[SOLVED] Meshing 2 Ubiquiti NanoHD with 802.11s (not working)

[amteza]

Hi there,

I'm trying to mesh 2 NanoHDs using 802.11s and I think I tried everything according to the Wiki and they don't connect to each other. They both use the mt76 driver, is there any limitation with it?

I confirmed they support meshing:

root@nanohd-downstairs:~# iw list | grep "Supported interface modes" -A 9
	Supported interface modes:
		 * IBSS
		 * managed
		 * AP
		 * AP/VLAN
		 * monitor
		 * mesh point
		 * P2P-client
		 * P2P-GO
	Band 1:
--
	Supported interface modes:
		 * IBSS
		 * managed
		 * AP
		 * AP/VLAN
		 * monitor
		 * mesh point
		 * P2P-client
		 * P2P-GO
	Band 1:

This is my main AP /etc/config/wireless

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option hwmode '11g'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option channel '1'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '2'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option encryption 'psk2+ccmp'
	option key 'clave'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
	option ssid 'Order'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option hwmode '11a'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:02:00.0'
	option htmode 'VHT80'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '0'
	option channel '157'
	option txpower '26'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
	option device 'radio1'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option dtim_period '3'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
	option encryption 'psk2+ccmp'
	option key 'clave'
	option ssid 'Chaos'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet3'
	option device 'radio1'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'Mayhem'
	option encryption 'psk2+ccmp'
	option dtim_period '3'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
	option key 'clave'
	option network 'lan'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
	option device 'radio1'
	option mode 'mesh'
	option mesh_fwding '1'
	option mesh_rssi_threshold '0'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
	option network 'lan'
	option dtim_period '3'
	option key 'clave.mesh'
	option mesh_id 'MessyDisaster'
	option encryption 'none'

And this is my secondary AP /etc/config/wireless

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option hwmode '11g'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
	option htmode 'HT20'
	option channel '1'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '0'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option hwmode '11a'
	option path '1e140000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:02:00.0'
	option htmode 'VHT80'
	option country 'AU'
	option cell_density '0'
	option channel '157'
	option txpower '26'

config wifi-iface 'defaultradio1'
	option device 'radio1'
	option mode 'mesh'
	option mesh_id 'MessyDisaster'
	option mesh_fwding '1'
	option mesh_rssi_threshold '0'
	option dtim_period '3'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
	option key 'clave.mesh'
	option network 'lan'
	option encryption 'none'

It never connects, I tried using WPA3/SAE with wpad-mesh-openssl and with wpad-mesh-wolfssl.

What am I doing wrong? I don't think I'm missing anything. BTW, this is on 21.02.1.

Thanks heaps for any help in advance.

Update: Latest version of the /etc/config/wireless files.

[bluewavenet]

All nodes in a mesh have to be on the same channel.

[amteza]

Yes, you are right, in the wireless files I pasted they are not. Sorry for the confusion, in my tests, I can assure they all where in channel 157.

[amteza]

Another update, I just realised both devices are sharing the same BSSID:

Is it correct? Should not they have a different one? Can I force a different value somehow? I tried utilising option bssid but looks like it gets ignored?

[amteza]

SOLVED: Having the same BSSID on both APs was causing the problems. I had to force a different MAC
address on one of them with option macaddr for it to connect properly.

config wifi-iface 'wifinet0'
	option device 'radio1'
	option mode 'mesh'
	option encryption 'none'
	option mesh_id 'mesh-net'
	option mesh_fwding '1'
	option mesh_rssi_threshold '0'
	option network 'lan'
	option macaddr '00:0C:43:26:60:38' # ensure its different to other nodes in the mesh network

To note, I don't understand why both have the same MAC address. Might be due to have to install OpenWrt in an usual manner utilising the console.