Hello,
Has anyone got this hat working with OpenWRT?
Hardware explanation here.
As to kernel driver support, apparently the linux 6.8 kernel (as in Ubuntu 24.04) will work with this hat, but with varying success, depending on what M.2 wifi module you add (Intel BE200, AX210, and AX200 modules are reported to work).
Can you provide source of "reported to work"?
What is the driver chain leading to M.2 PCIE bus?
Sure worth repeating module chain in OpenWRT....
This user reported. He specifically reported success on the Intel AX210 wifi module.
sudo modprobe iwlwifi
I need precise reference for 3 things you stated.
The report you've quoted only showing the user was able to use that card as WiFi client, but it won't be OK as AP on non-2.4GHz band.
All Intel wireless cards are unusable for AP functionality (only very limited on 2.4-GHz-only), likewise those aren't DBDC either - so you'd have to decide between either 2.4 GHz operations XOR 5 GHz (but you can't operate an AP interface on 5 GHz either way, so… crickets).
If you were looking at 'real' AP mode- and DBDC capable M.2 cards, you're immediately hit with the current draw (3A on 3.3V!) and quite massive heat dissipation issues (considerable heatsink hard-required, fan probably as well, these cards can cook themselves to death), which are unlikely to be met by the RPi5 and this hat. You can use the forum search for prior discussions of this topic, predominantly with x86_64 hardware in mind, it just isn't likely to work at all/ well enough.
Just FYI: There's a somewhat similar E-key M.2 Raspberry Pi 5 hat, by 52pi, called the "M01," but no testing to speak of:
Note: This product is not to be confused with 52pi's similar M-key hat, called the "N05".
Ouch. Thanks for the warning.
Like for x86_64, the only sensible answer is a dedicated plastic AP (mt7921a+mt7915DBDC, filogic 820/ 830, ipq807x, …) running OpenWrt, it's going to be considerably cheaper, faster and more reliable.
I have an AX210 card which I connected via an M.2 M-Key to M.2 ngff (AE-key) and M.2 M-key to PCIe adapter to the RPi 5 board.
In the 2.4 Ghz band it works ok so far and it perfectly fits my purposes since I plan to connect my phone via USB to the router and then just have an 802.11 mesh node activated on the card. If I need an additional AP I can use the onboard wifi module. But again, my project is to built a manheld radio similar to the MPU5 which is always carried on my person.
If you're planning to built a router especially for AP purposes then this card is not recommended...
Then your solution is kind of too expensive, a small USB MT7610U dongle (802.11ac 1x1 with 5GHz band support) is dirt cheap with decent throughput. The onboard WiFi as AP....er....you can probably forget about it since it's Broadcom.
I appreciate everyone recommending Mediatek chipsets, but that's a far cry from recommending a specific product for sale (and products for sale often hate mentioning which chip is inside), which actually and truly has that chipset in it, which reliably doesn't get switcheroo'ed for a Realtek chip by the time you actually buy it, having followed a recommendation.
My experience using M.2 key E hats for Raspberry Pi in OpenWRT is that they mostly work.
You might have to add "dtoverlay=pcie-32bit-dma" to your /boot/config.txt
You dont have to buy a special hat with a M.2 key E slot if you already have a hat with a key M slot since a cheap key M to key E adapter will work just as good.
(seen to the left in this picture)
However, if I compare the Raspberry Pi 5 pcie hats with a NanoPi that has a key E or M slot, I get a lot more "probe error" with different Wifi6E/7 cards in Raspberry Pi.
I recently added a Geekworm X1001 M.2 hat to my RPi5B. Zero issues with it as a data drive. Have not tried it as a boot/system device.
