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Setting Up a Hotspot with Insufficient User IQ


PlayingMuted

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I'm struggling to use the armbian-config tool to setup a hotspot when I have two radios.

 

Can someone share with me the intended workflow/step using armbian-config? I get asked twice for Default interface and the 2nd dialog is throwing me off.

 

My board and radios work fine, but my network is suffering from insufficient user IQ. :-(

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1 minute ago, PlayingMuted said:

I'm struggling to use the armbian-config tool to setup a hotspot when I have two radios.


Running two AP with this tool is not supported. It would require some RFC. You can connect as a STA to some network and running AP with another adaptor. That works.

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17 minutes ago, Igor said:


Running two AP with this tool is not supported. It would require some RFC. You can connect as a STA to some network and running AP with another adaptor. That works.

 

I'm trying to emulate a scenario where one radio is connected to a hotel WiFi. Then the 2nd radio acts as a NAT'ed hotpot for personal use.  When I travel or stay with friends or family, I'd like to just update the Network manager file or supplicant to attach to the host network. Then all my other devices could hook up to the hotspot so I don't have to change settings on my phone,  laptops, etc.

 

I have this working with a Raspberry Pi 3B, but am trying to emulate using an ESPRESSObin, so I can get the higher throughput. I put together this guide for myself to make it "easier" with the RPi.

 

I struggle using the armbian-config tool, as I ma getting confused by the request for "Default" interface twice.

 

Assuming I have two separate radios, one if hooked up to a host network, and there is a 2nd free radio. What are the intended steps for using the 2nd radio as a hotspot?

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10 minutes ago, PlayingMuted said:

I struggle using the armbian-config tool, as I ma getting confused by the request for "Default" interface twice.


OK, just select the same default as you selected first. This default can be your wireless or wired connection, your gateway.

But before you have to check if your wireless card runs AP without a problem. 

 

12 minutes ago, PlayingMuted said:

What are the intended steps for using the 2nd radio as a hotspot?

 

- you need to run dhcp server

- nat translation

- then hostapd

 

But I am actually using the exact same scenario you want to run ... when I am on travel/holidays.

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@Igor: Does this sounds correct?

 

  1. Open armbian-config
  2. Select Network
  3. At "Select default interface" Select the radio you want to use as the Hotspot
  4. Select Hotspot
  5. Go through the steps
  6. When prompted again for "Select default interface", select the same radio originally selected as the hotspot.

 

Did I get that right?

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3 hours ago, PlayingMuted said:

My board and radios work fine, but my network is suffering from insufficient user IQ. :-(

 That's ok...

 

Food for thought - find a nice little board that supports OpenWRT - the GL-Inet AR-300M is a good choice here...

 

It's going to have better wifi than most SBC's, decent ethernet, and OpenWRT is all about routing and wireless...

 

 

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Would it be of value for to alter the config screens such that they sate something like this?

 

  • Network
    • Wireless
      • Hotspot
        • Select the radio to use for your Hotspot
          • Select interface that is connected to the Internet

I keep getting thrown off by current dialogs which display the "Select Default Interface" twice

 

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2 minutes ago, PlayingMuted said:

Would it be of value for to alter the config screens such that they sate something like this?

 

  • Network
    • Wireless
      • Hotspot
        • Select the radio to use for your Hotspot
          • Select interface that is connected to the Internet

I keep getting thrown off by current dialogs which display the "Select Default Interface" twice

 


Certainly it is possible but not without some rework. I am still hoping that some people will join and help implementing such ideas. Until I am more or less alone on that scripts ...

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8 minutes ago, Igor said:


Certainly it is possible but not without some rework. I am still hoping that some people will join and help implementing such ideas. Until I am more or less alone on that scripts ...

 

Is this the bash script that would get updated? https://github.com/armbian/config/blob/master/debian-config-functions-network

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what boards are you using for this ?

 

It might be something I play with - such as 1st wifi as uplink to hotel, 2nd wifi for hotspot but then also layering on openvpn client out over wifi 1 to isolate / protect / encrypt my hotspot sourced traffic.

 

Are you playing with boards with dual wifi built in or adding wifi to a board via usb ?

Loving the idea of a portable one-box solution that I can build on as I want as I control the OS and have the power/ram to run extra functions

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20 hours ago, dispo said:

Loving the idea of a portable one-box solution


Most onboard chips are not very performant ... this https://www.armbian.com/nanopi-m4/ is the first small enough board with a solid AC capable wifi. If you don't need AC, then there are many choices: 
https://www.armbian.com/orange-pi-zero-plus/

https://www.armbian.com/orange-pi-r1/ (USB port is on header. You can use addon or wire 2nd chip directly)

...

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Hello,

 

I am using nanoPi Neo Core with mini shield nanoPi NEO CORE/CORE2. 

The OS that i am using is Armbian stretch downloaded from this link : https://www.armbian.com/nanopi-neo/

The armbian image that I am using is : Armbian_5.65_Nanopineo_Debian_stretch_next_4.14.78

What I am trying to do is enable hotspot. 

Based on what you said, if I am using a wifi USB adapter, the script will not work correctly?

I am trying to setup the hotspot using armbian-config. I chose my default interface the eth interface. And I want to use the wifi usb adapter for hotspot.

It should work?

When I setup the hotspot using armbian, it takes more then 30 minutes for the script to finish. Is this normal?

 

Thanks in advance.

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13 minutes ago, Antony Abi Rached said:

It should work?

When I setup the hotspot using armbian, it takes more then 30 minutes for the script to finish. Is this normal?


No, unless your internet connection is 2400bps. It downloads hostapd binaries ... if your USB wireless (which we don't provide support for) doesn't support AP mode, script can't provide it. Miracles are not possible ... it is also possible that our script makes some troubles.

 

If tools doesn't help you still have an option to DIY manual Debian way: https://www.google.com/?q=setup+ap+debian

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Hi, just wanted to report here that I tried today to setup a wireless AP on an Orange Pi Zero Plus board using Armbian 20.08.1 Buster and it worked out of the box using the config tool. I just misunderstood the interface selection menu : In the wizzard you need to select the interface you want to share (i.e. the one connected to your Internet router). Once selected, the AP works properly (just tried default security settings).

 

Thanks !

 

Lionel

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