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| docs:guide-user:network:wifi:dumbap [2023/06/05 08:22] – Rewording some parts to mitigate potential confusion bluewavenet | 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 (aka " | ====== Wireless Access Point (aka " | ||
| - | **Summary: | + | This page describes how to configure your device as a //wireless access point (AP)//, sometimes called a //" |
| - | //In truth though, a Wireless AP is anything but dumb, it just does not provide IP routing services.// | + | 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. |
| - | One of the most common reasons for creating a Wireless Access Point is to add additional wireless coverage to an existing network, maybe on a different floor or to cover some other wireless dead spot. Adding a wireless AP will do exactly that. | ||
| - | |||
| - | The end result of following the instructions below will be a bridged LAN with no internal subnets. | ||
| <WRAP box> | <WRAP box> | ||
| - | **TL;DR** Here are the important configurations | + | Summary of configuration |
| - | - The wireless AP is connected LAN-to-LAN to the main router by some means eg an ethernet cable, | + | - The wireless AP is connected LAN-to-LAN to the main router by some means e.g. ethernet cable, 802.11s mesh, etc. |
| - | - 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, | + | - 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 can have a static or DHCP address on the same subnet as the main router' | + | - The wireless AP bridge LAN may have either |
| - | - The wireless AP' | + | - The wireless AP gateway |
| - The wireless AP does not provide DHCP service, DNS resolution, or a firewall. | - The wireless AP does not provide DHCP service, DNS resolution, or a firewall. | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| Line 21: | Line 18: | ||
| ===== External Videos for Reference ===== | ===== External Videos for Reference ===== | ||
| - | Several | + | Several videos are available on the topic which may be useful |
| + | Bare in mind they are somewhat outdated and generally do not take into account | ||
| - | + | Using OpenWrt | |
| - | Using OpenWRT | + | |
| {{youtube> | {{youtube> | ||
| - | + | Two videos which are outdated but explain firewall and APs: | |
| - | Two-part older videos which are considerably | + | |
| {{youtube> | {{youtube> | ||
| {{youtube> | {{youtube> | ||
| - | + | WiFi roaming is much improved in newer mobile devices so configuring Fast Roaming, aka 802.11r, may not be required.\\ | |
| - | WiFi roaming is much improved in more up to date 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. |
| - | This video can be very misleading as 802.11r has nothing | + | |
| - | Nevertheless it may provide some background information: | + | |
| {{youtube> | {{youtube> | ||
| + | ===== Configuration via LuCI ===== | ||
| - | ===== Configuration via LuCI, the OpenWrt Web Interface ===== | + | These instructions refer to the interface found in OpenWrt |
| - | + | ||
| - | These instructions | + | |
| This setup requires two routers, a computer with an Ethernet port, and an Ethernet cable. | This setup requires two routers, a computer with an Ethernet port, and an Ethernet cable. | ||
| - | - Disconnect the wireless AP from your network. | + | 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// |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | {{: |
| - | - To save resources on the wireless AP router, disable | + | |
| - | - Optionally, remove or disable the //WAN// and //WAN6// interfaces. | + | It is best to configure the wireless AP to use DHCP to obtain an address from the main router,\\ |
| - | - //Note that by default OpenWrt does not enable wireless access.// | + | but this guide will show how to do it the alternative way - by configuring |
| - | | + | |
| - | - Use an Ethernet cable to connect one of the LAN ports on your main router to one of the LAN ports (**not** the // | + | Give the wireless AP an IP address "next to" your main router.\\ |
| - | - 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. | + | By default, the main router will have an address of 192.168.1.1, |
| - | - Done!\\ | + | 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 | ||
| + | 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 | ||
| + | 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//, | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | | ||
| + | Change the IPv4 gateway to point to your main router, 192.168.1.1 by default. | ||
| + | | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Use the main router | ||
| + | | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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 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. | ||
| + | - //Note that by default OpenWrt does not enable wireless access.// | ||
| + | Click the //Save and Apply// button.\\ | ||
| + | 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 99: | Line 143: | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| - | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker): | + | Switch configuration on WR1043ND (barrier breaker). |
| < | < | ||
| Line 128: | Line 172: | ||
| option proto ' | option proto ' | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| === Switch and dedicated WAN devices post 21.01 === | === 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/ | + | 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 name ' | ||
| Line 142: | Line 187: | ||
| option ipaddr ' | option ipaddr ' | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| ==== Step 2: Change the existing wireless network ==== | ==== Step 2: Change the existing wireless network ==== | ||
| Line 216: | Line 262: | ||
| option reqprefix ' | option reqprefix ' | ||
| </ | </ | ||
| + | |||
| ===== Disable Daemons Persistently ===== | ===== 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. | 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. | ||
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| rm / | rm / | ||
| - | </ | + | </ |
| - | ===== Populate | + | |
| - | Dumb APs will not have the data to display | + | ===== Populate |
| + | 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: | On the router, one can extract this data with the following one-liner: | ||
| Line 245: | Line 293: | ||
| ===== Multicast ===== | ===== 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 " | ||
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| ==== 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: | ||