I'm currently running OpenWrt on my main router and am trying to set up a seamless mesh network using 802.11s to eliminate Wi-Fi interruptions when roaming in my house.
My current setup includes a TP-Link RE220 repeater, but it's limited to TP-Link's proprietary OneMesh and doesn't support 802.11s. When moving between areas covered by both the main router and the RE220, my phone loses connectivity for ~20 seconds, which is frustrating.
I'm now looking for a OpenWrt-compatible repeater, that:
Supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Can be flashed with OpenWrt (official or community builds)
Works in 802.11s mesh mode
Has a wall-plug form factor similar to the RE220 and other repeaters
Unfortunately my RE220 repeater is V3 and from what I read does not support OpenWrt (which is needed to use 802.11s).
So far, the closest fit seems to be the GL.iNet GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX). Although it is small and Wi-Fi 6 capable, it doesn't have a traditional wall-plug repeater form (I need this because its location on the hallway is not ideal for running cables even small ones).
Are there any other Wi-Fi 6 wall-plug style devices (or compact alternatives) that support OpenWrt?
Do you really need a MESH?
I think you mean (fast) roaming -802.11r-, as MESH also uses this, it is commonly a sales issue to call 802.11r 'mesh'.
Look at the following video which explains roaming very clearly: https://youtu.be/kMgs2XFClaM
If you really want WIFI6 and 802.11r and 802.11s see the following forum link:
There is also a OpenWrt page called 'Table of Hardware: Ideal for OpenWrt + Wifi6 (802.11ax) supported':
Although I don't see any (wall-plugged) repeater in that list.
'Are there any other Wi-Fi 6 wall-plug style devices (or compact alternatives) that support OpenWrt?'
I doubt it, with OpenWrt you just can use any (wifi) router.
For years I used a simple router as WIFI-repeater, nowadays 4x (wired&wifi) Fritxbox4040 in 'mesh'. But mainly using the roaming functionality.
Interesting!
The only thing I'm not sure about is the ease of openwrt installation.
In the git commit it says that I need a TTL converter (which I don't have) and my understanding is that the process is non-trivial.
However this post also mentions that Cudy has published an firmware without signature check, so I guess one can install openwrt firmware directly using that firmware?
Thanks, the D-Link looks like a good option as well, albeit a bit pricey (not sure why) and also with internal antennas. Flashing openwrt looks like more straightforward though here.
As @DGdodo said, this sounds like it is not a mesh you are looking for at all.
A mesh provides a wireless backhaul. Normal user devices cannot connect directly to a mesh backhaul, they have to connect via an access point that is either connected to a mesh node or is built into a mesh node.
If you want "Seamless Roaming" for user devices, you are talking about something very different.
Yes, my end goal is seamless wifi roaming. I understand that 802.11r is the way to do it but this requires a wired backhaul which is not an option in my case.
From my understanding, the way to do this would be to first setup 802.11s (aka "mesh") to "simulate" a wired backhaul, then add 802.11r on top. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Yes that's what I thought also initially, but according to this source the hardware must support it (see "Determining if your OpenWrt router supports 802.11s")
An 802.11s mesh requires that all mesh nodes are on the same channel.
A "fast roaming" 802.11r network, to work properly, needs all access points to be on different channels.
There are other ways of getting good roaming, indeed in some cases 802.11r can make things worse. But that is for a new topic, not this one.
Yes it must. BUT these days, almost all devices that can run "real" mainstream OpenWrt will be 802.11s compatible with the exception of those with Broadcom wireless chips, or if you have to use a usb wireless dongle (as most of those are cut down hardware so at worst don't support it, or at best have limited support).
In this mesh network, all nodes are on the same 5 Ghz channel, while the 2.4 Ghz access APs can be on different channels, but share the same SSID to allow wireless devices to easily roam from one mesh node to the next.
So since the repeater supports wifi 6 I could do something similar? (e.g. use the 2.4ghz channel for 802.11s and the 5ghz for the 802.11r)?
If you use 2.4GHz for the mesh it will be much more resilient as that frequency range has better penetration and less multipath reflections to cause problems. If you have wifi6 mesh nodes, use HE40 on 2.4GHz and get ~600Mb/s bitrates for a 2 stream wireless device, or 1200Mb/s for a 4 stream (2 stream has 2 antennas, 4 stream has 4 antennas although you need the 4 to be external, at least 10cm long and 7cm apart so you are unlikely to get the form factor you are looking for with 4 streams).