Trying to setup Openwrt device as a client bridge

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Trying to setup openwrt as a simple wireless to ethernet client bridge device-
where the wlan interface associates (as a client) to "any" standard access point that is in managed/infrastructure mode.
Picture/example use a small openwrt device to get an ethernet printer or VOIP phone connected to a wifi network.

This is NOT a wireless repeater or a WDS bridge.
The access point it will connect to is not WDS capable and in most cases is not running openwrt.

I will NOT be using relayd and do not plan to need to use relayd.

I have experience and success doing this with many other devices that are not openwrt.
It is also very easy to setup and use on DD-WRT.

I'm guessing this should be fairly easy/straightforward to do right?

Right now I am having problems where if I setup the wireless network manually
as a client, define the SSID and WPA2 PSK key the wireless network remains unassociated.
It will not connect.

If use the scan feature and tell it (click on it) to join, this connects-
but it "forces" me (prompts) to create a "new" Interface and name it something (different than what already exists) - in my case "lan" which is what I want it bridged to and I have been unsuccessful
getting that to bridge to the LAN ethernet interface so far,
even thought the WLAN interface is indeed associated to the SSID and is connected to it.

I think this will work, and I think I just need to figure out the bridging and manipulation of the interfaces/bridging properly and at this point am doing something incorrectly or missing a step.

So far I am tripping over myself trying to set it up and work.

I have of course disabled the firewall, deleted the WAN interfaces/vlans and DHCP server.
Just to clean it up/simplify it a bit.

The hardware I am trying to do this on is a GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2(Mango )
I can provide more info/link if needed.
THis has a built in two ethernet ports (I think it is a switch chip).
MediaTek MT7628AN SOC.

Openwrt device link: https://openwrt.org/toh/gl.inet/gl-mt300n_v2

I will keep trying, but figured I should post here.
So far my searches turn up items that seem to all include relayd and wireless repeating which
is not what I want to do.

I also would not want to be limited to IPV4 only.

Thanks for any pointers/hints.
If it is something simple that I am missing I will likely figure it out soon and report back here if
I get it working.
Or if I keep failing :slight_smile:

2

If you cannot use WDS or relayd, then there is really no other wireless bridging options available in OpenWrt. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

There is wireless client, but it is not what you want?
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/connect_client_wifi

Other firmwares like FreshTomato, Padavan and probably ddwrt, do a better job with regards to offering wireless bridging functionality imho.

3

A standard access point does not support true bridging because it only handles one MAC address for the client.

So such extensions of a regular AP to a network downstream of the extender need to be routed, not bridged. This can be done with or without NAT. A VOIP phone is usually OK behind NAT, since SIP makes outgoing connections. A printer requires the LAN to initiate connections to the printer, so either use symmetric routing or forward ports through the NAT.

4

Thanks.
I have got so used to other devices that just seem to do this easily without ever having to understand what is going on under the hood.
They do seem to do it easily and it just works.
Slap a switch behind it plug in several wired devices computers phone etc.
And they all work 'magically' behind one wireless client connection.
Really easy in DD-WRT and some of the other off the shelf devices.
I think this device actually does it if I put the factory firmware back on it.
I'm guessing they just use something like relayd? and make it easy.
And I've never had to know.

I may plop the factory firmware back on it and try to determine what it is using to do it.
it is openwrt or openwrt based - but has a custom "easy to use" web interface on it.

5

The other devices do use something similar to relayd, if you want to go that route.

6

In some rare cases I'd like to go that route.
For the most part and in most cases I can do NAT or routing and it will be just fine.
I did just try the factory firmware, has a super easy interface to do most tasks.
But no client bridge :slight_smile: It sets up NAT only in client mode.
DD-WRT had this as did some other devices I have used over the years.
It's also been Buggy in some cases.
Had it all setup and working on Senao-Engenius but had to switch to WDS the moment we added a VLAN.

Thanks for the help!!!