​How to Unbrick a TP-Link Node

Thanks to Joe AE6XE for the Linux instructions
 

Using Linux or Unix

The TP-Link devices are a bit more complicated to recover than Ubiquiti.    It takes a little Unix command line knowledge.   The process is similar to the Mikrotik process:

1. Create a directory on your linux laptop /tftp and copy from the vendor support site the appropriate tp-link recovery .bin image for this device.
   
   Download the latest firmware version for your device from tp-link.com Download Center.  This file will be compressed so an unzip tools such as WinZIP or WinRAR will be needed to extract the firmware file to a folder.

2. Rename this image to recovery.bin

3. Set the laptop to static IP address 192.168.0.100

4. Become root to execute the dnsmasq command in step 5

5. a) Figure out what your network card interface name  is with an 'ifconfig'  ('ipconfig' on windows.)   
   b) This is the interface you set to 192.168.0.100. 
   c) Replace the name of the interface in the following command...

TFTP Firmware Installation

For Ubiquiti Devices

TFTP is trivial file transfer protocol.
When you successfully complete the installation, the login user is ”root” and the password is “hsmm”.

How To Install AREDN Firmware

Installation Instructions

Ubiquiti Devices
1. If you have an earlier version of AREDN firmware on this device, use the user interface (UI) on the Administration page under Setup. Use the correct sysupgrade file. NOTE: Ensure that your WAN type is set to DHCP and not static. Upgrading with a static type of WAN address will brick the node and require a TFTP upgrade.

2. If you are installing AREDN firmware on a new device, use the TFTP method to install AREDN firmware. Use the correct factory file. 

TP-Link Devices
1. If you have an earlier version of AREDN firmware on this device, use the user interface (UI) on the Administration page under Setup. Use the correct sysupgrade file.
2. If you are installing AREDN firmware on a new device, use the user interface (UI) from the PharOS (TP-Link firmware) setup page. Use the correct factory file. 

Mikrotik Devices
1. If you have an earlier version of AREDN firmware on this device, use the user interface (UI) on the Administration page under Setup. Use the correct sysupgrade file.
2. If you are installing ...

How To Use the AirRouter Ports

Here is a picture of how you can use the AirRouter or AirRouter HP ports.
​The lower power AriRouter is powered by a wall wart and barrel connector, while the higher power AirRouter HP is powered by the PoE injector.

​Please note that if you want to connect the AirRouter HP to the Internet, to to another network, you must:

1. Connect the PoE port of a PoE injector to the WAN port of the AirRouter. This supplies power to the AirRouter and enables connectivity to the other port (LAN) on the PoE injector.
2. ​Connect the LAN port on the PoE injector to your Internet or other network router.

​Please also note that Port 4 on the AirRouter is only used for Device-to-Device (DtD) connections to another AREDN node.


 

How To Add Pictures to Your Forum Posting

To insert pictures in your Forum posting -
Click on the picture symbol in the edit tools bar - this symbol is the 8th from the far right or the 12th symbol to the right of the word "Source" in the top tool bar.
That open up an Image Properties dialog box
Click on Browse Server
That opens up a File Browser window
Click on Upload at the top left in the File Browser window, then select the picture file on your computer that you want to insert.
After the picture file is uploaded, click Insert File. That will put the picture into your posting.
This returns you to the Image Properties dialog box where you need to do 2 more things:
Under Image Alignment, select Left
Under Image Size, select Danland Breakpoint group.
At this point you are finished inserting a picture into the posting.
 

Understanding VLAN's

All this talk about VLAN's!  What are they?  How do they work?  Wikipedia's definition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_LAN) is:

In computer networking, a single layer-2 network may be partitioned to create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated so that packets can only pass between them via one or more routers; such a domain is referred to as a virtual local area network, virtual LAN or VLAN.

This is usually achieved on switch or router devices. Simpler devices only support...

Use an Ubiquiti ToughSwitch to Remotely Control Power to a Raspberry Pi

I include a Raspberry Pi “utility” computer at each mountain-top site.  The challenge is… what happens if it locks up.  Traveling there to power-reset it can be really inconvenient.  So I got to wondering what it would take to use the existing ToughSwitch to power-control the Pi.  Here’s how I decided to approach it.

Sourcing the Pi power this way allows you to perform power control through the ToughSwitch management interface.  Using parts sourced from eBay, this comes in at around $8 including the CAT5 cables.  Shipping is extra, of course, but with a little shopping around you can likely get all of this delivered for $3 or $4.

The CAT5 coming in from the lower-left is from the ToughSwitch PoE Ethernet port.  It's connected to a passive PoE injector, working in reverse... becoming a PoE "extractor," then to a 2.1mm barrel jumper connected to the extractor's, now DC "output,"… the other end of which I’ve soldered to...

How To Use PuTTYGen to Make SSH Keys and Use Them on AREDN Nodes

This How To will show you a method for generating SSH key pairs on a Windows computer, saving them to a USB flash drive, installing the SSH key on an AREDN node and using the SSH keys with a PuTTY terminal session.

The use of Secure Shell (SSH) keys when using PuTTY or another SSH client is a useful aid to managing a group of AREDN nodes.

First, obtain the PuTTY suite of applications from the PuTTY Download Page and install them on your computer.

Second, obtain and prepare to use a text editor such as Notepad++ that does not insert unwanted characters and metadata into a text file.

Next, follow the steps below.

RF Path Planning with AirLink

Here is a quick 3.5 min video tutorial on using Ubiquiti's RF Path Planning tool.  This is a good resource for modeling different devices, antennas, antenna heights, and locations.  Best of all, it's absolutely free and easy to use!  Enjoy the video.

Configuring a Netgear GS105E Switch with LAN/WAN ports

Why?   The Ubiquiti devices, with the exception of the AirRouter, only have 1 network port.  A switch with basic “vlan” capability can be configured to have multiple ports and enable gateway (internet) access to your AREDN node.   These instructions show how to configure the GS105E unmanaged switch to have the following port configuration:

Port #             Usage 

1.             Ubiquiti Node
2.             LAN 1
3.             LAN 2
4.             LAN 3
5.             WAN

Step 1:  Follow the vendor’s instructions to install the configuration utility on your Windows computer on your home network.  Plug the GS105E port 5 into your home network.  Out of box, the GS105E will obtain an IP address from your home router.   You may wish to hold the factory reset button to restart from this step. 

I recommend assigning a static address to avoid consumption of LAN IP addresses from the hamnet node.  The ProSafe Plus Netgear...