Problems Installing/using external wifi adapter

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

What I want to do:
Hey guys basically I just want to use a Raspberry Pi as a "wifi bridge" as described in this Video: Video

What's the problem?
In the web interface it says: "Device is not active"

Hardware:
Raspberry Pi 3 B+ V1.3
some usb-wifi Interface: (the lsusb command reveals: ID 0bda:0811 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Realtek 8812AU/8821AU 802.11ac WLAN Adapter [USB Wireless Dual-Band Adapter 2.4/5Ghz])

Installed packages:

root@OpenWrt:~# opkg list
base-files - 1434-r16325-88151b8303
bcm27xx-gpu-fw - 2021-02-16-ba6259246c702b04ea56ff1034325e476d460ae8
bcm27xx-userland - 97bc8180ad682b004ea224d1db7b8e108eda4397-1
brcmfmac-firmware-usb - 20201118-3
busybox - 1.33.1-6
ca-bundle - 20210119-1
cgi-io - 2021-09-08-98cef9dd-20
cypress-firmware-43430-sdio - v5.4.18-2020_0402-3
cypress-firmware-43455-sdio - v5.4.18-2020_0402-3
cypress-nvram-43430-sdio-rpi-3b - 2019-09-03-e7b78df2-2
cypress-nvram-43455-sdio-rpi-3b-plus - 2019-09-03-e7b78df2-2
dnsmasq - 2.85-8
dropbear - 2020.81-2
e2fsprogs - 1.45.6-2
firewall - 2021-03-23-61db17ed-1
fstools - 2021-01-04-c53b1882-1
fwtool - 2019-11-12-8f7fe925-1
getrandom - 2020-10-25-9ef88681-2
hostapd-common - 2020-06-08-5a8b3662-35
ip6tables - 1.8.7-1
iptables - 1.8.7-1
iw - 5.9-8fab0c9e-1
iwinfo - 2021-04-30-c45f0b58-2.1
jshn - 2021-05-16-b14c4688-2
jsonfilter - 2018-02-04-c7e938d6-1
kernel - 5.4.154-1-ba6c757dfe6f69b325d19a7f237bd331
kmod-brcmfmac - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-brcmutil - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-cfg80211 - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-fs-vfat - 5.4.154-1
kmod-hid - 5.4.154-1
kmod-hid-generic - 5.4.154-1
kmod-input-core - 5.4.154-1
kmod-input-evdev - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ip6tables - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ipt-conntrack - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ipt-core - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ipt-nat - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ipt-offload - 5.4.154-1
kmod-lib-crc-ccitt - 5.4.154-1
kmod-mac80211 - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-mmc - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-conntrack - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-conntrack6 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-flow - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-ipt - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-ipt6 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-nat - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-reject - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nf-reject6 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nls-base - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nls-cp437 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nls-iso8859-1 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-nls-utf8 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-ppp - 5.4.154-1
kmod-pppoe - 5.4.154-1
kmod-pppox - 5.4.154-1
kmod-rt2800-lib - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rt2800-usb - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rt2x00-lib - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rt2x00-usb - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtl8812au-ct - 5.4.154+2020-01-12-e0d586aa-2
kmod-rtl8821ae - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtl8xxxu - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtlwifi - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtlwifi-btcoexist - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtlwifi-pci - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-rtlwifi-usb - 5.4.154+5.10.68-1-1
kmod-slhc - 5.4.154-1
kmod-sound-arm-bcm2835 - 5.4.154-1
kmod-sound-core - 5.4.154-1
kmod-tun - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb-core - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb-ehci - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb-hid - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb-ohci - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb-uhci - 5.4.154-1
kmod-usb2 - 5.4.154-1
libblkid1 - 2.36.1-2
libblobmsg-json20210516 - 2021-05-16-b14c4688-2
libc - 1.1.24-3
libcomerr0 - 1.45.6-2
libevdev - 1.12.0-1
libext2fs2 - 1.45.6-2
libf2fs6 - 1.14.0-1
libgcc1 - 8.4.0-3
libip4tc2 - 1.8.7-1
libip6tc2 - 1.8.7-1
libiwinfo-data - 2021-04-30-c45f0b58-2.1
libiwinfo-lua - 2021-04-30-c45f0b58-2.1
libiwinfo20210430 - 2021-04-30-c45f0b58-2.1
libjson-c5 - 0.15-2
libjson-script20210516 - 2021-05-16-b14c4688-2
liblua5.1.5 - 5.1.5-9
liblucihttp-lua - 2021-06-11-3dc89af4-1
liblucihttp0 - 2021-06-11-3dc89af4-1
liblzo2 - 2.10-4
libncurses6 - 6.2-3
libnl-tiny1 - 2020-08-05-c291088f-2
libopenssl1.1 - 1.1.1m-1
libpthread - 1.1.24-3
librt - 1.1.24-3
libsmartcols1 - 2.36.1-2
libss2 - 1.45.6-2
libubox20210516 - 2021-05-16-b14c4688-2
libubus-lua - 2021-06-30-4fc532c8-2
libubus20210630 - 2021-06-30-4fc532c8-2
libuci20130104 - 2020-10-06-52bbc99f-5
libuclient20201210 - 2021-05-14-6a6011df-1
libudev-zero - 1.0.0-1
libusb-1.0-0 - 1.0.24-4
libustream-wolfssl20201210 - 2020-12-10-68d09243-1
libuuid1 - 2.36.1-2
libwolfssl4.8.1.66253b90 - 4.8.1-stable-4
libxtables12 - 1.8.7-1
logd - 2020-10-25-9ef88681-2
lua - 5.1.5-9
luci - git-20.074.84698-ead5e81
luci-app-firewall - git-21.295.66767-8eceb63
luci-app-openvpn - git-21.188.55022-d943037
luci-app-opkg - git-21.079.58598-6639e31
luci-base - git-21.295.67054-13df80d
luci-compat - git-21.099.45066-7bb2fc4
luci-lib-base - git-20.232.39649-1f6dc29
luci-lib-ip - git-20.250.76529-62505bd
luci-lib-jsonc - git-19.317.29469-8da8f38
luci-lib-nixio - git-20.234.06894-c4a4e43
luci-mod-admin-full - git-19.253.48496-3f93650
luci-mod-network - git-21.295.67048-4d3de0e
luci-mod-status - git-21.295.66779-853a128
luci-mod-system - git-21.295.66903-8acd0d7
luci-proto-ipv6 - git-21.148.49484-14511e5
luci-proto-ppp - git-21.163.64918-6c6559a
luci-ssl - git-20.244.36115-e10f954
luci-theme-bootstrap - git-21.298.68362-d24760e
mkf2fs - 1.14.0-1
mtd - 26
nano - 6.0-1
netifd - 2021-07-26-440eb064-1
odhcp6c - 2021-01-09-53f07e90-16
odhcpd-ipv6only - 2021-07-18-bc9d317f-3
openvpn-openssl - 2.5.3-3
openwrt-keyring - 2021-02-20-49283916-2
opkg - 2021-06-13-1bf042dd-1
partx-utils - 2.36.1-2
ppp - 2.4.8.git-2020-10-03-3
ppp-mod-pppoe - 2.4.8.git-2020-10-03-3
procd - 2021-02-23-37eed131-1
px5g-wolfssl - 3
rpcd - 2021-03-11-ccb75178-1
rpcd-mod-file - 2021-03-11-ccb75178-1
rpcd-mod-iwinfo - 2021-03-11-ccb75178-1
rpcd-mod-luci - 20210614
rpcd-mod-rrdns - 20170710
rt2800-usb-firmware - 20211216-1
rtl8821ae-firmware - 20211216-1
terminfo - 6.2-3
ubox - 2020-10-25-9ef88681-2
ubus - 2021-06-30-4fc532c8-2
ubusd - 2021-06-30-4fc532c8-2
uci - 2020-10-06-52bbc99f-5
uclient-fetch - 2021-05-14-6a6011df-1
uhttpd - 2021-03-21-15346de8-2
uhttpd-mod-ubus - 2021-03-21-15346de8-2
urandom-seed - 3
usbids - 0.354-1
usbutils - 013-2
usign - 2020-05-23-f1f65026-1
wireless-regdb - 2021.04.21-1
wpad-basic-wolfssl - 2020-06-08-5a8b3662-35
root@OpenWrt:~#

/etc/config/wireless:

config wifi-device 'radio0'
        option type 'mac80211'
        option channel '7'
        option hwmode '11g'
        option path 'platform/soc/3f300000.mmcnr/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:0001/mmc1:0001:1'
        option htmode 'HT20'
        option cell_density '0'
        option short_gi_40 '0'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet1'
        option device 'radio0'
        option mode 'sta'
        option network 'wwan'
        option ssid 'My-Network'
        option encryption 'psk2'
        option key 'My-Network-pass'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
        option device 'radio1'
        option mode 'ap'
        option ssid 'OpenWrt'
        option encryption 'none'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
        option type 'mac80211'
        option path 'platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.3/1-1.3:1.0'
        option disabled '0'
        option hwmode '11g'
        option channel 'auto'
        option cell_density '0'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
        option device 'radio1'
        option network 'wwan'
        option mode 'ap'
        option ssid 'OpenWrt'
        option encryption 'none'

/etc/config/network:

config interface 'loopback'
        option device 'lo'
        option proto 'static'
        option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'
        option netmask '255.0.0.0'

config globals 'globals'
        option ula_prefix 'fd4f:9da8:d37a::/48'

config device
        option name 'br-lan'
        option type 'bridge'
        list ports 'eth0'

config interface 'lan'
        option device 'br-lan'
        option proto 'static'
        option ipaddr '192.168.1.1'
        option netmask '255.255.255.0'
        option ip6assign '60'

config interface 'wwan'
        option proto 'dhcp'

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

-Johann

2

The RPi4 (not the RPi3 and earlier) can be a very fast wired router, but its wireless capabilities are something better ignored. The onboard brcmfmac wireless is limited in features (e.g. AP-STA not possible, which would be useful for repeating or 4addr) and slow, its 1x1 antenna is tiny affecting range and throughput. USB wireless is a more generic problem better best avoided - and Realtek wireless, USB in particular, an even worse match.

I don't quite get what network topology you're after from your configurations either. As far as I read it, you're trying to use the internal brcmfmac device as uplink to your existing router (slow 1x1 radio, tiny antenna, bad range, but technically basic AP capability), while you're trying to broadcast (after NAT/ routing) the signal again using the Realtek 8812AU USB WLAN card (faster, slightly better antennas, not AP capable), which obviously isn't going to succeed. That aside (assuming you invert the wlan configuration), I don't quite get what gain you're expecting from that setup - range won't improve (its antennas are too bad for that), throughput is down the drain (1x1 radio) and you lack the flexibility e.g. luci-app-travelmate could provide you with on the uplink side. Functionally, a ~20 EUR/ USD lowest-end/ single radio 802.11n wireless router would probably provide better throughput and range than this setup (even with the incurred repeater effect), obviously I would suggest slightly better hardware than this lowest possible option - just doing a relative comparison between their wireless abilities.

Sorry, I'm not going to watch that video for further clues…

--
Falco - Mutter, der Mann mit dem Koks ist da

3

Hey, Thanks for your Comment!
The plan for the project was to create a device that's a client in a wireless network and broadcasts the network to some other devices. (something like "Travelmate" (thanks for the tip btw))
The range and Throughput wasn't so important to me.
So is there a router you can recommend?
Does the router need two antennas?(one for Client one for Host?)

-Johann

4

Almost anything (aside from Broadcom) supports this using the same (single) radio (more than one obviously improves performance), so just look for an OpenWrt supported device matching your criteria and (at least-) the minimum hardware requirements (QCA/ Atheros (ipq40xx/ ipq806x/ recent ath79) or contemporary mediatek (mt7621a/ mt7622) wireless hardware preferred).

5

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