[Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti Picostation M2HP
Josh King
jking at chambana.net
Mon Apr 25 10:51:03 EDT 2016
Hey Nicolas,
Did you get the error messages after flashing using the factory or
sysupgrade image?
On Sun, 2016-04-24 at 17:55 -0500, Ben West wrote:
> Hi Nicolas,
>
> Apologies for the delay in response, and likewise for the sadly
> unhelpful response.
>
> I'm afraid I'm not an active developer of CW, so I wouldn't have an
> answer for why the auto-configure routine in Commotion doesn't
> proceed to completion on the Bullet. I've actually only used it on
> Nanostations and Picostation myself.
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 11, 2016 at 6:08 PM, Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>
> wrote:
> > Hi there Ben!
> >
> > Thank you so much again for your help!
> >
> > Ok great I see. I actually decided in the end to just go ahed and
> > buy[te] the bullet [ahahah - pun definitely intended].
> >
> > I tried flashing commotion from stock firmware without downgrading
> > first and it worked!
> >
> > I’m having trouble accessing the commotion screens though and I can
> > only mostly get openwrt-looking old-style pages some of which
> > saying there are errors in the page scripts. I got the welcome
> > screen once after rebooting the device but as soon as I clicked
> > setup wizard I got taken back to openwrt with some errors or even
> > blank pages with errors printed on them.
> >
> > This can’t be the firmware lock right? That can only block the
> > installation before it begins if it is actually in place if I
> > understand correctly.
> >
> > In any event I’ll try again tomorrow when I get my omni antenna as
> > I’m still unsure as to wether it’s ok to keep the device powered on
> > even only for configuration purposes without an antenna attached to
> > it.
> >
> > If reinstalling cw firmware was the way to go, what would be the
> > best way to do so?
> >
> > Thanks again so much to you and the other user for your help!
> >
> >
> > Nicolas
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net>
> > Reply: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net>>
> > Date: 9 Apr 2016 at 18:44:18
> >
> > To: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>>
> > Cc: commotion-discuss <commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net>>
> > Subject: Re: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti
> > Picostation M2HP
> >
> > > Hi Nicolas,
> > >
> > > 5GHz products with the firmware locks actually started appearing
> > > last year. It's been in the past few months where some 2.4GHz
> > > products now have locks. I.e. not just UBNT.
> > >
> > > My guess about Ubiquiti M2 products is that the firmware locks
> > > possibly aren't there yet for all products sitting on
> > > distributors' shelves. I.e. purchase one unit from a particular
> > > supplier to try out, and then follow up with purchasing the
> > > remainder once tested successfully (while also ensuring the
> > > distributor ships you units from the same lot).
> > >
> > > Nevetheless, do still try downgrading the version of AirOS on the
> > > Picostation you have, i.e. to v5.5.10. That would be the easiest
> > > to do right away. Also, when flashing OpenWRT or CW, be sure you
> > > are using the "bullet" image instead of "nano".
> > >
> > > The UBNT Bullet M2 radios likely would have the same risk of
> > > uncooperative firmware as the Picostations. They actually share
> > > the same stock firmware.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 8:33 AM, Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>
> > > wrote:
> > > > Hi Ben
> > > >
> > > > Thank you so much for your help
> > > >
> > > > I understand. I’ve heard of this ridiculous news before but
> > > > hadn’t imagined it was already being applied to actual
> > > > products.
> > > >
> > > > Another user was suggesting using ubnt bullets on 2.4GHz band
> > > > which from your message I seem to understand are still possibly
> > > > untouched by these new absurd regulations.
> > > >
> > > > Has anyone had any recent experience with ubnt bullet M2HP on
> > > > cw firmware?
> > > >
> > > > If the first one worked do you think it would make sense to
> > > > purchase all of them now to avoid the risk of them getting
> > > > locked in-factory in future batches? I was planning on a
> > > > gradual rollout but if this is the point we’ve gotten to I
> > > > guess it would make sense to pay for everything upfront.
> > > >
> > > > If anyone can give me confirmation I will start the project
> > > > tomorrow. I absolutely want to start this and now feel like
> > > > we’re running out of time.
> > > >
> > > > Thank you all so much for your help!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Nicolas
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > From: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net>
> > > > Reply: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net>>
> > > > Date: 5 Apr 2016 at 18:35:07
> > > > To: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>>
> > > > Cc: commotion-discuss <commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net>>
> > > > Subject: Re: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti
> > > > Picostation M2HP
> > > >
> > > > > Please be aware Ubiquity is gradually rolling out updates to
> > > > > their stock firmware that will block flashing 3rd party
> > > > > firmware like Commotion Wireless (and by extension OpenWRT
> > > > > and DD-WRT). Right now such locks are in place on new 5.8GHz
> > > > > gear (e.g. Nanostation M5's), and possibly they will start
> > > > > appearing on 2.4GHz gear. The reasons for these locks are
> > > > > quite specious (in my opinion), and they were spurred by
> > > > > recent FCC decisions, about which you can read here: https://
> > > > > libreplanet.org/wiki/Save_WiFi/Individual_Comments
> > > > >
> > > > > Current versions of OpenWRT and DD-WRT may be to work around
> > > > > such locks, e.g. DD-WRT loading while OpenWRT does not, but
> > > > > Commotion Wireless itself will lag behind the latest version
> > > > > of OpenWRT by some margin.
> > > > >
> > > > > A common recommendation I've read to work-around such locks
> > > > > is to first downgrade the stock AirOS firmware to an older
> > > > > version, e.g. v5.5.10, and from there flash Commotion
> > > > > Wireless.
> > > > >
> > > > > Again, do please note underlying issue is that the radio
> > > > > manufacturer themselves are beginning to lock out anything
> > > > > but their own stock firmware. The extent to which such locks
> > > > > have been implemented appears to vary from product to product
> > > > > (e.g. certain things are locked on new Picostations which
> > > > > aren't locked on Nanostations or Rockets), but downgrading
> > > > > the stock firmware and then flashing to 3rd party is a common
> > > > > recommendation I've read.
> > > > >
> > > > > Long term outlook, unfortunately, is that OpenWRT and DD-WRT
> > > > > eventually will be barred entirely from all wifi products
> > > > > that operate on 5.8GHz band, along with some 2.4GHz products
> > > > > too. Generally, this is applies only to the USA, but many
> > > > > device manufacturers are implementing the locks universally,
> > > > > regardless of country where the device is sold.
> > > > >
> > > > > On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 6:42 AM, Nicolas North <star at nikksno.i
> > > > > o> wrote:
> > > > > > Hi there!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you so much for your reply.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This is an important problem as the picostations are great
> > > > > > in terms of coverage / price ratio. I’m now looking at
> > > > > > other ubiquiti devices but the antennas for the ubnt rocket
> > > > > > cost more than the rockets themselves. I’m trying to figure
> > > > > > out how much larger the range would be with rockets + omni
> > > > > > antennas.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Could I ask you which devices you’ve switched to or are
> > > > > > planning to switch to given the impossibility of using
> > > > > > picostations with cw firmwares at the moment?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Do other cw-supported devices have the same reliability,
> > > > > > quality and price as ubiquiti devices?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I have to cover all houses [meaning the inside of houses in
> > > > > > practically every room with decent signal] inside a living
> > > > > > complex 120 meters wide and 100 meters long with lots of
> > > > > > exterior spaces. The APs would all be on rooftops no higher
> > > > > > than two storeys above the ground. I’m thinking of sticking
> > > > > > with 2.4GHz for now as it reaches better inside houses.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you again and thanks to all who’d like to share some
> > > > > > advice for this project! :)
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nicolas
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > From: d***@***.net
> > > > > > Reply: d***@***.net
> > > > > > Date: 3 Apr 2016 at 19:59:34
> > > > > > To: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>
> > > > > > Subject: RE: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti
> > > > > > Picostation M2HP
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > We have a small mesh project we're working on here in
> > > > > > > Vermont, U.S.A. We have found that we are unable to
> > > > > > > install Commotion on recent models of Ubiquiti
> > > > > > > Picostation. Commotion says others have found that
> > > > > > > Picostation version v5.6.x and above is incompatible with
> > > > > > > Commotion, but that probably it wouldn't load at all
> > > > > > > rather than not being configuarable as in our case.
> > > > > > > Anyway, we aren't going to buy anymore Picostaions. Maybe
> > > > > > > this relates to your problem.
> > > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > > From: "Nicolas North" <star at nikksno.io>
> > > > > > > Sent: Sunday, April 3, 2016 11:41am
> > > > > > > To: commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> > > > > > > Subject: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti
> > > > > > > Picostation M2HP
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi everybody!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I’m looking to start a mesh network here in Milano
> > > > > > > [Italia] where I live and I need some help :)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have a ubiquiti picosta tion m2hp that I can’t get to
> > > > > > > work with the cw openwrt firmware.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I downloaded the factory image from the website
> > > > > > > and followed the guide but after I uploaded the new
> > > > > > > firmware from the airmax web interface and after the pico
> > > > > > > rebooted it only had the power and network lights on and
> > > > > > > seemed to create no network at all: it didn’t provide any
> > > > > > > dhcp so I tried to connect to it manually by setting ip
> > > > > > > address and netmask on my macbook and trying all kinds of
> > > > > > > stuff but I had no success.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I tried it the tftp way then but it failed with a 512
> > > > > > > "firmware check failed" error code. So I tried flashing
> > > > > > > three different pure openwrt firmwares onto it but it
> > > > > > > kept failing with the same code.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I tried ddwrt out of curiosity and it works perfectly.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I was never able to get it back to airmax thought: tftp
> > > > > > > doesn’t fail but after it reboots it gets stuck in a 20
> > > > > > > second bootloop and even after power cycling it it keeps
> > > > > > > restarting and never becomes reachable. Do you think I
> > > > > > > could try at least reverting it to airmax from the ddwrt
> > > > > > > web interface?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have tried compiling openwrt from scratch specifically
> > > > > > > with the ath9k drivers but after three hours of
> > > > > > > compilation it still fails via tftp with the same error.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I’m using the bullet image as instructed.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The pico is brand new so I don’t want to open it and void
> > > > > > > the warranty.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > What can I do to fix this?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thank you very much in advance!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Nicolas
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Commotion-discuss mailing list
> > > > > > Commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> > > > > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/commotion-discu
> > > > > > ss
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Ben West
> > > > > http://gowasabi.net
> > > > > ben at gowasabi.net
> > > > > 314-246-9434
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Ben West
> > > http://gowasabi.net
> > > ben at gowasabi.net
> > > 314-246-9434
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Commotion-discuss mailing list
> Commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/commotion-discuss
--
Josh King
PGP Fingerprint: 8269 ED6F EA3B 7D78 F074 1E99 2FDA 4DA1 69AE 4999
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 819 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/commotion-discuss/attachments/20160425/655b6c37/attachment.sig>
More information about the Commotion-discuss
mailing list