[Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti Picostation M2HP

Nicolas North io at nikksno.io
Sun May 29 03:17:44 UTC 2016


Hi Josh

Thank you so much for replying.

I've been thinking over and over about what to do all week and today I've been getting a little lost as nothing really seems to work. Your reply comes at the perfect time. Thank you.

Do you happen to have a copy of airos 5.5.10 or is it easy to find? I'd like to try the downgrade and cw installation tomorrow on the picostation.

About the tplink: I'm very lucky you have the same router at home. I've installed openwrt but was struggling to figure out how to get the 5ghz part working. I'm not sure why I didn't find any info related to ac not working on the openwrt site. I've found info about two different v2 models but I seem to be just under the serial number threshold. The idea was to mesh over 5ghz and create WiFi over 2.4ghz so it's definitely important to have it working perfectly. In any event could you please send me the image you are using at home? I can't seem to find it anywhere!

Do you think I should look into a similar router without ac to be on the safe side?

Since I started writing this reply I've taken a look at the other mail where you suggested the Detroit community technology project and I am trying to piece things together to figure out the best approach but I'm really confused.

I've spent six hours the other night following the metamesh documentation [written for a picostation] but I can't seem to adapt the configuration to a more complex router like the tplink because of it having both a Wan and a Lan port set.

The bottom line is that I'd love to use commotion. If I get the picostation working I will have to evaluate whether it's a sound investment to try another bullet and  yet another picostation. If instead I had an image for a tplink router I can actually purchase here in Italy or knew how to compile it for said router it would make things very easy. I wouldn't be able to install it maybe on all the various routers I'm finding in people's homes but as they're all mostly proprietary and maybe locked down they don't have an option to flash firmware via Web interface so I wouldn't know how to make the switch to openwrt or anything else anyway.

Metamesh and other projects like qmp that work on top of standard openwrt installations need a non ac router at this point and I need to figure out how to configure a router that is not a picostation but one with Wan, Lan, and two WiFi interfaces.

I really think our setup should be fairly normal and common: lots of houses distributed in an open area, soon we'll have fiber and I'd love for all 300 of us to just get 4 contracts and share everything instead of buying 300 of those contracts everyone for himself [that's why I really need to show this works], use existing infrastructure as much as possible [home routers] and ease of installation with cross compatibility. I think that meshing over 5ghz and WiFi-ying over 2.4ghz is the way to go since I need WiFi to enter houses and have good strength and so on. If I have to replace routers and APs I will but I need to know what works with openwrt and if I should keep my hopes up for commotion or I should use something else provided I find how to do so for non ubiquiti devices.

This really shouldn't be this hard. I love your project as I think it's all around the best. However there are too many variables and issues with the hardware world that have me thinking round the clock what the best, most effective, most practical, most financially reasonable, and most long term approach is, but I still have no idea.

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it and I hope you have that firmware for the tplink and maybe some ideas to point me in the right direction.

Nicolas

On May 28, 2016 17:07, Josh King <jking at chambana.net> wrote:

Hey Nicolas,

Sorry to be slow replying. I can only assume that the difference in
your experience is due to new Ubiquiti hardware revisions or similar.
If you're going to try downgrading AirOS, I believe Ben suggested
v5.5.10 for getting around some of the potential lockout problems.

The Archer C7 v2 is a nice box, I actually use one for my home router.
I think your best bet there for now is actually to go MetaMesh's route
and install stock OpenWRT with a Commotion-compatible OLSRd
configuration. The problem with the C7 is that the 5GHz radio needs the
newer ath10k driver, since it's an 802.11ac chipset. Commotion is not
yet built against the newest branch of OpenWRT, so it would lack the
necessary driver support. Frankly, even with the newest stock OpenWRT
installed on my home router, I need to reboot it occasionally due to
the 5GHz radio getting kind of stuck. I'm also not 100% certain that
the 802.11ac chipsets support ad-hoc mode as is currently required for
Commotion.

On Sat, 2016-05-21 at 15:37 +0200, Nicolas North wrote:
> Hi there!
> Thanks so much for testing this out. I really appreciate your help.
> Actually the only reason I switched to unifi was because all other
> firmware installs [even airos] were failing via tftp. It was a simple
> last resort test and by accident I figured that once I had done that
> I could revert to airos. The problem is that I was never able to get
> cw working from an out of the box device [neither a pico neither a
> bullet] as they always got stuck in limbo. The one thing I have yet
> to try on my last stock firmware picostation is to downgrade to an
> earlier version of airos before switching over to commotion as per
> the instructions. Do you think this could be a solution? If so to
> what version should I downgrade? Should I do a total reset of the
> device's settings even before downgrading?
> On a side note I purchased a Tp Link Archer c7 v2 to familiarize
> myself with openwrt and I'd love to install commotion on it
> especially should I be unable to get the ubiquiti devices working.
> Would you be so kind as to tell me where I could find a version of
> commotion for it? If it had to be compiled how would I do that?
> I did my first rooftop installation yesterday [not counting my house
> where I've actually been camping on the roof at night to get this
> project started ;] and it went very well. The tp link is there
> waiting to be activated with the right firmware. I'd love for it to
> mesh over 5ghz [it has three 5ghz dedicated external antennas] and to
> provide WiFi access point over 2.4Ghz [it has three 2.4ghz dedicated
> internal antennas].
> Thanks again for all your support.
> Nicolas
> 
> 
> From: Josh King <jking at chambana.net>
> Reply: Josh King <jking at chambana.net>
> Date: 20 May 2016 at 23:06:53
> To: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net>
> CC: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>, commotion-discuss <commotion-dis
> cuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Subject:  Re: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti
> Picostation M2HP 
> 
> > That's my suspicion. Well, if i have time maybe I'll risk bricking
> > one of these devices. Hopefully setting up a UniFi controller isn't
> > a hard requirement. 
> > 
> > On May 20, 2016 4:27:57 PM EDT, Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net> wrote: 
> > >FYI, to flash a Picostation from AirOS to UniFI, you had to first
> > flash 
> > >a 
> > >transitional image at 
> > >http://www.ubnt.com/downloads/unifi/2.3.9/airos2unifi.bin, Then
> > you add 
> > >the 
> > >Picostation to the UniFI dashboard, which may trigger a 2nd
> > flashing. 
> > > 
> > >It is possible that the transitional image mucks around with the 
> > >partition 
> > >table. 
> > ><http://www.ubnt.com/downloads/unifi/2.3.9/airos2unifi.bin> 
> > > 
> > >On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 3:16 PM, Josh King <jking at chambana.net>
> > wrote: 
> > > 
> > >> Hi Nicolas, 
> > >> 
> > >> Okay, so I've been able to flash directly to Commotion, to
> > AirOS, and 
> > >> back on both of the Picostations I'm working with, both through
> > the 
> > >web 
> > >> interface and TFTP on multiple versions of AirOS. I'm wondering
> > if 
> > >> maybe the process of flashing it to the UniFi firmware may have 
> > >messed 
> > >> with its partition table. Can you try flashing one of your 
> > >picostations 
> > >> back to AirOS using TFTP, and then flash it to Commotion v1.1
> > using 
> > >> TFTP? Also, can you send me a link to the unofficial
> > instructions you 
> > >> mentioned for flashing it to UniFi? Thanks! 
> > >> 
> > >> On Wed, 2016-05-18 at 09:59 +0200, Nicolas North wrote: 
> > >> > Hi! Ok no problem thanks so much for your quick replies! 
> > >> > 
> > >> > Ok I see. I actually would be very happy to use the
> > picostation 
> > >m2hp 
> > >> > / bullet m2hp / rocket trifecta in the entire deployment as
> > they 
> > >are 
> > >> > three perfect sizes for our needs: normal houses would get a 
> > >> > picostation, houses or offices with roof access would get a
> > bullet 
> > >> > with a 15dBi N type omni antenna, and the highest rooftops
> > would 
> > >get 
> > >> > a rocket with a 10dBi ubiquiti omni antenna also for future 
> > >expansion 
> > >> > outside the area. This was the initial plan and I think would
> > work 
> > >> > very well. The two TP-Link devices on the commotion website
> > are for 
> > >> > indoors only and still cost very much here in Italy at least. 
> > >> > 
> > >> > If however it’s true that cw firmware can be compiled for any 
> > >device 
> > >> > supported by owrt [I was able to compile pure owrt in the past
> > but 
> > >I 
> > >> > got stuck when trying to compile cw as I couldn’t get the 
> > >> > configuration menu to show] and if you have any suggestion
> > for 
> > >> > outdoor devices I could use I’ll jump on that ship right now 
> > >without 
> > >> > further ado. I was looking into ubiquiti devices because of
> > the 
> > >great 
> > >> > experience I’ve been having with them [on their first party 
> > >firmware 
> > >> > at least ;] but really anything will do. How do others do it 
> > >> > nowadays? I basically need any device that works and I can
> > attach a 
> > >> > larger than normal antenna [N type, Yagi, anything]. Ideally
> > there 
> > >> > should be a few possible antenna sizes for different locations
> > but 
> > >> > then again I’m just starting out here but I think this is a
> > fairly 
> > >> > common setup and if anyone has a few minutes to chip in with
> > their 
> > >> > experience and / or to provide any suggestion that would be 
> > >immensely 
> > >> > appreciated. 
> > >> > 
> > >> > Thanks again so much everyone and Josh for looking into this! 
> > >> > 
> > >> > 
> > >> > Nicolas 
> > >> > 
> > >> > 
> > >> > 
> > >> > From: Josh King <jking at chambana.net> 
> > >> > Reply: Josh King <jking at chambana.net> 
> > >> > Date: 17 May 2016 at 23:35:42 
> > >> > To: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>, commotion-discuss 
> > ><commotion-dis 
> > >> > cuss at lists.chambana.net> 
> > >> > Subject: Re: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a Ubiquiti 
> > >> > Picostation M2HP 
> > >> > 
> > >> > > Hey Nicolas, 
> > >> > > 
> > >> > > I wasn't able to get the picostations until pretty late in
> > the 
> > >day, 
> > >> > > so 
> > >> > > I don't know if I'll have information for you tonight. If
> > not, 
> > >I'll 
> > >> > > do 
> > >> > > my best to get you some feedback as soon as I can tomorrow. 
> > >> > > 
> > >> > > About the Unifi APs, I don't think we support any of their
> > AC 
> > >> > > hardware 
> > >> > > yet due to driver issues. 
> > >> > > 
> > >> > > On Tue, 2016-05-17 at 14:45 +0200, Nicolas North wrote: 
> > >> > > > Hi! 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > That would be fantastic thank you so much! 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > I can try anything you may suggest tonight. 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > Thank you very much again in advance! 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > Nicolas 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > From: J. Heretic <jking at chambana.net> 
> > >> > > > Reply: J. Heretic <jking at chambana.net> 
> > >> > > > Date: 17 May 2016 at 14:41:58 
> > >> > > > To: Nicolas North <star at nikksno.io>, commotion-discuss 
> > >> > > <commotion-dis 
> > >> > > > cuss at lists.chambana.net> 
> > >> > > > CC: Ben West <ben at gowasabi.net> 
> > >> > > > Subject: Re: [Commotion-discuss] CW Firmware on a
> > Ubiquiti 
> > >> > > > Picostation M2HP 
> > >> > > > 
> > >> > > > > Hi Nicolas, 
> > >> > > > > 
> > >> > > > > I'm going to grab some picostations from the office
> > today and 
> > >> > > try 
> > >> > > > > again 
> > >> > > > > to reproduce the problem you're having. 
> > >> > > > > 
> > >> > > > > On Tue, 2016-05-17 at 11:13 +0200, Nicolas North wrote: 
> > >> > > > > > Hi there everyone! 
> > >> > > > > > I'm very sorry for the really late reply but I've been
> > a 
> > >> > > little 
> > >> > > > > held 
> > >> > > > > > back lately by all of the difficulties I've
> > encountered 
> > >> > > while 
> > >> > > > > > starting this project that I really believe in, so
> > I've 
> > >been 
> > >> > > > > working 
> > >> > > > > > on it on my own for a few weeks to see what I could
> > figure 
> > >> > > out. 
> > >> > > > > Key 
> > >> > > > > > updates are as follows: 
> > >> > > > > > I've found a way to "unlock" / "unbrick" ubiquiti 
> > >> > > picostations 
> > >> > > > > and 
> > >> > > > > > bullets and have been able to do so several times. For
> > now 
> > >> > > my 
> > >> > > > > > experience has always been: unbox them, try
> > installing 
> > >> > > commotion 
> > >> > > > > > firmware immediately from the web interface as per
> > the 
> > >> > > > > instructions, 
> > >> > > > > > device installs and reboots, seemingly gets stuck in
> > limbo 
> > >> > > [no 
> > >> > > > > > bootloop but not showing up in any network scan with
> > or 
> > >> > > without 
> > >> > > > > dhcp 
> > >> > > > > > under any subnet], enter tftp, try reinstalling
> > AirOS, 
> > >> > > device 
> > >> > > > > reboots 
> > >> > > > > > into endless bootloop, enter tftp again to flash cw 
> > >firmware 
> > >> > > only 
> > >> > > > > to 
> > >> > > > > > get 512 firmware check error. The solution for me has 
> > >> > > > > consistently 
> > >> > > > > > been to install unifi on the devices as per ubiquiti 
> > >> > > instructions 
> > >> > > > > [a 
> > >> > > > > > procedure that is unsupported but explained on their 
> > >> > > website] 
> > >> > > > > via 
> > >> > > > > > tftp [I can provide the link if anyone is interested] 
> > >> > > [always 
> > >> > > > > got 
> > >> > > > > > them working on unifi like this btw], then enter tftp
> > again 
> > >> > > and 
> > >> > > > > > install AirOS 5.1.2, and only then was I always able
> > to 
> > >> > > actually 
> > >> > > > > > install cw firmware via AirOS web interface and
> > working as 
> > >> > > > > instructed 
> > >> > > > > > in the cw howtos. The devices reboot perfectly and
> > fully 
> > >> > > > > functionally 
> > >> > > > > > in cw and except for my first attempt [see last mail]
> > where 
> > >> > > I 
> > >> > > > > had 
> > >> > > > > > problems with LuCI, I was always able to do the
> > initial 
> > >> > > setup 
> > >> > > > > > perfectly. The major problem here which had been
> > haunting 
> > >my 
> > >> > > > > dreams 
> > >> > > > > > [irony, but true] for the last few weeks is that upon
> > the 
> > >> > > first 
> > >> > > > > > reboot the devices completely loose their mesh and
> > WiFi 
> > >> > > configs 
> > >> > > > > and 
> > >> > > > > > they seem to be missing key packages suck as olsr and
> > such. 
> > >> > > A 
> > >> > > > > > possible explanation for this is that after the cw
> > install 
> > >> > > only 
> > >> > > > > 2% of 
> > >> > > > > > space is left on the device's NAND for some reason I
> > have 
> > >yet 
> > >> > > to 
> > >> > > > > > understand. A quick df -h via ssh reveals the
> > partitions 
> > >all 
> > >> > > > > together 
> > >> > > > > > make up less than 50MB although this also appears to
> > be the 
> > >> > > case 
> > >> > > > > with 
> > >> > > > > > stock AirOS and Unifi at least on my devices. 
> > >> > > > > > I've been searching everywhere for a solution to this 
> > >> > > problem 
> > >> > > > > and 
> > >> > > > > > I've found that the standard openwrt image is 50MB
> > but 
> > >being 
> > >> > > > > these 
> > >> > > > > > always bin files I've never been able to expand their 
> > >> > > partitions 
> > >> > > > > > before flashing them. 
> > >> > > > > > I've also tried installing stock owrt following
> > metamesh's 
> > >> > > > > directives 
> > >> > > > > > from a link in the last email but although I could
> > install 
> > >> > > it 
> > >> > > > > > [through the super complex procedure listed above] on
> > both 
> > >> > > > > devices I 
> > >> > > > > > still got 98% of storage space used and couldn't get
> > all 
> > >> > > > > packages 
> > >> > > > > > installed as per their tutorial! 
> > >> > > > > > I really don't understand how this is happening given
> > that 
> > >> > > > > except 
> > >> > > > > > from the possible firmware locks introduced recently
> > I'm 
> > >> > > > > basically 
> > >> > > > > > getting extremely common deviceS in the mesh world
> > and 
> > >> > > installing 
> > >> > > > > cw 
> > >> > > > > > or even stock openwrt onto them. I'd really like to
> > know 
> > >> > > what 
> > >> > > > > I'm 
> > >> > > > > > doing wrong. I've seen your new thread about this
> > ubiquiti 
> > >> > > issue 
> > >> > > > > but 
> > >> > > > > > I don't understand how I could even try using other
> > routers 
> > >> > > on 
> > >> > > > > the cw 
> > >> > > > > > download page if they're not weather proof. Apart from
> > the 
> > >> > > fact 
> > >> > > > > of 
> > >> > > > > > course that I risk getting even more devices that will
> > end 
> > >> > > up 
> > >> > > > > bricked 
> > >> > > > > > or not fully functional after all of the money I've
> > already 
> > >> > > > > spent. 
> > >> > > > > > Should I try with unifi AC AP pros? Are they supported
> > by 
> > >> > > cw? 
> > >> > > > > > I really want and need to start this project. It'll be
> > a 
> > >> > > very 
> > >> > > > > > profound achievement I think and there are already
> > tens of 
> > >> > > > > people 
> > >> > > > > > with more every day asking me when it'll be online and
> > I 
> > >> > > cannot 
> > >> > > > > > accept that it's not working or even worse that I'm
> > so 
> > >close 
> > >> > > such 
> > >> > > > > as 
> > >> > > > > > having it only work until a reboot or a power loss
> > related 
> > >> > > hard 
> > >> > > > > > reboot. 
> > >> > > > > > I will happily reward any dev or specialist at cw or
> > in 
> > >> > > this 
> > >> > > > > > community with a 100€ bounty / donation if this can
> > help 
> > >[all 
> > >> > > I 
> > >> > > > > can 
> > >> > > > > > afford right now] that will be able to help me get
> > online 
> > >by 
> > >> > > any 
> > >> > > > > mean 
> > >> > > > > > in a timely fashion and in a cost effective way, with
> > more 
> > >> > > small 
> > >> > > > > > donations to the project every month in the future
> > from the 
> > >> > > tip 
> > >> > > > > jar 
> > >> > > > > > we'll establish here on location. 
> > >> > > > > > This has to happen now :) 
> > >> > > > > > Thanks in advance and truly sincere kudos for the
> > amazing 
> > >> > > work 
> > >> > > > > on 
> > >> > > > > > this fantastic project. I really appreciate all of
> > your 
> > >help 
> > >> > > on 
> > >> > > > > this 
> > >> > > > > > as well of course and I definitely look forward to
> > working 
> > >> > > with 
> > >> > > > > you. 
> > >> > > > > > Thanks again! 
> > >> > > > > > 
> > >> > > > > > Nicolas 
> > >> > > > _______________________________________________ 
> > >> > > > Commotion-discuss mailing list 
> > >> > > > Commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net 
> > >> > > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/commotion-disc
> > uss 
> > >> > > -- 
> > >> > > Josh King 
> > >> > > PGP Fingerprint: 8269 ED6F EA3B 7D78 F074 1E99 2FDA 4DA1
> > 69AE 
> > >4999 
> > >> -- 
> > >> Josh King 
> > >> PGP Fingerprint: 8269 ED6F EA3B 7D78 F074 1E99 2FDA 4DA1 69AE
> > 4999 
> > >> 
> > >> _______________________________________________ 
> > >> 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 
> > Sent from a tiny computer. Please excuse brevity, typos. 
> _______________________________________________
> 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

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