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Does AREDN mesh alter OpenWRT's port mapping configuration

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KE0RSX
KE0RSX's picture
Does AREDN mesh alter OpenWRT's port mapping configuration
Hi, everyone,

The topic isn't very clear, so let me try to expand on it a little. On some devices, we have two network ports, and on others only one. In the case of devices with two ports, OpenWRT creates a mapping (VLAN Tagging, if you will) for which port is the WAN (untagged) and which ones are the LAN (tagged). Does our code alter that mapping anywhere? And if so, where is that mapping changed in the code? 

My reasoning is, I have the TP-Link WBS210 devices, which we added to the project last year. I want to make sure that the mapping is correct, so they can be used as a bridge between the mesh and an outside network (for tunneling and other aspects). Ultimately, my goal is to create a meshed private  AllstarLink network and use the WBS as the gateway to the AllstarLink system as a whole. This ties into my Internet Connections question under Deployment, in that the WBS210's have two ports, so I want to make sure they are treating the ports like the Mikrotik hAP does (Port 0 as WAN, and Port 1 as LAN).

I'm trying to ask the question in as generic a fashion as I can so that someone else can come in with device-X and know where to look for the mapping information as well. But, ultimately, this is also part of trying to make sure the WBS-series devices work to their fullest extent on AREDN and aren't just "there".

Thank you, and have a great day. :)
Patrick.
AA7AU
AA7AU's picture
Tried using a Pi?

I'm using a Raspberry PI to "bridge" AllStar traffic onto my mesh island. I installed HamVoip on a Pi3B and configured the "public" Allstar node# thru my eth0 (ethernet connector) which ties into the internet (with proper port forwarding for incoming traffic) and my "base" private Allstar node# (in the 1xxx range) defined thru my eth1 connection. The eth1 connection is a USB2-to-ethernet dongle connected to my mesh (some config required).

To effect the "bridge" of *only* Allstar traffic acrros, I simply "connect" those two Allstar nodes "inside" the Pi using Supermon (HamVoip) on the Pi which is then optionally available across the mesh but not out to the interwebs.

This should save the worry of anything other than AllStar traffic transitting that bridge onto my mesh.

Works great, other than the hassle of having to hard-code the IP address in the HamVoip configuration files on all private nodes.

HTH,
- Don - AA7AU

KE0RSX
KE0RSX's picture
Interesting
That's pretty much what I plan on doing. I wonder though, if Allstar couldn't be a service that the mesh advertises, so you won't have to hard-code the IP address. Right now, my main concern is that I have two ports (labeled LAN0/PoE and LAN1) and I need to make sure that LAN0/PoE can be configured as the WAN port without needing a smart switch.

Have a great night. :) When I get to the point where I'm putting nodes up, I'll probably be hitting you up for help. :)
Patrick.
AA7AU
AA7AU's picture
AllStar transits

Four things for the way I'm doing it - I run private nodes over the mesh with one "public" node on that Pi I mentioned:
First, *public* AllStar nodes are "found" by a DNS-type lookup thru AllStarLink and/or Hamvoip which transates the desired node#-to-IP lookup over the internet; *private* nodes must have hard-coded node#-to-IP lookup defnined in both nodes which connect (they need to "find" each other from either end). And, to bridge from the public-to-the-private is accomplished by "linking" the public and private node together (thru the Pi), just like any other AllStar connection.
Second, you only need to plug in that PI just like a camera or any other device using your eth1 connection. The internet connection is done over the eth0.
Third, there is no way I know of where you can "dial" from public to private and there is no way to connect private to public for real-time public node selection unless you do a lot more networking, and I'm not sure if that's even possible or desirable. I use Supermon and conect the public node where I want, bridge public to private in the PI, and then connect another private node over the mesh to bridge to the outside connection. Connecting private-to-private is just as easy as connecting public node *as long as* the IPs are pre-defined in the config files.
Fourth, your Pi is just another device on your mesh (using the eth1 connect), no need for fancy networking, it finds the internet (for itself only) over the eth0 connection.

HTH,
- Don - AA7AU
 

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