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Groups > linux.debian.user > #181785 > unrolled thread

FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network?

Started byDavid Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com>
First post2017-06-06 04:20 +0200
Last post2017-06-08 18:00 +0200
Articles 10 — 7 participants

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  FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-06-06 04:20 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Jape Person <japers@comcast.net> - 2017-06-06 05:40 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Ben Finney <bignose@debian.org> - 2017-06-06 06:50 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2017-06-06 10:00 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2017-06-06 10:20 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-06-06 15:30 +0200
    Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-06-08 03:50 +0200
      Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2017-06-08 12:40 +0200
        Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2017-06-08 13:20 +0200
          Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network? Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2017-06-08 18:00 +0200

#181785 — FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network?

FromDavid Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com>
Date2017-06-06 04:20 +0200
SubjectFOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network?
Message-ID<tPcga-2FE-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
debian-user:

I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for my SOHO 
network, to support Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS, etc., 
Wi-Fi devices.  I'd like something with an external power adapter (wall 
wart), dual-band, 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet port, built-in 
antennas, wall mount, good factory firmware (I will use this as an AP 
only; DD-WRT bricked my last router), and that can handle warm 
temperatures (say, 100 F).


Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?


David

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#181787

FromJape Person <japers@comcast.net>
Date2017-06-06 05:40 +0200
Message-ID<tPdvz-3n1-1@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
On 06/05/2017 10:14 PM, David Christensen wrote:
> debian-user:
>
> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for my SOHO
> network, to support Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS, etc.,
> Wi-Fi devices.  I'd like something with an external power adapter (wall
> wart), dual-band, 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet port, built-in
> antennas, wall mount, good factory firmware (I will use this as an AP
> only; DD-WRT bricked my last router), and that can handle warm
> temperatures (say, 100 F).
>
>
> Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?
>
>
> David
>
>

If by "FOSS-friendly" you mean FOSS running on the Access Point or 
Router I'd suggest you look at Luxul. I'm using a Luxul XWR-1750 as a 
router for three Debian stretch boxes, one Windows 10 box, an Android 
tablet, an Android phone, and a Brother wireless MFP -- all connected 
via wireless (some on 2.4 and some on 5), except when I want to connect 
the Debian notebook by CAT6 for special admin functions on the router. 
Not a hint of slowness, even on big file transfers on the local net.

And the software running on the Luxul router is Open Source and directly 
available from  the manufacturer. The admin pages are a little clunky in 
some ways, but it runs like a train -- like one of those good trains in 
some country where they run on time.

Not like the trains around here. Nosiree. Better off walkin'.

;-)

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#181788

FromBen Finney <bignose@debian.org>
Date2017-06-06 06:50 +0200
Message-ID<tPeBj-42I-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> writes:

> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) […].

Thanks for being specific about your requirements.

I am a happy customer of ThinkPenguin, who make the TPE-R1100
<URL:https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/free-software-wireless-n-mini-vpn-router-tpe-r1100>
wireless access point, router, and VPN gateway.

ThinkPenguin actively worked to develop one of the only free-software
wireless router firmware, LibreCMC <URL:http://librecmc.org/> in order
to put it on this device.

-- 
 \         “It’s a great idea to come in unencumbered by dogma but you |
  `\        can’t also be unencumbered by evidence.” —Darren Saunders, |
_o__)                                                       2015-12-02 |
Ben Finney

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#181793

FromJoe <joe@jretrading.com>
Date2017-06-06 10:00 +0200
Message-ID<tPhzb-5Qn-15@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
On Mon, 5 Jun 2017 19:14:32 -0700
David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> wrote:

> debian-user:
> 
> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for my
> SOHO network, to support Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS,
> etc., Wi-Fi devices.  I'd like something with an external power
> adapter (wall wart), dual-band, 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet
> port, built-in antennas, wall mount, good factory firmware (I will
> use this as an AP only; DD-WRT bricked my last router), and that can
> handle warm temperatures (say, 100 F).
> 
> 
> Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?
> 

Not specific models recently, I'm still on a new-ish ISP-supplied FTTC
box.

But if you expect to use any vaguely exotic protocols in the future, try
to research any bugs in your chosen device before buying. Anything that
the great unwashed don't use regularly (like uPnP) seems to be likely to
be advertised but poorly implemented and tested. Don't assume that
every protocol listed in the brochure will actually work, though all
should make some attempt. New models are particularly suspect. I've
been generally fond of the Netgear DG843 series for many years, but
some firmware versions had their problems, often *later* versions.

About ten years ago, many routers didn't handle PPTP VPNs (a quite old
Microsoft protocol at that time) very well, and a Linksys/Cisco cheapy
I bought as an access point about three or four years ago had a real
problem with RADIUS until I found a workaround. I've known a router's
DNS server to find *some* MX records but not others. And so on...

-- 
Joe

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#181795

From<tomas@tuxteam.de>
Date2017-06-06 10:20 +0200
Message-ID<tPhSy-6bR-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Mon, Jun 05, 2017 at 07:14:32PM -0700, David Christensen wrote:
> debian-user:
> 
> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for my
> SOHO network, to support Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, Android,
> iOS, etc., Wi-Fi devices.  I'd like something with an external power
> adapter (wall wart), dual-band, 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet
> port, built-in antennas, wall mount, good factory firmware (I will
> use this as an AP only; DD-WRT bricked my last router), and that can
> handle warm temperatures (say, 100 F).
> 
> 
> Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?

Besides the other good recommendations, I can vouch for the turris
omnia:

  https://omnia.turris.cz/en/

Not the cheapest, but I had the impression that the manufacturer takes
free software seriously. Happy user here.

Cheers
- -- t
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#181821

FromGene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net>
Date2017-06-06 15:30 +0200
Message-ID<tPmIz-Vp-23@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
On Monday 05 June 2017 22:14:32 David Christensen wrote:

> debian-user:
>
> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for my
> SOHO network, to support Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS,
> etc., Wi-Fi devices.  I'd like something with an external power
> adapter (wall wart), dual-band, 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet
> port, built-in antennas, wall mount, good factory firmware (I will use
> this as an AP only; DD-WRT bricked my last router), and that can
> handle warm temperatures (say, 100 F).
>
>
> Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?
>
>
> David

Sorry to hear about the bricked router.

As a long term (15 years or so) user of dd-wrt, there is not a better 
solution.  If it bricked your last router, my guess is that you flashed 
it with the wrong file for your router model.

Some routers have a magic button combo that will re-install the factory 
firmware, but the only time I ever had to use it was when I had 
forgotten the username/passwd combo.

As a guard dog for your local network, no one has come thru it here in at 
least 15 years that I didn't need thru it, and gave them the login over 
the phone so they could.

The singular exception to the nothing comes thru it, is someone accessing 
my web pages which are physically on this machine.
.
Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>

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#181906

FromDavid Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com>
Date2017-06-08 03:50 +0200
Message-ID<tPUKe-65e-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181785
On 06/05/2017 07:14 PM, David Christensen wrote:
> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) ...

Thanks everyone for the replies and information.  I'll need to re-read 
everything, STFW, and mull it over.


David

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#181917

FromDan Purgert <dan@djph.net>
Date2017-06-08 12:40 +0200
Message-ID<tQ318-36s-17@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181906
David Christensen wrote:
> On 06/05/2017 07:14 PM, David Christensen wrote:
>> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) ...
>
> Thanks everyone for the replies and information.  I'll need to re-read 
> everything, STFW, and mull it over.

Bear in mind that certain countries (e.g. the USA) impose limits on the
devices such that the actual radio driver MUST be a binary blob.

A lot of people tend to get up in arms about this along the lines of
"the manufacturer is a dirty liar. They /say/ they're FOSS-friendly, but
they have these blobs and aren't providing the source!".  Have seen a
number of suggestions here, which may all be stellar -- but then be cut
off at the knees if you're in the US, or a country that imposes similar
regulations.


-- 
|_|O|_| Registered Linux user #585947
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: 05CA 9A50 3F2E 1335 4DC5  4AEE 8E11 DDF3 1279 A281

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#181918

From<tomas@tuxteam.de>
Date2017-06-08 13:20 +0200
Message-ID<tQ3DP-3Af-7@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181917
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Thu, Jun 08, 2017 at 10:17:07AM -0000, Dan Purgert wrote:
> David Christensen wrote:
> > On 06/05/2017 07:14 PM, David Christensen wrote:
> >> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) ...
> >
> > Thanks everyone for the replies and information.  I'll need to re-read 
> > everything, STFW, and mull it over.
> 
> Bear in mind that certain countries (e.g. the USA) impose limits on the
> devices such that the actual radio driver MUST be a binary blob.

As far as I understand, it's more complicated: The FCC just states that
the radio behaves according to specified parameters (e.g. maximum tramsmit
power).

Now since those parameters vary by jurisdiction, and the chip makers don't
want to make one chip for each jurisdiction (what happens when you travel
with your laptop, btw?), the easiest cop out for them is setting those
parameters in the firmware.

The FCC also stated that it shouldn't be "too easy" for an end user to
bypass the parameter limits.

Now you are in the trap.

Of course I could lie and tell my firmware "we are now in Elbonia[1]",
where extremely lax regulations apply.

[1] I stole that from Dilbert.

Cheers
- -- tomás
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#181938

FromDan Purgert <dan@djph.net>
Date2017-06-08 18:00 +0200
Message-ID<tQ80N-6a0-7@gated-at.bofh.it>
In reply to#181918
<tomas@tuxteam.de> wrote:
>
> On Thu, Jun 08, 2017 at 10:17:07AM -0000, Dan Purgert wrote:
>> David Christensen wrote:
>> > On 06/05/2017 07:14 PM, David Christensen wrote:
>> >> I am looking for a FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) ...
>> >
>> > Thanks everyone for the replies and information.  I'll need to re-read 
>> > everything, STFW, and mull it over.
>> 
>> Bear in mind that certain countries (e.g. the USA) impose limits on the
>> devices such that the actual radio driver MUST be a binary blob.
>
> As far as I understand, it's more complicated: The FCC just states that
> the radio behaves according to specified parameters (e.g. maximum tramsmit
> power).
> [...]
> The FCC also stated that it shouldn't be "too easy" for an end user to
> bypass the parameter limits.
>

Actually, the FCC states that the end user cannot, through the driver
(or firmware updates) be able to choose "non-USA" channels / Tx / etc.
As a result, you get two things:

 1. Drivers from most manufacturers are binary blobs.
 2. "-US" versions of products are in circulation that're somehow
    hardware locked to only allow the selection of the "US" country
    code.


-- 
|_|O|_| Registered Linux user #585947
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: 05CA 9A50 3F2E 1335 4DC5  4AEE 8E11 DDF3 1279 A281

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