Hello all,
I have an idea for a portable WAN node, but wanted to ask what the general opinion would be regarding a WAN connection on AREDN.
What my idea was is using a 4G modem, whether USB (connected to a GL-inet node?) or a 4g/ethernet modem (particularly thinking of the Netgear LB1120/1121) & putting the modem in bridge mode (thereby giving the AREDN node the "Public IP"). My question/concern about this is whether the firewall on the WAN side is secure/strong enough for a publicly addressable/accessible connection? This would be the equivalent in putting the mesh node in a DMZ or whatever.
The main reason I was thinking of this was to prevent having to forward any ports or deal with an extra (unneeded?) firewall/DHCP server/NAT that the modem would provide normally.
My use case was for a WAN go kit which could be used to offload data to the internet (if available). The same kit could also be used to provide internet at remote repeater sites.
I guess this would also beg the question... would a node, say a GL-Inet AR750, support a USB 4G modem and use it as it's WAN? Or is there a device that has 4g that AREDN will run on?
And yes, I know I'll get a lot of replies related to "AREDN is not for distributing the internet"... "it's meant to be it's own network not dependent on the internet" and others. I get that. BELIEVE ME... I get that. I just also see it as a good option to have an internet connection, for instance, the repeater site for a club I'm a member of. That site is an RF island right now, but we would still like to utilize AREDN. So, we need to tunnel back to our hub/datacenter.
I have an idea for a portable WAN node, but wanted to ask what the general opinion would be regarding a WAN connection on AREDN.
What my idea was is using a 4G modem, whether USB (connected to a GL-inet node?) or a 4g/ethernet modem (particularly thinking of the Netgear LB1120/1121) & putting the modem in bridge mode (thereby giving the AREDN node the "Public IP"). My question/concern about this is whether the firewall on the WAN side is secure/strong enough for a publicly addressable/accessible connection? This would be the equivalent in putting the mesh node in a DMZ or whatever.
The main reason I was thinking of this was to prevent having to forward any ports or deal with an extra (unneeded?) firewall/DHCP server/NAT that the modem would provide normally.
My use case was for a WAN go kit which could be used to offload data to the internet (if available). The same kit could also be used to provide internet at remote repeater sites.
I guess this would also beg the question... would a node, say a GL-Inet AR750, support a USB 4G modem and use it as it's WAN? Or is there a device that has 4g that AREDN will run on?
And yes, I know I'll get a lot of replies related to "AREDN is not for distributing the internet"... "it's meant to be it's own network not dependent on the internet" and others. I get that. BELIEVE ME... I get that. I just also see it as a good option to have an internet connection, for instance, the repeater site for a club I'm a member of. That site is an RF island right now, but we would still like to utilize AREDN. So, we need to tunnel back to our hub/datacenter.
Jim W8ERW w8erw@arrl.bet