Setting for a MINIMAL signal

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I use an extender to give a DVB-Box a "wireless ethernet" connection. I mean the dvb-box doesn't have wifi, but ethernet and it is not possible to connect the dvb-box via ethernet.

I don't need an access point with the extender, but if I disable the AP, ethernet doesn't work anymore.

I set tx-power to 0dB and the phone shows -50dBm reception. What can I do else, that the access point doesn't influence other signals?

Should I set the AP to 2.4 or 5 GHz? Which width?

The goal is to see the AP not in every part / floor of the house.

2

Are you trying to bridge wifi > ethernet?

If so, that's not totally straight forward... you need to use relayd

(this may also be possible with WDS or 802.11s/mesh)

1 Like
3

Probably. Sorry I am very unsure with technical names.

No access point is needed, the dvb-box without wifi should get an internet connection.

I set it up as always as I do it with an AP and it works.

root@X1860-S1:~# cat /etc/config/wireless 

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:02:00.0'
	option channel '11'
	option band '2g'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option cell_density '0'
	option country 'AT'
	option txpower '0'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'bed.4x-2'
	option encryption 'psk2'
	option key '...'
	option disabled '1'

config wifi-iface 'wpa3_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'bed.4x-3'
	option encryption 'sae'
	option key '...'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:02:00.0+1'
	option channel '36'
	option band '5g'
	option htmode 'HE80'
	option country 'AT'
	option cell_density '0'
	option txpower '0'
	option disabled '1'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
	option device 'radio1'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'bed.5x-3'
	option encryption 'sae'
	option key '...'
	option disabled '1'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
	option device 'radio0'
	option ssid 'upstream-router'
	option encryption 'sae-mixed'
	option key '...'
	option mode 'sta'
	option bssid 'CC:...:CA'
	option wds '1'
	option network 'lan'

After reading the link, I am not sure if this is configured in "wireless" all, Example config files are very welcome.

4

So to be clear, the goal here is to connect to an existing wifi SSID, and then pass that signal that to ethernet for the dvb-box, right? This would make the router you're working with a wifi client (sta mode), not an AP. And as described, you'll need to use relayd. You do not want to set up a wifi AP at all on this device.

5

Yes, but I want to be able to acces the extender for configuration.

config wifi-iface 'wpa3_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'bed.4x-3'
	option encryption 'sae'
	option key '...'

If I add to the section above

option disabled '1'

I can't access the extender anymore using webinterface or ssh.

6

Does your upstream router also run openwrt? And did you configure that device to be the WDS main?does the main base station show the downstream wds device as connected? If so, the downstream device should be available at the lan address in your network config.

1 Like
7

Yes, but it is an old Openwrt, will be changed after testing to a similar model. If I do a misconfiguration with the old system, it is not a big problem. I don't want to misconfigure the new router.

At the moment it is a Netgear R7800 with OpenWrt 18.06.1.

I think so.

This is the wireless configuration of the upstream router:

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option hwmode '11a'
	option path 'soc/1b500000.pci/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
	option htmode 'VHT80'
	option legacy_rates '1'
	option channel '44'
	option country 'US'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option wds '1'
	option encryption 'psk2'
	option key '...'
	option ssid 'liv.5-2'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option channel '11'
	option hwmode '11g'
	option path 'soc/1b700000.pci/pci0001:00/0001:00:00.0/0001:01:00.0'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option legacy_rates '1'
	option country 'US'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
	option device 'radio1'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option wds '1'
	option ssid 'upstream-router'
	option encryption 'psk2'
	option key '...'

So there is

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
	option mode 'ap'
	option wds '1'
	option ssid 'upstream-router'

How should I check this. I have to be very careful, because if I am doing something wrong I loose the connection to the extender and have to connect with a very long cable, change network a.s.o. Last time I could not load the website, nor connect via ssh. Maybe I should use the same AP, that the upstream router offers. I tried to connect from another AP, which is wireless connected to the same upstream router.

8

There's no reason why OpenWrt can't run as a STA only on a radio.

If you have constrained the upstream AP to only link to the MAC address of this box, the MAC of the STA interface of this box is likely to change depending on whether or not you also run an AP. That could cause loss of connection.

1 Like
9

I can confirm this now. It didn't work with a Netgear extender, but works with 2 D-Link extender. I fear I was fooled by my Fritzbox (ISP, no openwrt) again.

10

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