Wireless client does not associate

[mbuette]

I have a new OpenWRT 19.03 Router and I would like to use it as a wireless bridge to my LAN. Meaning: PCs plugged into the Ethernet Ports are bridged into the LAN. Using Luci, I set up a wireless client network to my AP and "attached" it to the existing, statically configured LAN network (br-lan). But the wireless client does not associate with the AP and I'm at a loss as to why. Even if I connect statically configured clients to the Ethernet and ping the LAN, it still says "Wireless is not associated".
I have another 18.02 router (the AP) with a routed client configuration and there are no problems. I read the Wiki and know that there may be issues with wireless bridging and DHCP, but that does not seem to be the issue here.
What am I missing??
My /etc/config/wireless is quite simple:

config wifi-device 'radio0'
        option type 'mac80211'
        option channel '11'
        option hwmode '11g'
        option path 'pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
        option htmode 'HT20'
        option disabled '1'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
        option type 'mac80211'
        option channel '36'
        option hwmode '11a'
        option path 'pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:02:00.0'
        option htmode 'VHT80'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet0'
        option network 'lan'
        option ifname 'lan-client'
        option ssid 'LAN'
        option encryption 'psk2+ccmp'
        option device 'radio1'
        option mode 'sta'
        option key 'MY_KEY'
        option skip_inactivity_poll '1'

Also the client is a ZBT-WG3526 and the AP is a TP-Link Archer C7 v5, if that helps...
Thanks in advance!

[trendy]

Wireless client bridged to the lan only worked in some old broadcom chips from what I recall. Nowdays you need WDS, relayd, mesh, or gretap.

[mbuette]

relayd requires a separate network, which I would like to avoid, also: IPv6? And with WDS and mesh I'm afraid that devices will associate with the supposed client. This would lead to LAN (where all the action is) traffic being forwarded over WiFi twice Device<=>Client<=>AP.
Are you seriously telling me that with 2 OpenWRT Routers, my best option is to connect my old TP-Link RE200 bridge with stock firmware to a LAN port of one of my OpenWRT routers? Wow, did not expect that, since the OpenWRT people say it can do "anything"...

[trendy]

@mbuette

relayd requires a separate network, which I would like to avoid

It's not used anyway, just for configuring the router from the wlan.

@mbuette

IPv6?

I recall someone mentioning that it works.

@mbuette

And with WDS and mesh I'm afraid that devices will associate with the supposed client. This would lead to LAN (where all the action is) traffic being forwarded over WiFi twice Device<=>Client<=>AP.

I am not sure I follow you. Lan device sends to router wds client, then it sends to router wds ap.

[mbuette]

OK, my bad! I always thought of WDS as like a "poor man's mesh" network, where every AP connects clients. But with the link you provided, the Client-AP remains a "STA" and clients won't connect there. I've set it up and it seems to work.

For clarification: I now have 2 LANs, one "main" LAN with all my servers and stuff and a "remote" LAN behind the WPS client. And I originally was afraid that wireless Client-Devices would connect to the Client-AP, thus switching traffic twice across the WiFi. But since with WDS, the Client-AP remains a STA, everything should be fine.

The reason, I'm doing this is that the Client-AP is also an LTE router which is placed on the window sill: Easy to connect wired clients to, but an Ethernet cable to the LAN would be ugly Next stop: Configuring LTE with OpenWRT...

Thanks a lot for your help!