[Expo-tech] Tattyhut Network: RIP

[Charlie]

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Hi Wookey,

In my experience, open firmware (such as OpenWRT) is good only really for non-WiFi routers - the firmware blobs to drive the antennae is often very well guarded and the open implementations fall significantly short.

If you want something that runs good firmware but gives you access to all the bells and whistles, look at MikroTik routers - their OOB software is very customisable and I wouldnt be surprised if you could run custok scripts on them - you can certainly manage them via SSH etc.

However, the point of a SIM-card router was to remove the need for a connection to the gasthof at all - data being so cheap these days it would be a very painless solution.

Charlie



\-------- Original Message --------
On Aug 6, 2023, 12:41, Wookey < wookey at wookware.org> wrote:

>
> On 2023-08-06 10:41 +0000, Charlie wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA512 > > Good morning nerds, > > The TCLAspire3 Netbook currently used to bridge the Gasthof WiFi with the tattyhut network is pretty much entirely dead. It requires a manual \`fsck\` to boot at all, That's unfortunate. It's done a decade so not too bad I suppose. > and the network configuration often repeatedly solicits new DHCP leases until it claims ownership of the entire 192.168.2.0/24 network as secondary addresses. That could presumably be fixed? > Rebooting it requires a nerd to stand on a stool in the tattyhut for fifteen minutes... You could move it... > I propose the following specification for its replacement: > - An all-in-one router > - i.e. integrated WAP and LAN switch > - With a SIM card slot and 4G LTE compatibility > - A SIM Card with PAYG data - Three will do unlimited data for one month at £35.00 > - https://www.three.co.uk/pay-as-you-go/payg-data-packs > - External antennae > - Better reception and ability to upgrade them to improve RSSI if needed. That seems a reasonable plan. I did look for something that had that spec (without the SIM slot) but failed to immediately find anything that also ran an open OS. We need that because we need to run the gasthof connection script to bring up the external aerial interface, and this isn't necessarily something the standard firmware will let you do. > The following router comes up as the cheapest matching this spec on RS Components: > https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/routers/2558431?gb=b Does this run OpenWRT? We do have a backup 4G network gadget in the red networking laptop bag, so if things really are knackered it might be possible to put a SIM in that and use it instead of the gasthof. It's in the bag for exactly a case like this. The router config would have to be changed to point at it instead of the netbook. > Other routers (and PAYG data SIMs) are, of course available. But I would suggest that at least a router with integrated 4-port ethernet LAN switch would be wise - cheaper ones often have a single ethernet LAN port or none at all. I would also advise to steer clear of NetGear. Trusted brands: D-Link, TP-Link, Ubiquiti, MikroTik. > > Authority to speak on this subject comes from professional experience as a network test engineer. > > Thank you for your time. > > Charlie > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: ProtonMail > > wnUEARYKACcFgmTPeNAJkOfep1Eq28YuFiEEUp8SqAwZyGDMvxT/596nUSrb > xi4AANcWAQCjJhbbWiYr8MvkThk9uYu91vkoC6Ehgw0oJOSxZ2R75gEAtq1Z > VZ4Vnx+NDRDSNA8nU0v+h5vCXzC3u8VawL+rmA8= > =KP62 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- pub EdDSA 256/2ADBC62E 2022-04-22 tca at xle.sh  > sub ECDH 256/D1A88FC3 2022-04-22 > > \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ > Expo-tech mailing list > Expo-tech at lists.wookware.org > https://lists.wookware.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/expo-tech Wookey -- Principal hats: Debian, Wookware, ARM http://wookware.org/
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