Creating four WLAN subnets without using VLAN

Installing and Using OpenWrt Network and Wireless Configuration
1

Hi everybody! :slightly_smiling_face:

I am new to OpenWRT and am having problems setting up my OpenWRT One the way I want it. Let me explain what I have and what I want to get.

Actually I am having the "everybody dumb configuration" with one WLAN/LAN Router (FritzBox 7590) and one big subnet for everything.
What I want to use the OpenWRT One for is to separate my devices into four subnets with their own WLANs, because the FritzBox can not do that.

One Ethernet port of my OpenWRT One is connected to the FritzBox. That is my WAN port.
The other Ethernet port is connected to my PC, because that does not have WLAN funktionality.

The subnet of the FritzBox is 192.168.2.0/24.
With my OpenWRT One I want to create the following separate Networks:

  1. 192.168.3.0/26 (my PC and "normal" WLAN)
  2. 192.168.3.64/26 (Guest WLAN)
  3. 192.168.3.128/26 (IoT WLAN)
  4. 192.168.3.192/26 (printers and other single devices)

The FritzBox has a static route for the network 192.168.3.0/24, to ensure communication with its own network.

VLAN is not an option, because some of my IoT devices can not handle IEEE 802.1Q.

What confuses me is OpenWRTs logic of interfaces and networks. As far as I understand it the IP configuration of WLANs comes from the network, which is usually a bridge, and the actual WLANs are asigned to the networks. So how should I create my four subnets without VLAN, if an interface can only be asigned to one bridge?

I am a CCNA, so I am no newbie to networking, but so far I could not make this working the way I need it.

2

Wifi joins bridge (as you duly figured) specified in config/wireless.

guest bridges can be brought up without physical ethernet - see the empty bridge checkbox.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your answer. :slightly_smiling_face:

Could you explain what exactly you mean by guest bridges?
Only one of the four WLANs I want to create is meant as a guest network.

4

As a guest network i refer to anything not primary br-lan.

First there is a bug requiring mega-cludge if using br-lan.1234 https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/issues/17661#issuecomment-2632058966

network/devices - add EMPTY bridge without physical devices.

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Then use this device in network/interfaces for subnet
You need dhcp server
firewall zone to allow dhcp/dns maybe ping. likely forwarding to wan

1 Like
5

That explains what I was getting wrong the whole time. :+1: :slightly_smiling_face:
I have to say the German translation of LuCI is quite misleading here.

Thank you very much! :slightly_smiling_face:

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