SSH: Replace wpad:
opkg update
opkg remove wpad-basic
opkg remove wpad
opkg install wpad-mesh
reboot
SSH: Install non-ct drivers:
opkg update
opkg remove ath10k-firmware-qca988x-ct kmod-ath10k-ct
opkg install ath10k-firmware-qca988x kmod-ath10k
reboot
SSH: Install BATMAN:
opkg update
opkg install batctl-full kmod-batman-adv
reboot
WinSCP: Edit /etc/config/network
config interface 'nwi_mesh0'
option mtu '1532'
option proto 'batadv_hardif'
option master 'bat0'
option proto 'batadv'
option routing_algo 'BATMAN_IV'
option aggregation '1'
option ap_isolation '0'
option bonding '0'
option fragmentation '1'
option gw_mode 'off'
option log_level '0'
option orig_interval '10000'
option bridge_loop_avoidance '1'
option distributed_arp_table '1'
option multicast_mode '1'
option network_coding '0'
option hop_penalty '30'
option isolation_mark '0x00000000/0x00000000'
WinSCP: Edit /etc/config/wireless
config wifi-device 'radio0'
option type 'mac80211'
option beacon_int '100'
option channel '36'
option hwmode '11a'
option path 'pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0'
option htmode 'VHT80'
option txpower '20'
option country 'DE'
option legacy_rates '0'
option disabled '0'
config wifi-iface 'wifinet0'
option device 'radio0'
option disabled '0'
option mode 'mesh'
option mesh_id 'mesh5g'
option encryption 'sae'
option dtim_period '1'
option disassoc_low_ack '0'
option key 'MY_LONG_MESH_PASSPHRASE'
option network 'nwi_mesh0'
option mesh_fwding '0'
option mesh_rssi_threshold '0'
These parts fit for all of your Archer C7 v2|5 devices. It will establish the BATMAN tunnel interfaces and connect nodes each other via the wireless mesh protocol, WPA3/SAE encrypted. You now have an "empty mesh" because no "normal client" Wifi SSID gets data to/from it and no LAN uplink port gets data to/from it.
- device A individual configuration
Now select device A as the "LAN to mesh" AP where you connect your internet router (or the internal network you'd like to put on the mesh-connected Archer devices and their WiFi SSIDs). E.g. let's bridge the VLAN 10 connected to the WAN port of device A into the mesh.
- device B individual configuration
Now select device B as the "mesh to WiFi" AP where you connect the bat0.10 (= VLAN 10) to your normal AP SSID "mywifi". You do this the same way as in the picture above but selecting "bat0.10" and your "Wireless Network: Master "mywifi" (VL10)" networks from the drop down box.
You can use the device B sample setup on C, D, (...) devices. They will then all "emit" the SSID "mywifi" which is brought through the mesh interconnection "mesh5g" between A, B, C, D, (...). Of course, device A is also able to add "mywifi" to the existing "bat0.10 eth1.10" bridge if you want to use your "normal" SSID there, too.
You can also bridge your LAN interface directly to bat0 (without the "dot-number" VLAN notation). But then, only one (separate) logical network can live on the mesh. Using VLAN is good, e.g., if you want to put your internal and a guest network with different VLAN tags on the mesh.