Setting up Netgear EX6150v2

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1 
Netgear EX6150v2
ARMv7 Processor rev 5 (v7l)
ipq40xx
OpenWrt 22.03.0 r19685-512e76967f
LuCI openwrt-22.03 branch git-22.245.77528-487e58a|
Kernel Version 5.10.138

I have compared the settings with my old wireless bridge Archer C7 OpenWrt 18.06.5, looks there is a big difference and I am unsure how to configure this repeater.

Is there a tutorial how to do it?

I have changed the network already to the fritzbox-network 192.168.178.x The Fritzbox 192.168.178.1 is the DHCP-server

Primary goal is to get a wifi-connection via Ethernet for a dvb-box

The EX6150v2 extender should be a range extender for a Netgear Nighthawk X4S R7800 with OpenWrt 18.06.1. I know 18.06 is very outdated, but to upgrade all the openwrt routers I use is a big challenge, it is on the todo list, but not now.

I prefer editing the config files via ssh and vi, sometimes hard to find in luci compared to edting a text-file. I never configured a repeater, so I am very unsure what is needed. I need 2.4GHz only.

2

If the box doesn't need access to the rest of your LAN, go to the wifi page, and do a scan -> join.
Put the connection in the wan fw zone, and you should be good to go.

3

We can assume this for the beginning. What you suggested didn't work, probably my mistakes.

Qualcomm Atheros IPQ4019 802.11bgn
Channel: 11 (2.462 GHz) | Bitrate: ? Mbit/s

Qualcomm Atheros IPQ4019 802.11nac
Device is not active

I assume I have to do the join with "Qualcomm Atheros IPQ4019 802.11bgn" since I need 2.4GHz only and "Qualcomm Atheros IPQ4019 802.11nac" can be ignored.

After the join I saw

SSID: PaW4 | Mode: Master
BSSID: 78:...:65 | Encryption: WPA2 PSK (CCMP)

PaW4 is the master, but BSSID starting with 78 is this extender and not the master.

Since it didn't work, I had a look at my working bridge router C7 and configured the following with an editor:

removed, because below is a working version.

When I search for wifi nets with my mobile phone, I don't see PaE4 (E like extender)

4

Totally confused now.

I am writing with a Raspberry PI400 and Ubuntu 22.04 now, Wifi is deactivated, the Raspi is connected with a cable to the EX6150, so Internet must be routed via the extender.

Browsing works,
I can ping another openwrt C7

ping -c1 192.168.178.59
PING 192.168.178.59 (192.168.178.59) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.178.59: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=6.74 ms

But I cannot connect via ssh to the C7:

ssh root@192.168.178.59
Unable to negotiate with 192.168.178.59 port 22: no matching host key type found.
Their offer: ssh-rsa

Edit: https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-security-4/no-matching-host-key-type-found-their-offer-ssh-rsa-ssh-dss-4175701155/#post6288387 solved my ssh-connection problem.

Fixed by adding PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes to my .ssh/config

HostKeyAlgorithms ssh-rsa
PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes ssh-rsa

I tried to connect to the C7 to compare /etc/config/wireless

With my mobile phone the access point "PaE4" is not shown

When I browse with this configuration, I can access to the C7 and see what Luci says.

The big difference with the extender is:
Wireless is not associated

5

Looks like this line was missing:

option mode 'ap'

My newest wireless config, which seems to work.
Please check if you find a problem with the configuration.

cat /etc/config/wireless

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path 'platform/soc/a000000.wifi'
	option band '2g'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option channel '11'
	option cell_density '0'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'PaE4'
	option encryption 'psk2'
	option key 'password'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path 'platform/soc/a800000.wifi'
	option channel '36'
	option band '5g'
	option htmode 'VHT80'
	option disabled '1'

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

config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
	option device 'radio0'
	option ssid 'PaW4'
	option encryption 'psk2'
	option key 'password'
	option mode 'sta'
	option bssid 'CC:...:CA'
	option wds '1'
	option network 'lan'

At the moment I cannot test dhcp, since I use static addresses most times.

6

There are some minor issues.

manual: https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/EX6150v2/EX6150v2_UM_EN.pdf

The router led blinks green. According to the manual there are colors and no blinking for a bad signal.

The power led is green and all other LEDs are off

Luci shows for the extender:
---/-101 dBm

Master:
-57/-101 dBm

my phone shows -64dBm
with
option txpower '10' as a worst case, sometimes it is -39dB, depending if the dvb-enigma-box is on, which is 20cm away from the extender. But speed is ok, I stream 4k-movies via Wifi.

I reduced it, because it was so strong, when testing with the mobile phone. It blinked before setting to 10 too. After installation it was at maximum.

The master shows -62dBm at the mobile phone.

Would you recommend other settings? How can I stop permanent blinking?