Most of us use the WRT-54G router models listed here.

We have images of the standard BBHN firmware for some other routers, but not a lot of experience with users actually loading the firmware on these routers. 

In particular, we have images for the following routers:

USR5461
WA840G
WE800G
WR850G
WRT150N
WRT300N_v1
WRT54G3G

If you have attempted to load the BBHN firmware on one of these routers, please report your success/failure here. 

I'd be especially interested in any tricks you had to do to get it to work, or what you tried.

Check this guy out: http://stores.ebay.com/daveshobbyshop/

He has proven to be a one stop shop for different coax adaptors and pigtails relevant to WIFI hacking with a better selection and lower prices than my friendly neighborhood Gigaparts store.

I have equipment that uses RP-TNC, RP-SMA, SMA, BNC, and Type N and so far, all the adaptors I have needed to connect things up he has in stock. Fast shipping too!

73;

Bob KV4PC

Hi All,

Newbie here.  I've been working on trying to Tunnel two BBHN nodes using the docs form Johan-SM7I and from Al-VE3RRD.  Both docs have been helpful but not being a Linux person, having some difficulties understanding how the downloaded packages work.  Once downloaded through the Web Gui onto the node, does it install automatically or did I miss a step?  Also Ill be running two nodes DCHP through a Internet router PPPOE using DHCP and I'm not sure if I need to also create a S52update file if I followed VE3RRD's directions.  Thanks very much for any help.  Ron

There's some discussion here:

http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/hsmm-mesh-forums/view-postlist/forum-344/topic-344-wrt54g-power-plug-dimensions.html

It seems to be a "Type M 5.5x2.1mm barrel connector".

The antenna connector is called "RP-TNC" or Reverse Polarity TNC.

Technically, the antenna has the female connector, since the center connector is female, but it seems most people mislabel it as "male."  Always get a picture or diagram of what you're buying.   I've seen it listed both ways. 

Hi Johan,

Maybe you don't know how we update amprnet gateways. One way is use listen RIP broadcast from main amprnet server and after receive RIP information routing table is update. Second way is use in crontab script which get via wget or other tolls current encap.txt file and update routing amprnet gateway. The file encap.txt is generate on main portal.ampr.org whre sysops register local amprnet gateways. We can do this same way for example on broadbad-hamnet.pl will be form where who want connect local Mesh network with others will register own local Mesh gateway put follow

IP adress 44.xx.xx.xx/32 of Mesh gateway

IP address Internet gateway xx.xx.xx.xx or hostname if use Dynamic addres

and this information will be store in mesh-gw.txt on broadband-hamnet.org server and we can get via wget tools to load in our local mesh gateway. We need add tools to solve dynamic hostname to current IP address similar like you have in GRE.

We can use DNS ampr.org with register host like:

sm7i-meh.ampr.org for gateway Mesh server. This register you can do by local AMprNET IP corrdinator or register own local AMprNet gate and you can on http://portal.ampr.org add in DNS Amprnet entry about sm7i.ampr.or. You canseen for emaple

nslookup sp2ong.ampr.org

73 Waldek

Hi,

Your idea is great with using only one tun interface, but imagine the size of the manual routingtable here. How are we supposed to know each and every network behind every existing and new nodes without the use of a vector routing protocol ?

That would be impossible to maintain in a manual way.

A directional antenna has several advantages.  The gain gives you more range because your sent and received signal levels are higher.  You also pick up less interference from other devices because you don't "see" in as many directions.   You also cause interference with fewer other users.

Of course, you lose coverage area if you use a high gain antenna due to the narrower beam width.  It's a good way to make a link between one pair of stations, or perhaps connect to a few stations that happen to be in the same general direction.   One example would be a node on a high vantage point on the edge of town at some distance from a number of nodes concentrated in one direction such as the downtown area.

You can use the two antennas to make directional links in two different directions.   If you don't have a specific purpose for the second antenna, it's usually a good idea to just put a standard antenna on it.  It's often useful to be able to make an connection to the mesh node from somewhere nearby.  

However, there is no single answer.   You make many tradeoffs with antenna cost, coverage area, etc. 

Hi,

Ok , I know that main amprnet server send via RIP broadcast about current table with amprnet gateway but we don't need use RIP. We can use idea ENCAP via IPIP to tunnel connect main gateways MESH node. It is not connenct single MEsh Node but similar like you do via GRE connect local Mesh Nodes. In your solution we must create separate interface TUNx to connect different local network Mesh Nodes. I am not sure that will be work but we can check. 

We can setup on one WRT54 in every local network Mesh which will be have access to internet and will be gateway to other local network Mesh node. For example

In my city I will be define one WRT54 with follow:

ip addr add 44.165.32.254/32 dev tunl0
ip tunnel change ttl 64 mode ipip tunl0
ip link set dev tunl0 up

#load route table
# gateway no1 for example SM7I
ip route add 44.145.34.254/32 via 134.23.34.1 dev tunl0 proto static onlink
# next gateway VE1ABC
ip route add 44.123.4.254/32 via 125.35.4.10 dev tunl0 proto static onlink

......

in /etc/config.mesh/ olsrd.conf we are bridge this only one interface

interface "tunl0"

in /etc/config/ olsrd.conf

interface "tunl0" "wl0"

broadcast in olsd.conf will be 255.255.255.255

If you setup similar on your main Mesh gateway Node with

ip addr add 44.145.34..254/32 dev tunl0
ip tunnel change ttl 64 mode ipip tunl0
ip link set dev tunl0 up

#load route table
# gateway no1 to SP2ONG-Mesh gateway
ip route add 44.165.32.254/32 via 95.24.128.1 dev tunl0 proto static onlink

It maybe working this solution

If will be work it will be easy connect different local Mesh network to one bigger. In this solution we define one interface "tunl0 but define route table.

What do you thing Johan about this?

According to Amprnet. We have 44/8 network which is dedicate to use TCP/IP and in HamNEt network main protocol is TCP/IP. Yes I know use 44/8 TCP/IP over AX.25 but it was 10 or more years wehen we use Packet Radio which is now practical not useful. If you still like and want to use AX.25 you can use oposit to 10 year ago. We can use AX.25 via AXIP where main protocol is TCP/IP but you can see in europe ax.25 and ax25 network is going down. Ham radio users want to use network like use every day internet not terminal programs to use ax.25.

You know europe Hamnet map http://hamnetdb.net/mapwindow.cgi?as=64695&site=

I have attached picture example local Network gateway where we can connect WRT54 via WAN to router and we can define firewall to blocal use Internet via HSMM-Mesh but alllow connect to 44/8 network and Mesh users can see on own computer connected in local Mesh network for example

http://sp2ong.ampr.org

I have running Hamnet server on raspberry PI which have for local users:

- WWW server on NGINX with Get Simple CMS

- local forum on MyBB

- SMTP/POP3/IMAP sevrer with webmail GUI use CITADEL

- Video streaming server on ICECAST

- Voice server running on MUMBLE

- Jabber server on "ejabberd" for use  IM like PIDGIN

- DXcluster on DXSpider with Web access

it is all working on small Raspberry PI v2 where is installed HAMServerPI distribution by DL3DCW

If you have access to Amprnet you can try to see my server http://sp2ong.ampr.org

73 Waldek sp2ong

Attachments
 HamNET-Mesh-Server.png [96 KB] ::

You better be careful or else you can burn out the transmitter. Best put a heat sink on those sensitive TX components too.

Hi,

I have found that we can use in shell "wl" command to see current TX Power and we can adjust TX Power with this command. I don't know what max values we can set TX Power in WRT54?

root@SP2ONG-home:~# wl txpwr
pwr in mw 76
pwr in mw after override adj 76
79
root@SP2ONG-home:~# wl txpwr 100
root@SP2ONG-home:~# wl txpwr
pwr in mw 80
pwr in mw after override adj 80
100

root@SP2ONG-home:~# wl txpwr 255
root@SP2ONG-home:~# wl txpwr
pwr in mw 96
pwr in mw after override adj 96
251

In help of "wl" command with txpwr :

txpwr   Set tx power in milliwatts.  Range [1, 84]. (<-- ????? I have try use 255)   

txpwr1  Set tx power in in various units. Choose one of (default: dbm): 
        -d dbm units
        -q quarter dbm units
        -m milliwatt units
Can be combined with:
        -o turn on override to disable regulatory and other limitations
Use wl txpwr -1 to restore defaults

You can see table with max TX Power on www page: http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/wrt54gs/

Just wondering about antennas.... would an omni be better than a yagi? would TWO onmi's be better than two yagi's?? etc, etc...

I wonder if there is any advantage/disadvantage to disabling one of the antennas on the 54GS's...

All in all, what are YOUR experiences with antennas and what is/was your final decision and set up, both for indoor and or outdoor deployment...

(I ask this because I may be deploying nodes in several different environments... some indoors, like in a rooftop elevator machine room, mounting on a tower, or putting on a telephone pole...)

Rich

N2PPN

I have a WRT150N and have tried to flash it with no luck.  The issue is that it times out after 8 seconds after starting the flash.   I am using the bbhn-1.0.0-wrt150n.bin  Looking for any ideas/suggestions. Thanks-

I looked on the Linksys website and didn't find this info, so maybe somebody here know the answers....

What is the size of the 12VDC power connector for the WRT54GL?  I'd like to make some Powerpole cables and want to know what size of connector to buy.

Also, what kind of rf connectors does one use when the rabbit ears are removed and you connect an external antenna?

73,

Harry Bloomberg W3YJ

hbloomb@gmail.com

Hi Waldek,

AMPRnet gateway uses the RIP routing protocol for handling which node has what IP network and so on.

HSMM and BBHN uses OLSR routing daemon and it works very well for meshed networks and fortunately we can use this also for tunneling.

The main idea behind tunneling, from my point of view, was primarily to establish communications between large mesh segments that has no RF path, ie. one city to another.

It was not my intention that single nodes should use the tunneling with another single node thus generating a large number of tunX interfaces. Presently we see a practical limit of five tunX interfaces on the WRT54GL models.

GRE tunneling turned out to be the simpliest way to achieve this and also makes the least footprint.

Regarding the AMPRnet IP address series I see no problem of using them for LAN side assignments, however there needs to be a centralized control over who uses what IP network, otherwise it will fail.

I know that in Sweden we have a group of people administrating the SM part of the AMPRnet addresses and as regarding to myself I have a subnet in the SM range of addresses. I do not use them for HSMM / BBHN though. I use it for TCP/IP over ax25 only.

Hi, I KNOW I am probably missing something in setting this up, but I can't seem to figure out why NTP can't get past the first local node (the one with the WAN connected to the internet) I can get the time date and UTC offset correct on the local node, but can't get the NTP to propagate to the rest of the neighbor nodes....

What am I missing here/// Do I need to keep port forwarding going throughout the nodes??

Not a problem that'll keep me awake, just an annoyance...

Rich

N2PPN

There is a group of us in Central Virginia (ARES/RACES of Virginia District 3, which includes Albemarle, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, and Greene Counties) who are in the design phase of a large-scale mesh network for EmComm primary use here.  The current home for our activities is my personal site, http://www.kq9p.us.  Have a look!  Comments, suggestions, accusations of insanity are welcome at mike@kq9p.us!

73, Mike KQ9P

Hi Johan

I have read you PDF about GRE tunnel I I would like try connect with your node to My WR54 SP2ONG-home Mesh Node. I will be try setup my wrt54 with GRE in this weekend and it will be interesting do this test between our nodes. But I have one question about IP address

1.1.1.0 Network address

1.1.1.1 Mynode

1.1.1.2 Remotenode

1.1.1.3 Broadcast addres

We must use the same range address and I must know now which you have free IP 1.1.1x and I must use in my Node ? If we try connect many local networks Mesh Nodes we must create many TUNx interfaces on WRT54 ? What is different between GRE and use IPIP tunnel (Protocol number 4 IP) where we use in AmprNet gateway. In IPIP tunnel we have create one interface tun0 which we use to tunnel 44/8 network with routes table where is range 44 network an IP internet address gateway. Maybe we can create similar like amprnet gateway tunnel creat central information about HSMM Mesh gateways ? or use amprnet Gateways to connect local Mesh Node and use 44.xxx address instead 1.1.1.x ???

73 Waldek sp2ong