[Commotion-discuss] WDS configuration

Wed Jun 5 17:08:41 UTC 2013

Hi Luigi,

Although I can't speak for Commotion developers at OTI, I think it its
likely they would not be able to support WDS modes very well at all.
Besides the partially-functional modes that you have discovered.

WDS is generally a proprietary extension of 802.11, whereby the flavors of
WDS developed by different manufacturers (e.g. Atheros, Broadcom) do not
inter-operate, probably by design.

http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/clientmode#wds.-.wireless.distribution.system
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/broadcomwds
http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/atheroswds

Likewise, I think the sort of STA-AP links that WDS builds will not play
well with either the captive portal or the firewall settings used in
Commotion-OpenWRT.

So, the instance of Commotion you have working here likely would not mesh
with any nodes running Commotion-OpenWRT firmware with canonical
configuration.

For the mode of meshing that Commotion OpenWRT (and commmotion-mesh-applet
under Ubuntu/Debian) depends on, the preferred approach to this topology is
to have the nodes talk to each other over a dedicated ad-hoc VIF (virtual
interface), and then have each node broadcast its public AP as an
additional VIF.  This approach avoids proprietary 802.11 extensions like
WDS, to ensure compatibility with as many wifi clients as possible.

Have you tried flashing the Picostations with the Commotion-OpenWRT images
available here (either stable PR3 or unstable DR1)?  The Picostation M2
radios should run the "bullet" images fine, and it seems they should work
for your 2-node mesh.
https://commotionwireless.net/download

Likewise, and to address your questions about Commotion under
Ubuntu/Debian, here are recent builds of the commotion-mesh-applet GNOME
applet, olsrd daemon, and NetworkManager agent:
https://launchpad.net/~guardianproject/+archive/commotion

On Wed, Jun 5, 2013 at 11:43 AM, LuigiScop
<luigi.scopelliti at fastwebnet.it>wrote:

> Hi,
> I want to share more info about the test.
> I used to "commotion wifi" ESSID.
> The host PC (iPhone)was Wifi connected to the Client-WDS picostation.
> The Adsl modem was connected to the LAN port of  POE of the second AP-WDS
> Picostation.
> The two picostations are installed on two balconies(50 m up from ground)
> of my building .One balcony looking  North, the other one looking  West.
> In this way I can distribute internet wirelessy over two areas that are
> located in orthogonal directions down to the street. The distance of the 2
> picostations is about  15 m each other but the RF signal has to go through
> the walls of the apartment and the attenuation is significant.
> If I go with my iPhone on the street I can connect the iPhone  to Internet
> at a distance of about 100 m from the base of building on one direction and
> 100 m on the other direction.I have created  two internet hot spots  with
> only 1 Internet access.
> The output power of the picostation has been set to 14 dBm because italian
> regulation.This is why the distance is not so significant.
> But the configuration is good for testing.
> Luigi
>
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>     1. WDS configuration (LuigiScop)
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------**------------------------------**
>> ----------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 09:10:06 +0200
>> From: LuigiScop <luigi.scopelliti at fastwebnet.**it<luigi.scopelliti at fastwebnet.it>
>> >
>> To: commotion-discuss at lists.**chambana.net<commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>> Subject: [Commotion-discuss] WDS configuration
>> Message-ID: <51A1B54E.5050300 at fastwebnet.**it<51A1B54E.5050300 at fastwebnet.it>
>> >
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-15"; Format="flowed"
>>
>> host PC-->Picostation(Client-WDS)->**Picostation(AP-WDS)->adsl modem
>>
>> Wifi Access to internet from the client side works.
>>
>> Luigi
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-- 
Ben West
http://gowasabi.net
ben at gowasabi.net
314-246-9434
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