Don Middleton VA7IQ / AE7UP

26-December-2015

Credits: Curtis Fast VE7CQF (DD-WRT Flashing/Tests)

 To illustrate the different approaches to WiFi
networks
 To illustrate how to setup non-traditional
network approaches commonly referred to as
“mesh networks”
 There are 3 typical network topologies
usually centered around a server or internet
service point
In networks, a coordinator may be viewed as a DHCP server,
a service or internet point, or general services coordinator (i.e.
N1MM+). Routers are simple traffic directors, and devices that can be
seen by PC’s or other routers/servers…
 The OSI communications model is used to
design and describe communications in
protocols including X25/AX25, Internet and
WiFi
 Most WiFi type networks concern themselves
with the lower 3 levels,
leaving TCP/UDP etc to
be handled by the end
points (i.e. PC, tablet,
phone, etc.)
 Advantages to STAR networks are that they
allow direct access from all devices directly to
the central service
 Typical of this kind of use would be having N1MM+
central node at a central WiFi hub, and having all other
computers linking directly to it
 Very easy to setup with a good antenna and single
router
 Most of us with WiFi in our
homes with a single WiFi
router use this system
 Advantages of Tree Networks are that they
are a simple extension of the STAR
 In our homes, we may use a router with a remote
“switch”. In wireline, this shows the simplest nature of
a tree
 When we change those nodes to wireless, they can be
acting as WiFi repeaters, and thus extend the range
of coverage.
 Repeaters need to be configured. They can
be on the same or different WiFi channel. In
both cases, there is a propagation delay at
the router (be it a repeater or full router)
 Good for extending coverage on a simple net
 While networks are not usually intended to be
strict hierarchies due to single failure points,
some functions do tend to be treated that
way, such as:
 DHCP (IP address management)
 Gateways (access to other networks, including internet)
 Applications/Servers (IRC – Internet Relay Chat,
N1MM+ Field Day logging, eMail, HTTP server, etc.)
 One can view functions like these as service
points that deliver a specific service to the
clients (devices) on the network
 Who is in charge depends on the service
 The 3rd form of network is called the MESH
network because it provides multiple ways to
deliver messages point-to-point
 While central service points exist, other routers work in
a fixed or flexible topology to determine the best route
to deliver traffic from point A to point B
 This allows many routes for lower
power routers rather than direct
point-to-point paths
 High flexibility in topologies. The shortest
“hop” path may be taken, making things
better.
 The net is not 100% dedicated to one path,
and alternate paths can effectively improve
throughput.
 For low-bandwidth applications (not internet
streaming video), the result can be
transparent (example: N1MM+ where delays
are non-critical)
 In the diagram below the longest path is from the
lower left to upper right with 6 “hops”. EACH
hope has a transit/propagation delay
 The packet must be fully received at each router
before being sent on.
 Each extra router introduces a delay that cuts the
effective throughput by 50% on
added legs. By the time 6 “hops”
have occurred, network speed is
effectively 3.1% of the first “hops”
speed (54Mbps -> 1.728Mbps)
 Broadband-HAMNET is a uniquely developed
open source system using Linksys WRT54G-
family and Ubiquity routers (Part 97)
 WDS Wireless Distribution System (Part 15)
◦ DD-WRT (open source) router software provides WDS
(wireless distribution system), available on many
available routers including Linksys WRT54G, and many
more
◦ Commercial routers also offer WDS in many of today’s
available router offerings
◦ MOST WDS systems do not play well when other brands,
so using a single brand product is usually a requirement
 Part 15 is used by anyone in 2.4GHz (ISM)
◦ Power limit 36dBm EIRP (4 watts)
◦ Maximum antenna gain 6dB, but for every 1dbm of
transmit power reduced, the antenna gain may be
raised by 3dB (24dBm transmit -> 24dBi antenna)
 Part 97 is for licensed hams using 802.11g
◦ Using Part 97 (licensed service in the US) means
others cannot interfere with you
◦ On QSL.net there is an article referencing 97.313
which indicates max power is 1500w. With a 24dBi
dish, the maximum power is then 375Kw
 Hams have power limits defined as:
 250 watt for Basic, Basic/Honours, & Basic/Morse
 1000 watt for Advanced
 On Wifi, we may also only use Channels 1-6
◦ MUST NOT interfere with other PRIMARY “licensed”
services which include Aeronautical Telemetry,
broadcast satellite service, wireless communication
service, and IMT (plus unnamed FIXED services
 There is a clear advantage when using
amateur bands, and by identifying your
router with your callsign, due to a different
set of rules.
 The map illustrates the Broadband-HAMNET
mesh network in Austin Texas
This is operating today and traffic can be
monitored online
 This is not a
super long-range
system, but with
many units covers
a large area
 Mesh nodes are self discovering, self configuring, self
advertising and fault tolerant
 Mesh nodes are a data network without the wires. Most
tasks that you can do over a wired or wireless network at
your home or office will work on a mesh node
 Mesh nodes are small, portable, low-power and
inexpensive. They are easily battery powered
 Mesh nodes can easily have a range of 10 miles or more
using stock power and gain antennas if you have true line
of sight
 Mesh nodes communicate with other nodes over Wi-Fi
frequencies and only talk to other mesh nodes on the
wireless port
 You can't use Wi-Fi to connect to a mesh node from your
computer, netbook, smart phone or other wireless device.
 It is possible to extend a mesh network with a properly restricted
access point (AP) where only hams are given access
 Computers connect to mesh nodes with an Ethernet cable and
control them using a web browser
 You can access the control screen on your own mesh node and
easily jump to any other mesh node with a click or two
 The web address of your mesh node is http://localnode:8080
 From the mesh status screen, you can jump to any
other member mesh node to use its services, configure it, install
or update software or view the other direct neighbor nodes that
can be seen by that mesh node
 Mesh nodes use peer to peer connections. This means each node
connect to all others it can directly reach. This is different than
the star configuration where wireless users connect to an access
point
 Routers operate Linux and need enough flash
memory, so supported routers include:
◦ Linksys WRT54G - v1 to v4
◦ Linksys WRT54GS - v1 to v4 (has the largest RAM/ROM)
◦ Linksys WRT54GL – All
 Ubiquity
◦ AirGrid
Bullet
Bullet Titanium
NanoBridge
NanoStation Loco
NanoStation
Rocket
 There is a current concern about flashing
Ubiquity devices, and caution/delay is advised
 Linksys
◦ WRT54G… devices are often found on Craigslist,
and in thrift stores.
They can cost from $2-$20
Be careful about the version! (example: v5 won’t
run Broadband-Mesh, but will run DD-WRT due to
Flash Memory sizes)
 Ubiquity
◦ Many are still commercially available.
Amazon offer the Rocket-M5 for $82 USD
eBay offers are at a similar price with shipping
 Assuming factory firmware, but if not the method is
very similar
 Download the firmware bin file for your model:
http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/software-download.html
 Plug router into your laptop and power up.
Reset router to factory default and restart.
Should be 192.168.1.1
 Load the Browser
◦ go to http://192.168.1.1/
 user = admin
 password = admin (or the password you set)
◦ click Administration
◦ click Firmware Upgrade
◦ click Browse, select the .bin file that you downloaded
◦ click Upgrade
 ◦ Wait for the power LED to start blinking, then stop
blinking, then for the DMZ LED to go out
◦ BE PATIENT: The first time mesh firmware is
installed on a router it will take about two minutes
for the first reboot to complete
◦ After that, replug your network cable or do
whatever it takes to reset your computer network
adapter
 NOTE: updates to BBHN firmware have a
slightly different process (please look it up).
Updates are infrequent, and the current
version may be the last one for the WRT54G.
 IMPORTANT!! This is required every time the firmware is installed
 In your browser go to http://localnode:8080/
◦ at this point the node is acting as an access point, so you can either be connected by a
cable to the LAN port or connected wirelessly to the SSID "MeshNode"
◦ this guarantees that after a full firmware install there is a wireless way back in to the node if
it is located in a restricted access area when connecting to the LAN port is not practical
 click Setup
◦ user = root
◦ password = hsmm
 enter a Node Name
◦ node names can contain only numbers, letters, and dashes
◦ underscores, spaces, and other punctuation are not allowed
◦ it is a condition of your Amateur Radio license and of Broadband Hamnet that the node
name must contain your callsign
 the node name is beaconed (via UDP port 4919) every five minutes to meet the identification
requirements
◦ recommendation: (callsign)-(name) example: VA7IQ-mobile or VA7IQ-1
REMEMBER: no callsign means you are running Part 15, with a callsign your are operating
under Part 97 (Ham)
 enter a Password (twice)
 click Save Changes, even if you didn't make any changes, and wait for the node to
reboot
 After these simple steps, you now have a
BBHN mesh network node
◦ But honestly, you need 2 to make a network. ;-)
 This is only an ad-hoc network which acts as
a data transport
◦ You cannot wirelessly connect to it using your PC or
laptop. This is not an Access Point.
 Changes:
◦ it is now running a custom build of OpenWrt kamikaze 7.09
◦ the wireless ssid is BroadbandHamnet-v1 which is also being
broadcast
◦ the wireless mode is ad-hoc
◦ the wireless channel is 1 (the standard for BBHN)
◦ the wireless speed is automatic
◦ the wireless encryption is disabled (no encryption - Hams)
◦ the wireless and LAN ports are no longer bridged - they are
independent interfaces
◦ the wireless address is 10.X.Y.Z/8
 X, Y, and Z are the last three bytes of the WiFi MAC address
◦ the LAN address has been automatically configured
◦ the LAN port is running a DHCP server (so PC’s get addresses and
are managed locally)
◦ the WAN port is running a DHCP client (so it can be hooked up to
the internet)
 We are
connected on the
local.mesh and
have an IP addr
of 10.74.189.131
which is local
to the router
 Use localnode.local.mesh:8080
 Note here there is no WAN yet, and the time
isn’t set yet from
a network time
server
 Free space is
available to see
how much is used
and available
 Click setup, and it will prompt for “root” and
the password you used in the setup phase
 Don’t forget it! Write it on tape and put it on
the bottom of the
router
 Here the Mesh Gateway (to internet) has just
been turned on.
 Note the DHCP
settings and TX
power level
 Antennas are
configurable as
diversity, TX and
RX
 Yes, this is taken with laptop WiFi “off”, and
on 18-Dec loaded this page. Note the times,
and the VA7IQ-3G mesh status tab
 This is where new firmware is loaded, as well
as Linux application packages
 WARNING! Do not
download the list
unless you are willing
to permanently give
up ROM. Best to use
a GS model (largest
ROM memory) for app
services like IRC.
 Mesh Status will show the local host, as well
as all known stations and their LQ (link
quality)
 When services are offered like a web server it
will show as
well
 Shows the current configuration of the
Optimized Link State Routing Protocol
 Best to leave it
alone unless you
are an expert
 This displays the possible routes from node
to node, including metrics that illustrate the
delays that will be encountered (as measured)
 Every router has it’s own 10.X.Y.Z address
and PC’s are subordinated to them
 Each possible route is enumerated and
ranked for effectiveness, allowing for the use
of the most effective and available route
 Not all routers
are immediately
adjacent so
linear hops will
also be shown
 All created
dynamically! 
 This system is on channel 1, and coexists
with other WiFi systems
 Note again it is Ad-Hoc and cannot be joined
by a tablet or laptop (yet)
 By using the Mesh Status page, you can click
on any neighbour, and it will auto-connect
you there.
Here we are on VA7IQ-1GS and looking back
at -3G where
we were
working
 VA7IQ-1GS has large memory, so I
downloaded the catalogue of available
packages
 Here it shows tftp-hpa (Tiny FTP) is available
for download
 As well, NGIRCD 20.2 (new gen Internet Relay
Chat) is shown as installed.
 Any PC on the mesh could access it using:
VA7IQ-1GS:6667 where they could setup a
name, and chat with all or select people
 Should any node drop out/fail (i.e. battery
dies), then the topology will auto-heal and
route traffic correctly
 While nodes at services (i.e. N1MM+) are not
advised to be shut down, N1MM+ provides
the ability to resync all operating positions.
Obviously keeping services running has a
value.
 Yes it does. So far, the following services
have been tested and proven to work AOK on
Windows 7:
 Web access (no over-WiFi encryption support due to
ham rules about secret ciphers)
 IRC over the mesh with on-router IRC server
 N1MM+
 Would it work for me? Yes, but if you don’t
have a direct application, or if a simple WiFi
would suffice, then this is overkill.
 When you have configured the Mesh-Node, then
you can change it’s type to Mesh AP
◦ Use the drop down
 Enter the name of the node under WiFi SSID
◦ Use something consistent with your system
 The IP of this subnet is 172.27.0.x, where the
gateway is .1, the Router .2, plus others
 If you want to change the AP later, then:
◦ Set your PC Network IPV4 to Static, give it address/mask
172.27.0.3/255.255.255.0, then use DNS
8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4
◦ Log in while direct connected to 172.27.0.2:8080
◦ I have not found any other way to connect to manage it!!
 Proceed to access the net using the WiFi SSID
Dec-2015
 N1MM+ install
file is ready
 Launch the
installer. Best
to install with
“Run as
Administrator”
 Nothing fancy here – this is how the install
will look. Proceed as normal for any app
install.
 Normal thing for N1MM+
 Normal N1MM+ splash screen
 Setup a new database
 Be sure to fill it
all out, or it will
give you problems
later. ARRL section
is one such
example
Grid Square Locator uses Lat/Long
https://www.qrz.com/gridmapper
 N1MM+ likes using the latest update, so go
with it. It will ask pretty quickly.
 After completion, start N1MM+ using the
tickbox (easiest)
 Warned you to
fill out the form
correctly. Well I
didn’t so it was
caught and
fixed for me.
Gotta love it!
 If the wl_cty.dat file is mismatched between
PC’s, it won’t work right, so update all to
match
 This is to show the
other computers
running N1MM+
 DELL-D800 is who we are, and no one else is
shown yet
 DELL-D800 is on router
VA7IQ-4GL. There is no
WAN yet, but the default
gateway is on another
node – VA7IQ-6G.
 On the main
N1MM+ node, go
into Network Status
and click Actions,
then Edit Computer
Addresses
 Add the first slave
using it’s IP as was
given to it by its
router – even if not
on the SAME router
as you are on (it will
auto resolve)
 Max of 15 slaves
(N1MM+ spec)
This is a MUST-DO for HSMM because devices
are not on the same subnet.
 N1MM+ needs to know addresses NOT
in it’s own address space. Add them. It helps
to add every one
of them in the
system.
 Please note these
are being defined
on a computer we
call INSPIRON-2000
(see 10.180.88.11
on next page)
 A 3rd computer, INSPIRON-2000 is now setup
and marked as the MASTER (the master
computer). NETBOOK-1600 is also online.
◦ We configured them, remember?
 The reason Dell-D800 cannot be seen is
because of the firewall that INSPIRON-2000
cannot get through
The firewall needs to be turned
off for now for testing. Ports to open on
the firewall are at the end of the
presentation.
 Or at least as well as an insecure network is.
The Master can now see the Dell.
 This is the view from the Dell.
 Please note the Dell does not see the Netbook
yet.
 For this case, I turned off “active protection”
 I get a lot of errors. Well in this case, there
was a mismatch of wl_cty files. Once the
offending machine was updated, the resync
was happy
 Errors are shown
under Messages
 Another issue is if
you don’t use the
same callsign. That
is clearly a problem
so once all were the
same, more errors
went away.
 I used different series of callsigns from the 3
different stations. They all showed up just
fine.
 From the master we can see traffic from all 3
stations
 What if the slaves don’t see all traffic? Maybe
you want that, but if not….
◦ The only station a slave sees is the master, UNLESS
you enter the station name and IP address in it as
well. That way it can hear directly from each station.
 Multi-station/multi-op operation means that up
to 16 stations can be supported by N1MM+, even
though any mesh network can support more
◦ http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-
index.php?page=Multiple+Computer+Contesting
 Ports in the firewall need to be opened for
12070-12085 UDP and TCP in order to run with
firewalls engaged
◦ http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-
index.php?page=Multiple+Computer+and+Multi-Op+Contesting
 Open firewall ports will selectively achieve the
same result as turning off your firewall during
testing (as done here), but will protect you from
unknown programs in other Ham’s computers
 N1MM+ works fine over mesh networks but:
◦ The maximum number of stations is 16
◦ Each station must be defined by name and IP address in the
N1MM+ software
◦ No changes are required to the mesh network
◦ Cross-subnet communication is in effect, but it is N1MM+
that has the restriction on a common subnet, OR, naming
the correspondent stations
◦ Keeping the software, station callsigns and wl-cty files
sync’d up is a must-do
◦ Full internet access is a bonus, not a need to have
 Wireless access to the mesh is possible on HSMM and
WDS, but requires further setup on HSMM
 N1MM+ and Mesh works just fine.
◦ Whether you want to use mesh for it is another
discussion….
Initially Tested by Curtis Fast (VE7CQF)
 DD-WRT is a downloadable router software
load based on Open-Source software
◦ Linux-based (GPL) software load
◦ Flashable in a wide variety of routers including
those with Broadcom, Atheros, Intel IXP, Ralink and
x86 processors
◦ Downloads are currently “free”
 WDS is a mesh-network capability available in
many commercial routers, including DD-WRT
◦ It is advised to use only router software for a single
type of processor. Mixing types (i.e. Broadcom –
Atheros) has risks for effective operation
 It comes from a different base of open source
software than Broadbase-Hamnet (BBHN)
◦ It started with Alchemy software (Sveasoft), but this
firm has gone commercial and is not so open as it
used to be
 The Linksys WRT54g(x) series of routers also
kicked this off, BUT, it now has a great
number of routers supported
◦ Also a micro version that can flash into 2Mb of
flash. This is what was used in the follow setup
  Devices use:
◦ Linksys WRT54G2 V1 – 16MB RAM, 2MB Flash **
◦ Linksys WAP54G v2 - 8 MB RAM, 2MB Flash (AP)**
◦ Linksys WRT54G v2 _ 16MB RAM, 4MB Flash
** - denotes it was flashed by Curtis Fast
 Goal is to show a multi-hop mesh network,
with no wires except to the internet

WRT54G2 WAP54G WRT54G

(Internet Interface) (Standalone) (PC Interface)

00:21:29:B2:E3:9B 00:0F:66:77:56:AB 00:12:17:1A:82:33

 PRO: It supports both “mesh” and wireless access
in a single router.
Bandwidth is shared
One address space, so N1MM+ needs no
extra configuration to reach client PC’s
 CON: it must be setup by hand, including the
design of the network topology
This is a labour intensive exercise when
working with ad-hoc guidelines
The topology is not by IP address, but
defined by MAC address (physical id of the
WiFi adapter)
MAX 255 devices (routers, computers, …) in a
single subnet
 Connect only with
the PC being used
to Flash/Setup
 Find the right
firmware for
the device,
then flash it
using stock
firmware update.
 Use the procedure for
your router at dd-wrt.com
 After “successful”,
you must WAIT AT
LEAST 5 MINUTES BEFORE PROCEEDING
 Access 192.168.1.1
 As a new system, it will prompt for userid and
password. Use the standard one “root” and
“admin” for now.
 It will now actually hook up to the internet,
and give access to cabled computers
 Host: a host router is one that accesses the
internet
◦ It is the usual location of a DHCP (address) server
 Client: a router that routes traffic and
provides access point (AP) capability
◦ It gets its address from the host, and routes traffic
accordingly
◦ Clients are the real backbone of a WDS mesh
network
 There are differences in configuration!!
◦ We will start with the HOST router
 Leave WAN DHCP as auto
 Enable STP (spanning tree protocol) for mesh
 Give a relevant router
name
 Name your Domain (opt)
 Set your IP Address and
Mask. You may wish to
use something like
192.168.73.1 to avoid
conflicts with heavily
used addresses
 Gateway and Local DNS
can be left unchanged
 Leave local DHCP active, as this is the place
where all other routers and devices get their
addresses
 Set start of IP address assignment (i.e. .240)
 Set number of
addresses that can
be given out (i.e. 10)
to limit overrun
 Leave tick boxes
 Enable NTP
 SAVE / APPLY
 Since this router is a DHCP server, you can
unplug your computer while it is re-booting
 Plug it in again to get a new IP address
 Use IPCONFIG on the command line to check
your address
 Load the webpage at 192.168.1.251 (or
whatever you set)
◦ If you don’t get in, you may not have set it up right
 Get a pen, and press in the restart button (red
at back) for 30 seconds
 Still holding it in, unplug it at 30 seconds and
wait 30 seconds more
 Still holding it in, plug it in and wait 30
seconds
 Release the restart button
 Wait for boot to complete
 It is now 192.168.1.1 and you need to start
from the very beginning
 This is called a 30/30/30 restart
 This will be an interface to the internet, so it
is a GATEWAY, and not a ROUTER
 SAVE
 Set as an AP – access point
 These devices only use B/G, but I limit it to G.
 Set an SSID for the whole mesh
 Choose a channel for the whole mesh
 These whole
mesh items
must be set to
the same values
for Clients
 SAVE
 For connection security, use WPA2 Personal,
with AES
 Set a common key for the whole network (i.e.
“hamradio”)
 SAVE
 Top Wireless MAC is for the router you are
working on and cabled to
 Add a new line for each immediately adjacent
Client. In this case the topology only sees the
WAP54G next.
 Ensure other buttons
match as shown
 SAVE
 The DHCP server has to
have DHCP services
available
 Enable DNSmasq, DNS
isn’t enabled
 Option: enable WAN
traffic counter
 SAVE
 Since this is an internet interface, leaving the
SPI Firewall Enabled will be good
 Leaving other ticked boxes on is also ok
 SAVE
 Set a name for your LAN such as
CALLSIGN-MeshNet
 SAVE / APPLY
 Now that the router is up
 Plug in a WAN cable to directly to your internet
provider (not through you other router). This
allows a test without your local LAN influencing
it.
 Load a page or two
 If you want to run it through your local router, it
may work provided you use a different subnet,
but you may also opt to turn off the DHCP server
while doing that
 Going further without testing internet
connectivity will only be frustrating. Get it going
now!
 Connect direct to
router (ONLY!)
 Do a factory reset to
make sure settings
are clean
 Note its IP address is
192.168.1.1
 Since you will be setting up a router without a
DHCP server, we need to use static addressing.
Using a different subnet is recommended.
 Go to Network, right click it, then Properties
 Click Change Adapter Settings on left
 Right-click Local Area Connection
 Select Internet Protocol Verson 4 (TCP/IPv4), then
click Properties button
 Select “Use the following address”, then enter IP:
192.168.1.254 Mask: 255.255.255.0
 Click OK and close windows back to Desktop
 Load Browser, and load 192.168.1.1
 Disable WAN connection type
 ENABLE STP
 Name your Router
 Set a unique IP address for the router
 Point to the address
of the router going to
the internet in
Gateway and Local
DNS
 SAVE
 Disable the local DHCP Server
 NTP Client can be enabled (optional)

 SAVE / APPLY

 When reboot
is done then
enter in the
browser
 192.168.1.253
 Set operating mode to “Router”
 SAVE
 Turn off DNSmasq
and WAN Traffic
Counter
 Telnet may be left
Enabled
 SAVE
 Disable the SPI Firewall. Without internet
access it makes little sense here and will
mess things up.
 SAVE
 Set the security stuff exactly the same as the
for the host
◦ WPA2 Personal and AES plus key “hamradio” (or
whatever you like)
 SAVE
 Setup the wireless interface exactly like the
HOST
◦ AP – access point
◦ G-only - (my preference)
◦ SSID – Callsign-ddwrt
◦ Channel -8
◦ SSID broadcast – ENABLE
 SAVE
 Configure adjacent routers. In this case this is
the end-point, but for WAP54G, there would
be two LAN entries (see next page)
 Disable extra options
 SAVE / APPLY
 Each WiFi MAC address is shown. Here the
middle router sees them all.
 The stations will look for their WDS
correspondents. When you see WiFi blinking,
it has one or more of them
◦ This can be displayed at STATUS – WIRELESS, where
the value of naming your routers will help you know
what is going on
◦ Your laptop, when wired or on WiFi, will also be
displayed, but not as a WDS correspondent
 Time to test out end-to-end connectivity,
BUT FIRST…
 While a static address will work, it is best to
use addresses in the defined network
 Go to Network, right click it, then Properties
 Click Change Adapter Settings on left
 Right-click Local Area Connection
 Select Obtain an IP address automatically
 Click OK and close windows back to Desktop
 Unplug PC from router, then replug it in
 Do an IPCONFIG on the command line to
confirm your new IP address
 Plug into the HOST and ensure you can still
get to the internet
 Plug into the first CLIENT, and try to get to
the internet. If unsuccessful, try the IP
address of the HOST
 If either fail, check your settings that they
match exactly
 Keeping working your way out plugging into
the routers
 Unplug, and go WiFi to test it that way too
 Routers may be cabled, BUT once rebooted
with WDS active, they may go into a deadly
loop trying to use STP to figure out network
routing. Watch for lots of flashing lights and
no response from the router.
◦ SO UNPLUG THE CABLES!
 WDS should engage. Even if connected wire-
line to the HOST, you should be able to load
any of the 3 routers by IP address in a
browser, or all 3 at once in different windows!
 It’s hard to tell which router you connect to
when they are co-located.
 Take the end-point router, go to the other
side of the house, and test with it with a WiFi
connection from a laptop
 You can tell your connection by your PC MAC
address as it displays in STATUS-WIRELESS.
As you get closer and further away, the signal
strength variance will confirm your
connectivity to a given router, and then active
browsing will confirm the internet path
 Too bad – WDS won’t find another route
unless you have defined the end-point MAC
addresses
 Mesh allows for multiple paths, so sometimes
every MAC known is put into every WDS
router known
 Some tricks include:
◦ Don’t turn on WiFi until you are ready to start
testing
◦ SAVE / APPLY gets tedious, so SAVE often, but
APPLY when it makes sense
◦ Resets don’t return to the same page? Save the IP
address as a favorite/shortcut.
◦ Work from the HOST outward from Client to Client
 It works, and does so in very lean routers that
cannot run BBHN
 It has a heavy administrative overhead for
configuration, but once running is pretty
good
 It is only self-healing when the topology
design allows for alternate paths
 It works under Part 15 so anybody can use it,
unlike BBHN which is Part 97 with ham-level
power output
 Mesh is ok, but the more hops, the slower the
throughput will get (3dB throughput cut per
hop, so 54Mbps can degrade over distance)
 It gives great multi-path delivery when setup
that way – BBHN by positioning routers, DD-
WRT by configuring/positioning routers
 BBHN does not require networking or
computer expertise, while DD-WRT does.
 If you want distance, and need power, then
BBHN will do it for hams. There is a 4w max
for DD-WRT and non-hams.
 MY CHOICE: I like easy, so I’d go with BBHN
 This guide is intended to help you setup and
use these Mesh Network approaches
◦ Use what works for you
◦ Tell others if it is useful to you
◦ Don’t rule out other approaches – be open-minded
 Interesting stuff that could help in:
◦ Emergencies, Field Day, Extending personal
networks, etc.
 HAVE FUN!!!