Hi everyone!
I've got a question that's driving me nuts. I'm setting up a batman-adv mesh, using Open Mesh OM2P routers. I've replaced the original firmware (also OpenWrt with batman-adv, and some custom packages by Open Mesh) which uses a cloud-based network management system, which I dont't need/want to rely on.
My question is the following: The original firmware uses multiple wireless interfaces over radio0, one ad-hoc for batman-adv to run on, and others (AP mode) for non-batman clients to connect to. This is the scenario in my case, too. However, on routers with the original firmware, the SSID of the ad-hoc interface does not show up on other wireless enabled devices, while on the routers with replaced firmware, it does.
Upon further examination, using iw scan and airmon-ng, I determined the following:
The original OpenMesh firmware seems not to send back the SSID of the ad-hoc network to probe requests, and also, it broadcasts NULL SSID in the beacon frames. Howewer, in both routers the parts regarding this matter in /etc/config/wireless are exactly the same (except MAC addresses, fo course):

config wifi-device 'radio0'
    option type 'mac80211'
    option distance '300'
    option macaddr 'AC:86:74:0C:E4:D2'
    option hwmode '11ng'
    option htmode 'HT20'
    option noscan '1'
    list ht_capab 'SHORT-GI-40'
    list ht_capab 'TX-STBC'
    list ht_capab 'RX-STBC1'
    list ht_capab 'DSSS_CCK-40'
    option txpower '26'
    option country 'HU'
    option channel '11'

config wifi-iface 'wmesh'
    option device 'radio0'
    option ifname 'mesh0'
    option network 'mesh'
    option mode 'adhoc'
    option ssid 'mesh'
    option bssid '02:CA:FE:CA:CA:40'
    option disabled '0'
    option mcast_rate '18000'
    option encryption 'none'
    option macaddr 'AC:86:74:0C:E4:D7'

Thus I can not think of anything else than the dudes at OpenMesh have modified something in the wireless drivers... Can you approve this statement, or think of other ways to hide the mesh network?
(Also, putting option 'hidden' '1' in wireless config, as I have learned, does not work for ad-hoc networks.)
Thank for your help!

I have some OM2P coming in the mail that should be here tomorrow.  What radio chip do they use?  I haven't found a chip that supports both adhoc and ap simultaneously on the same chip.  I just checked the RT5350, RT3050 and AR9331 and none of them support adhoc/ap simultaneously.

Hi!
It is Atheros AR7240 rev 2 MIPS 24Kc V7.4
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/openmesh/om2p

And yes, it supports dual SSID mode.

Hi, have you found a solution?

maybe a hunch

some time ago i came across the same.

it is relying on some driver dependent hack which has been implemented in the madwifi drivers at that time

https://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDo … oInterface

dont know about OM routers though

regards
3zl

Hello Everyone,
Anyone able to figure this out. I think, they have implemented something like ESSID cloaking in driver modules.  It has BSSID and MAC is in Connected list but no associated ESSID while capturing with ng-airdump.

Thanks,
Sandip

Hi,

I'm trying to do exactly the same thing.
So basically it's impossible to do without a custom driver ?

Thanks