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| docs:guide-user:network:wifi:dumbap [2022/07/04 02:21] – Edit instructions for clarity richb-hanover | 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 ====== | + | ====== Wireless Access Point (aka "Dumb" |
| - | <WRAP box> | + | This page describes how to configure your device as a //wireless access point (AP)//, sometimes called a //"dumb AP"// connected |
| - | **Summary: | + | |
| - | One of the most common | + | One common |
| - | The end result | + | <WRAP box> |
| + | Summary | ||
| + | - The wireless AP is connected | ||
| + | - 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. | ||
| + | - The wireless AP bridge LAN may have either a static or DHCP address on the same subnet as the main router | ||
| + | - The wireless AP gateway IP address | ||
| + | - The wireless AP does not provide DHCP service, DNS resolution, | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| {{section> | {{section> | ||
| - | ===== Configuration via LuCI, the OpenWrt Web Interface | + | ===== External Videos for Reference ===== |
| + | |||
| + | Several videos are available on the topic which may be useful for background information.\\ | ||
| + | Bare in mind they are somewhat outdated and generally do not take into account everything. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Using OpenWrt v21 with DSA example: | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{youtube> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Two videos which are outdated but explain firewall and APs: | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{youtube> | ||
| + | {{youtube> | ||
| + | |||
| + | WiFi roaming is much improved in newer mobile devices so configuring Fast Roaming, aka 802.11r, may not be required.\\ | ||
| + | This video can be misleading as 802.11r has nothing to do with mesh networking. | ||
| + | {{youtube> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Configuration via LuCI ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | These instructions refer to the interface found in OpenWrt 23.05. The interface of v21 upwards differs in significant ways from earlier versions of OpenWrt which we try to account for... but no guarantees. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This setup requires two routers, a computer with an Ethernet port, and an Ethernet cable. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Disconnect the wireless AP from your network.\\ | ||
| + | Use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to one of the LAN ports (not the // | ||
| + | If you use a notebook, turn off WiFi while configuring your AP to only have one IP connection, a wired one, to your "to be" configured wireless AP.\\ | ||
| + | From a browser, navigate to LuCI by going to http:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Go to //Network -> Interfaces// | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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 main router will have an address of 192.168.1.1, | ||
| + | The address should be on the same subnet as your main router but out of the DHCP range used when assigning addresses to connected devices.\\ | ||
| + | By default, that means the wireless AP router IP should be between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.100.\\ | ||
| + | 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. Press "Apply and keep settings" | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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 needs to be changed to point to the main router, and LuCI will not allow you to change the gateway to 192.168.1.1 while the wireless AP router is using that IP address.\\ | ||
| + | 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 DHCP Server on your wirless AP will then reasign a valid IP to you. \\ | ||
| + | |||
| + | Login in your router and go back to //Network -> Interfaces//, | ||
| - | These instructions are up to date as of October 15, 2021, and refer to the interface found in OpenWrt | + | {{: |
| + | |||
| + | Change the IPv4 gateway | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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 //+//. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Use the main router for DHCP (and disable DHCP for the Wireless AP). Same page again, now the //DHCP Server// tab. Ensure the //Ignore interface// checkbox is checked.\\ | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Disable IPv6 DHCP. Same page, //DHCP Server// tab again, but click on the //IPv6 Settings// sub-tab. | ||
| + | **In versions of OpenWrt | ||
| + | Press " | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | On the " | ||
| + | Most important steps are done, your wireless AP works!\\ | ||
| - | This setup requires two routers, a computer with an Ethernet port, and an Ethernet cable. | + | Review next steps for some fine tuning, enable WLAN or even add a Guest Network:\\ |
| - | - Disconnect the wireless AP router from your network. | + | If you plan to add a "GUEST" |
| - | - From a browser on your computer, navigate to the LuCI interface by going to http:// | + | **do not** do the next steps regarding turning off services labeled |
| - | - Go to //Network -> Interfaces// | + | Deleting |
| - | - Give the wireless AP router an IP address | + | |
| - | - Save and apply the new IP address, then navigate back to that address | + | - To save resources on the wireless AP router, disable unneeded services. |
| - | - Change the IPv4 gateway to point to your main router, 192.168.1.1 by default. | + | - Optionally, remove or disable the //WAN// and //WAN6// interfaces. |
| - | - Use the main router 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 //+//. | + | - //Note that by default OpenWrt does not enable wireless access.// |
| - | - Use the main router for DHCP (and disable DHCP for the Wireless AP). Same page again, now the //DHCP Server// tab. Should be at the //General Setup// sub-tab. | + | Click the //Save and Apply// button.\\ |
| - | - Disable IPv6 DHCP. Same page, //DHCP Server// tab again, but click on the //IPv6 Settings// sub-tab. | + | |
| - | - **In versions of OpenWrt older than 21.02.0: | + | |
| - | - To save resources on the wireless AP router, disable | + | |
| - | - Optionally, remove or disable the //WAN// and //WAN6// interfaces. | + | |
| - | - //Note that by default OpenWrt does not enable wireless access.// | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | - 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!\\ | + | |
| + | 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 69: | Line 143: | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| - | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker): | + | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker). |
| < | < | ||
| Line 97: | 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 151: | 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 169: | Line 262: | ||
| option reqprefix ' | option reqprefix ' | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| ===== Disable Daemons Persistently ===== | ===== Disable Daemons Persistently ===== | ||
| - | Note that although the start-up of daemons such as firewall, dnsmasq, and optionally odhcpd have been set to disabled, when a new image is flashed to the device, they will be re-enabled. | + | Note that although the start-up of daemons such as firewall, dnsmasq, |
| < | < | ||
| # these services do not run on dumb APs | # these services do not run on dumb APs | ||
| Line 178: | Line 272: | ||
| / | / | ||
| fi | fi | ||
| - | done</ | + | done |
| - | ===== Multicast | + | |
| + | 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 189: | 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: | ||