configuration via OpenWrt command line tools ===== | ===== Configuration via OpenWrt command line tools ===== | ||
| Line 80: | Line 143: | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| - | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker): | + | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker). |
| < | < | ||
| Line 108: | Line 171: | ||
| option ifname | option ifname | ||
| option proto ' | option proto ' | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Switch and dedicated WAN devices post 21.01 === | ||
| + | The syntax is slightly different for these devices. You will notice that there is a config device which lists the ethernet port(s) assigned to an interface (in this case the br-lan). It will also list the assigned port under the "list ports" clause. The gotcha here is that you must add a separate line for each "list ports" added to a device. If you try to add them to one "list ports" entry space or comma separated it will not work properly. Finally you can remove/ | ||
| + | < | ||
| + | option name ' | ||
| + | option type ' | ||
| + | list ports ' | ||
| + | list ports ' | ||
| + | |||
| + | config interface ' | ||
| + | option device ' | ||
| + | option proto ' | ||
| + | option netmask ' | ||
| + | option ipaddr ' | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| Line 162: | Line 240: | ||
| < | < | ||
| / | / | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Step 6: Disable wpa_supplicant (if no STA WiFi interfaces) ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | < | ||
| ===== Apply changes ===== | ===== Apply changes ===== | ||
| - | Reloading the network config should be enough, it should automatically restart if necessary. | + | Reloading the network config should be enough, it should automatically restart if necessary. Or just reboot. |
| < | < | ||
| Line 181: | Line 263: | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| - | ===== Multicast | + | ===== Disable Daemons Persistently ===== |
| + | Note that although the start-up of daemons such as firewall, dnsmasq, wpa_supplicant and optionally odhcpd have been set to disabled, when a new image is flashed to the device, they will be re-enabled. | ||
| + | < | ||
| + | # these services do not run on dumb APs | ||
| + | for i in firewall dnsmasq odhcpd; do | ||
| + | if / | ||
| + | / | ||
| + | / | ||
| + | fi | ||
| + | done | ||
| + | |||
| + | rm / | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Populate Hostnames in Associated Stations ===== | ||
| + | Dumb APs will not have the data to display hostnames of the associated devices. | ||
| + | |||
| + | On the router, one can extract this data with the following one-liner: | ||
| + | < | ||
| + | < dhcp.leases | awk ' | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | See the following discussion threads for additional approaches: | ||
| + | * Using fping to populate ethers file: https:// | ||
| + | * An improved fping approach: https:// | ||
| + | * Propagating dhcp.leases to secondary (dumb) access points: https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Multicast ===== | ||
| - | DLNA and UPnP clients and printer or SMB discovery protocols | + | DLNA and UPnP clients, and printer or SMB discovery protocols tend to work by using multicast packets. For example |
| On WiFi the //slowest// modulation available is used for multicast packets (so that everyone can hear them). If you have " | On WiFi the //slowest// modulation available is used for multicast packets (so that everyone can hear them). If you have " | ||
| Line 191: | Line 301: | ||
| ==== Notes: ==== | ==== Notes: ==== | ||
| - | * //The Dumb AP wireless can be configured to control access as Open/ | + | * //Dumb AP wireless can be configured to control access as Open/ |
| * //' | * //' | ||
| * //This recipe is similar to the " | * //This recipe is similar to the " | ||
| * //Firewall bridge mode support in OpenWrt is provided by the [[packages: | * //Firewall bridge mode support in OpenWrt is provided by the [[packages: | ||