Setting WRT32x as a plain simple access point

Installing and Using OpenWrt Network and Wireless Configuration
#1

Hi all,
Picked up a WRT32x Router at a decent price, and of course, first thing is to install Davidc502's firmware and replace the absolutely useless firmware that is installed as Stock...

So - Picture this scenario... I currently have an existing Asus on the incoming link to the house which does all the DHCP for the network. All i (initially) want the WRT32x to do is to effectively act as a remote wireless access point.

Main network is 192.168.0.x (so for example, Asus is 192.168.0.1 first connected machine is DHCP'd as 192.168.0.2 etc etc - you get my drift here)...

I currently have the WRT set in access point mode on the wireless... and the incoming network set onto one of the lan ports... however everything off of the lan ports is DHCP'ing to 192.168.1.x :frowning: Also i can only seem to access the WRT on 192.168.1.x.

I realise this is REALLY simple, however anyone any clues as to how to be able to get the desired setup i'm looking for... everything using DHCP from the Asus... Everything on the same address range..

Many thanks, and sorry for troubling those on here that have a much greater knowledge than i have! :slight_smile:

Paul

#2

Turn off the AP's DHCP server. This is at the bottom of the LAN network settings page. Be sure to also click the IPv6 tab and disable IPv6 DHCP as well.

If this is all you are doing with the unit, stock firmware may offer higher performance due to proprietary wifi drivers.

#3

Isn't the proprietary WiFi stuff of Linksys WRT part of their OpenWrt commits as well?

Wasn't the proprietary stuff of the WRT routers basically meaning the thing, where some WiFi parameters from now on can no longer be changed/finetuned/manipulated due to new FCC rules in mid 2017?
My understanding was, this FCC issue affects the WRT32 (as the device came out after the FCC decision) and also affects the hardware revisions "2" of the remaining WRT lineup (while their revision "1" was before the FCC decision and did not have the WiFi limitations).

Shouldn't Wifi performance then be roughly the same in stock firmware and OpenWrt image (and also since the stock firmware is also based on OpenWrt)?

#5

No, because the OEM firmware contains a closed source driver and Openwrt uses an open source driver. They both use the same wireless firmware however.

Performance aside (as I don’t know enough differences to accurately comment), the OEM driver does MU-MIMO whereas Openwrt does not.

There are probably other differences. And for what you are trying to achieve, I don’t know why you would even use Openwrt unless you’re after something more fancy? It’s like purchasing a Ferrari to buy your groceries once a week.

#6

Hi for a start daved's build has a lot of packages you just dont need for what you want to do. What you are looking for is called a dumb AP. https://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/dumbap
If I was you I would use the wrt3200x as my mane router because of it's verry fast CPU and more memory. If you really want to use the wrt3200x as a AP then install the smallest build you can. The 18.6 build is a good start.

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