OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: Broadcom 63xx & Multiple SSIDs Issue (in Wireless Bridged Repeater)

The content of this topic has been archived on 1 May 2018. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

[APOLOGIES FOR LACK OF URLs-LINKS, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO POST THEM]

SETTING:
I'm trying to use a US Robotics 9108A (Broadcom 6348) as a wireless bridged repeater to expand the wifi signal of my network on a multi-story building (I have already successfully configured another router, a Netgear WNDR4500v2, as wireless bridged repeater using DD-WRT firmware given that OpenWRT doesn't support such routers).

Steps:

  • Installed OpenWRT Backfire 10.03.1 (not newer versions because I experimented that US Robotics 9108A has only 16MiB of RAM and it runs out of memory easily, i.e. "I almost bricked it and painfully brought it back to life")

  • Followed guide "Routed Client with relayd (Pseudobridge)" (in OpenWRT wiki) step by step with no issue till step 8. If I well understood the guide/architecture the step 8 is necessary if I want to connect my further clients devices (IPCams, PCs, MACs, Smartphones, etc.) via wifi (not only via ethernet) to the US Robotics 9108 used as bridged repeater.

ERROR-PROBLEM:
Following step 8 I get the error (XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX stands for the MAC address of the USR-9108 WLAN):

root@OpenWrt:~# wifi down; wifi
Error for wireless request "Set Power Management" (8B2C) :
    SET failed on device wlan0-1 ; Operation not supported.
Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf
Using interface wlan0 with hwaddr XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX and ssid 'NETGEAR13'
ifconfig: SIOCSIFFLAGS: Operation not supported
ifconfig: SIOCSIFFLAGS: Operation not supported
Could not set interface wlan0-1 flags: Operation not supported
nl80211: Could not set interface 'wlan0-1' UP
wlan0-1: Failed to initialize driver interface
enable_mac80211(radio0): Failed to set up wpa_supplicant for interface wlan0-1

PROBLEM (ELSEWHERE):
From the brcm47xx OpenWRT issues #7916 and #7093 this seems very much an issue with the multiple SSID capability of the Broadcom 6348 (BCM63xx).


QUESTIONS:
Do the Broadcom BCM63xx support multiple SSID?

Moreover, I don't need to use a different SSID from the ones used by the main router ("NETGEAR13"). Do I still need multi-SSID support?








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FURTHER DETAILS:
1) On the OpenWRT wiki-pages on USR-9108 and Broadcom BCM63xx there is no mention about multi-SSID availability or not and I haven't found any mention anywhere else by googling (I don't know if this is a good or bad sign).

2) b43 (FOSS driver for Broadcom BRCM-47xx) & multi-SSID:
On OpenWRT wiki I've read "If you want multiple SSIDs with Broadcom you'll need to use the proprietary wl driver" but in the wiki there is no mention of the compatibility of such wl driver with Broadcom BCM63xx.

3) Here is my config for network and wireless on the USR-9108:

/etc/config/network

config 'interface' 'loopback'
        option 'ifname' 'lo'
        option 'proto' 'static'
        option 'ipaddr' '127.0.0.1'
        option 'netmask' '255.0.0.0'

config 'interface' 'lan'
        option 'type' 'bridge'
        option 'ifname' 'eth1'
        option 'proto' 'static'
        option 'netmask' '255.255.255.0'
        option 'nat' '1'
        option 'gateway' '192.168.1.1'
        option 'dns' '192.168.1.1'
        option 'ipaddr' '192.168.2.1'

config 'interface' 'wan'
        option 'ifname' 'eth0'
        option 'proto' 'dhcp'

config 'interface' 'wwan'
        option 'proto' 'dhcp'

/etc/config/wireless

config 'wifi-device' 'radio0'
        option 'type' 'mac80211'
        option 'channel' '11'
        option 'macaddr' 'XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX'
        option 'hwmode' '11g'
        option 'txpower' '20'
        option 'country' '00'

config 'wifi-iface'
        option 'device' 'radio0'
        option 'network' 'wwan'
        option 'ssid' 'NETGEAR13'
        option 'key' 'PASSWORD'
        option 'mode' 'sta'
        option 'encryption' 'psk2'

config 'wifi-iface'
        option 'device' 'radio0'
        option 'network' 'lan'
        option 'mode' 'ap'
        option 'ssid' 'NETGEAR13'
        option 'encryption' 'psk2'
        option 'key' 'PASSWORD'

No reply at all?

I have a Pirelli Aga, similar hardware. Installed openwrt 12.09 and configured as client with relay pseudobridge.
No AP function. If try to enable a virtual AP for repeating, wireless stops working.
Insufficient resources and broadcom driver problem together.
If you delete the ap section it work. True?

(Last edited by mh3g on 2 Apr 2017, 15:52)

Hi mh3g, I have configured everything without issues till step 8 of guide "Routed Client with relayd (Pseudobridge)" where it says I can enable the (Wireless Bridged Repeater) Router as a WiFi AP if it is multi-SSID capable.

I haven't tried to use it with the WiFi AP function (step 8) disabled because I strictly need such function but I guess it should work without problem, i.e., connect laptops/etc. via LAN to the (Wireless Bridged Repeater) Router, which then connects via WiFi to the main Router.

The discussion might have continued from here.