How to extend my wireless network with OpenWrt

openwrt wifi

11,709

The user fyi on the OpenWRT forum suggested that using WEP is a bad idea for bridges and that using WDS instead could fix this. Did you try that?

In reviewing your configs and comaring them to the tutorial you linked, it looks like you might be missing a whole section. In /etc/config/wireless you need two sections titled config 'wifi-iface'. Both of them are for the same device but one will have option 'mode' 'ap' and the other option 'mode' 'sta'. It looks like you only have the 'sta' one on your configs. Can you post a full config file dump from both units?

11,709

LanceBaynes

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

LanceBaynes almost 2 years
I have two routers, both running OpenWRT 10.04

The first is a WRT160NL router connected to my ISP. I am using it as an access point with the ESSID of "160AP". It's WEP password is "AAAAA" and it's broadcasting on on channel 5.

My purpose: extend the range of this first router with another router. My other router is an Asus WL500GPv2.

Documentation for bridging is on the OpenWRT wiki here.

Following Step 1 I edited /etc/config/wireless to look like this:
```
config 'wifi-device' 'wl0'
    option 'type' 'broadcom'
    option 'channel' '5'
    option 'disabled' '0'

config 'wifi-iface'
    option 'device' 'wl0'
    option 'network' 'lan'
    option 'ssid' '160AP'
    option 'mode' 'sta'
    option 'encryption' 'wep'
    option 'key' 'AAAAA'
```
Now I am trying to run the wifi command:
```
root@OpenWrt:~# wifi
Command 'set wepkey' failed: -1
root@OpenWrt:~# 
```
What am I missing? The 5 character password for the WEP is good. The SSID and channel of the WRT160NL is good too.

If try to continue: (XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX is the MAC of the WT160NL wlan0):
```
root@OpenWrt:~# iwconfig wl0
wl0       IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:"160AP"  
      Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.432 GHz  Access Point: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
      Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:32 dBm   
      RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
      Power Management:off
      Link Quality=5/5  Signal level=-52 dBm  Noise level=-92 dBm
      Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:7  Rx invalid frag:0
      Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0
```
So does this mean that the "Command 'set wepkey' failed: -1" message was just a warning, and it actually connected?

So I continued as follows:

Editing /etc/config/network:
```
#### LAN configuration
config interface lan
    option type     bridge
    option ifname   "eth0.0"
    option proto    static
    option ipaddr   192.168.1.2
    option netmask  255.255.255.0
```
Disabled the firewall:
```
$ /etc/init.d/firewall stop
$ /etc/init.d/firewall disable
```
Edit /etc/config/dhcp
```
config dhcp lan
    option interface        lan
    option start    100
    option limit    150
    option leasetime        12h
    option ignore   1
```
Restarting DNS services:
```
$ /etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
```
Then I rebooted the router and scaned the available wireless networks from my notebook. But here comes the fun part (At this point I've been trying to solve this for about ~2 hours now, so yes, very funny):

I can Only see the "160AP" Access Point which is the original WT160NL router. (I think this because the signal strength is the same... my notebook is next to the WL500GPv2).

What is the problem with my setup? What am I missing?
- LanceBaynes about 13 years
  
  I also posted it here: forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=137880#p137880
- LanceBaynes about 13 years
  
  do I have to do anything on AP side? the WRT160NL side??
- LanceBaynes about 13 years
  
  and maybe this: pastebin.com/raw.php?i=jkBTjFYA
- LanceBaynes about 13 years
  
  wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/wireless.repeater
- LanceBaynes about 13 years
  
  isolate = yes # wiki.openwrt.org/doc/uci/wireless - just for the archive
- LanceBaynes almost 13 years
  
  The TL-WR 1043ND has Atheros AR9132 and the WRT160NL has an Atheros AR9130. :( So I will have to buy another TL-WR1043ND...
- tcoolspy almost 13 years
  
  Thanks for keeping this thread updated. I'm a little confused however ... what's the status? I have an OpenWRT box in front of me now and was going to play with it, but it sounds like you might have figured out that this isn't psosible with your chipsets?
- Aquarius_Girl almost 13 years
  
  You might like to post your question on linuxquestions.org/questions?
- tcoolspy almost 13 years
  
  All my OpenWRT boxes are running Backfire 10.03. I looked on their site for updates and 10.04 doesn't seem to exist. Are you sure you reported that correctly?
- Oli almost 13 years
  
  WEP makes baby Jesus cry. Anybody and their mother can crack it in 10 minutes and decrypt the traffic.