APF/OPOS as Wi-Fi Access Point

Note: Following instructions have only be tested on APF6 and OPOS6UL/OPOS6UL_NANO

Installation

• You will need hostapd (installed by default on APF6 & OPOS6UL/OPOS6UL_NANO). If not installed:

$ make menuconfig

Target packages  --->
    Networking applications  --->
        [*] hostapd
        [ ]   Enable EAP
        [ ]   Enable WPS

• then, reflash your rootfs or rsync it, if your board has SSH access through Ethernet port.

Configuration

• Bring up your Wi-Fi interface and give it an address (here 192.168.2.1):

# ifconfig wlan0 up 192.168.2.1 netmask 255.255.255.0

• Create /etc/hostapd/ directory and put it this hostapd.conf configuration file:

# mkdir -p /etc/hostapd/

# cat > /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf <<EOF
interface=wlan0
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
ssid=OPOSSOM
hw_mode=g
channel=6
#auth_algs=1
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=YOUHOULESBILOUS
EOF

• here we used fixed channel (6) (as some drivers can't allow hostapd to find less occupied channel through scanning)
• security is WPA2-PSK. To have "Open" Access Point uncomment #auth_algs=1 and comment 3 wpa lines

• Launch hostapd:

# hostapd -B /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

• If the devices connecting to your Access Point require dynamic IP address allocation, you will need to install a DHCP server on your APF/OPOS too.

AP+STA mode

• It is also possible to configure your module to act as a Wi-Fi client/station (STA), and in the same time offer AP (Access Point) services.
• For this you have to create virtual network interface (here uap0) and use it instead of wlan0 for AP stuff configuration (hostapd and dnsmasq):

# iw dev wlan0 interface add uap0 type __ap

# ifconfig uap0 192.168.10.1

• So after this you have:
  • a Wi-Fi interface wlan0 for station(STA)/client mode usable with for example WPA supplicant
  • and a Wi-Fi interface uap0 for access point(AP) mode, usable with previous instructions on this page.

Links

• https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Hostapd