I am running a home lab server with Intel I5 8250 with Proxmox, few VM’s along with OpenWrt. Everything is working with the router features, but I’d like to add Wifi capabilities to OpenWrt without having to use an external access point. I had an Intel AX210. Proxmox and OpenWrt recognized immediately but I had a lot of problems with that card restrictions etc.
I am looking for suggestions, to be able to use 2.4ghz and 5ghz at the same time preferably Wif6 compatible card, the best plug and play or straightforward configuration, or still it is waste of time.
I have on the mainboard a pci-e slot. I used AX210 card via adapter and there is room with even adapter so physically that card I sent the link fits, I just want to confirm whether this card would work as AP with 2.4 and 5ghz simultaneously and won’t have incompatibility issues with OpenWrt.
Same for me about the shipping, I already have an access point connected via cable to the firewall pc and to be honest it works well, but I’d like to avoid external devices as it will look more elegant
”In Linux, it shows two radios for dual-band concurrent use. The module has an optimized RF design and baseband algorithms for high performance and low power use. Its MAC design offloads Wi-Fi tasks from the….”
Check the pictures - if slot to riser and dual band antennas already mounted - and most importantly connectors are same - you just need card and a heatsink. Tell the shipping cost to us
It looks like one card for me one card for FedEx
Shipping cost says $28.00, not mentioning possible custom fees as well. Pity that I didn’t find the same card on Aliexpress or Amazon. Would be free shipping.
That is more or less only niche manufacturer of AP cards to be installed in a pc server. Ones with bluetooth in pencil stores are single band like to retrofit in laptops.
I am using Blueetooth actually from usb, OpenWrt does not use BT, but in this PC I installed HomeAssistant so I dedicated BT to HA. I am happy without BT on the Wifi card as long as I can use as server.
Do not dismiss the external plastic AP approach, just because doing it internally would be neater.
These AP mode capable cards have special (much higher) current requirements (3.3V, 3A!) and will crash and burn (literally!) without a large cooler and active airflow.
There is plenty prior discussion at your fingertips (via forum search) why x86_64 and AP mode is a bad idea, economically, technically and functionally.
I also purchased a30x30x4mm heatsink, in the case 2-3 cm away, there is a 8mm case fan working. It can serve more less 10 clients (laptop / smartphone), not much, I hope this will not cause any harm.
You massively underestimate what it means to feed (current) and cool an AP capable wifi6 card. Be warned that you might fry the voltage regulators of your board.
