Hi Folks;
I currently have two Nanostation M2's, both with AREDN loads on them. I have NO idea what kind of M2's these are (XM, XW, Loco, other?).
One reports that the AREDN version is 3.16.1.1, the other shows 620-13a6afb. They do 'see' each other on the mesh status page, though one is by the node name and the other only by IP address. I can connect from one to the other and see each others' status page so they're communicating on some level. I haven't yet tried to transfer any data between them (IP cam, et al).
Question - best to leave well enough alone and leave their respective AREDN loads as they are, or "upgrade" to the latest? In poking around the AREDN forum archives I don't see how one identifies one M2 from another once the OEM AirOS has been replaced. I noted in the supported platform matrix there are a number of M2's shown as "Low memory or non-MIMO device" so that's a flag to me to proceed with caution. Not being able to positively identify what I have, I am reluctant to just "try" something at the risk of bricking what might be a perfectly functioning unit (just for an isolated mesh network, not a wide-area field deployment). Any way to find out what M2's I have and compatibility with the latest AREDN version? If it helps, I have no intention of installing any applications such as chat, these will be "stock" nodes.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it?
Sun, 09/04/2022 - 13:10
#1
If it ain't broke, don't fix it?
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Parts of the OpenWRT, that AREDN is based on, was broken.
Fixes were part of the production releases of OpenWRT, and thus, AREDN.
"I have NO idea what kind of M2's these are"
http://localnode.local.mesh/cgi-bin/sysinfo
Would be an easy way to begin to find out about your device.
Perhaps sharing your Download Support Data file would assist numerous helpers, here on this forum,
to determine your model.
There has been much discussion in this forum about the fixes and features updated in the last 6 years.
73, Chuck
I'm not familiar with that function but it worked on both my nodes, so here goes:
Here's the one with AREDN 3.16.1.1:
node: K5LXP-108-231-7
model: Ubiquiti Nanostation M
eth0 68:72:51:6D:E7:07
eth0.1 68:72:51:6D:E7:07
eth0.2 68:72:51:6D:E7:07
eth1 6A:72:51:6D:E7:07
wlan0 68:72:51:6C:E7:07
wlan0-1 68-72-51-6C-E7-07-00-44-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
/proc/cpuinfo
system type : Atheros AR7241 rev 1
machine : Ubiquiti Nanostation M
processor : 0
cpu model : MIPS 24Kc V7.4
BogoMIPS : 259.27
wait instruction : yes
microsecond timers : yes
tlb_entries : 16
extra interrupt vector : yes
hardware watchpoint : yes, count: 4, address/irw mask: [0x0000, 0x03f8, 0x0778, 0x0c78]
isa : mips1 mips2 mips32r1 mips32r2
ASEs implemented : mips16
shadow register sets : 1
kscratch registers : 0
core : 0
VCED exceptions : not available
VCEI exceptions : not available
nvram
hsmmmesh.settings=settings
hsmmmesh.settings.wifimac=68:72:51:6c:e7:07
hsmmmesh.settings.mac2=108.231.7
hsmmmesh.settings.dtdmac=109.231.7
hsmmmesh.settings.config=mesh
hsmmmesh.settings.node=K5LXP-108-231-7
Here's the one with AREDN 620-13a6afb:
node: K5LXP-22-248-64
model: NanoStation M2
br-dtdlink 68:72:51:17:F8:40
br-lan 68:72:51:17:F8:40
br-wan 68:72:51:17:F8:40
eth0 68:72:51:17:F8:40
eth0.1 68:72:51:17:F8:40
eth0.2 68:72:51:17:F8:40
eth1 6A:72:51:17:F8:40
eth1.1 6A:72:51:17:F8:40
eth1.2 6A:72:51:17:F8:40
tunl0 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
wlan0 68:72:51:16:F8:40
wlan0-1 6A-72-51-16-F8-40-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
/proc/cpuinfo
system type : Atheros AR7241 rev 1
machine : Ubiquiti Nanostation M
processor : 0
cpu model : MIPS 24Kc V7.4
BogoMIPS : 259.27
wait instruction : yes
microsecond timers : yes
tlb_entries : 16
extra interrupt vector : yes
hardware watchpoint : yes, count: 4, address/irw mask: [0x0ffc, 0x0ffc, 0x0ffb, 0x0ffb]
isa : mips1 mips2 mips32r1 mips32r2
ASEs implemented : mips16
shadow register sets : 1
kscratch registers : 0
package : 0
core : 0
VCED exceptions : not available
VCEI exceptions : not available
nvram
hsmmmesh.settings=settings
hsmmmesh.settings.wifimac='68:72:51:16:f8:40'
hsmmmesh.settings.mac2='22.248.64'
hsmmmesh.settings.dtdmac='23.248.64'
hsmmmesh.settings.node='K5LXP-22-248-64'
hsmmmesh.settings.config='mesh'
I see one has more ethernet interfaces than the other, but I don't know enough about either the hardware or software to discern much other than the "systems" are the same. There is no question there would be some number of fixes in the time that's passed since these were first deployed. The second one has been working OK for what I'm doing, but would update both if the current load supports them.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
Hi, Mark:
On the device with AREDN 620-13a6afb:
On the Administration page...
Does the " Hardware Type" indicate 'XM' or 'XW' ?
(http://localnode.local.mesh/cgi-bin/admin)
"one has more ethernet interfaces than the other"
worries me. Let us see if there are others familiar with the old Nanostations.
73, Chuck
This is what is displayed in the Administration tab:
current version: 620-13a6afb
hardware type: ubnt (nanostation-m)
So does a -m mean XM?
Ethernet interface: That's what I'm calling the list of eth(n) entries in the sysinfo file. Guessing eth0 and eth1 are the two physical ports and the dotted entries are virtual. There are more entries in the 620-13a6afb unit - br-dtdlink, br-lan, br-wan, tunl0, wlan1, wlan1. Guessing those might be additions with a later version of AREDN. I've never used tunneling or any of the more current mesh features. Just standalone stock nodes or some advertised services (IP cam or phone), so I've never paid much attention to the setup or use of those interfaces.
Note the amount of "guessing". To avid AREDN users some of this stuff is SOP but I've only been watching from the sidelines. While the topic of updates is being discussed I have and use a half dozen WRT54 BBHN nodes with the AREDN Nanostation, and I'm leery of updating the Nanostation(s) if it would sever compatibility with those. Maybe someone knows if the current AREDN is still interoperable with BBHN or what the latest compatible version would be. I totally get BBHN/WRT54's are yesterday's news but the silly things work perfectly for the setup I have. I would have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of current gear to achieve the same functionality, so am limping this stuff along to avoid that.
Need to mention too, thanks for replying to my post. I know helping the kids in the dumb class isn't the most glamorous thing and I appreciate you helping me out.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
I set up my BBHN network with an IP cam and both AREDN nanostations work perfectly. So my motivation level to install the latest build is somewhat diminished but I'm entertaining installing it on one of them to try it. Since I only use one nanostation I'd leave one as-is until the other is tested OK. I see in the build archive it goes back to 3.15.1.0 which is previous to my 3.16.1.1 but what version is my 620-13a6afb? That version doesn't seem to match the AREDN naming convention. Thinking I'd update the older one but I'm not sure which one is.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
I will offer a guess that release was a 'Nightly Build' circa 2018.
Nightly Builds have a sequential number and the numbering was reset around 1/1/2021 +/- a few months.
The current Nightly is this morning's '1700' series.
The Nightly Builds usually bump up by 7 with each new release.
Each Nightly Build obsoletes all previous builds.
If you are going to install a Nightly Build, check for a current one after 1000Z the day of install.
73, Chuck