Wireless

Wireless configuration in the web interface:

LuCi / Network / Wireless

Wireless configuration files:

/etc/config/wireless

WiFi Device Configuration

The Device Configuration section covers physical settings of the radio hardware such as channel, transmit power or antenna selection which are shared among all defined wireless networks (if the radio hardware is multi-SSID capable).

The available options are highly dependent of the wireless hardware the router has built in and the operating systems device driver.

2.4 GHz Radio

General Setup:

Operating Frequency:

Mode

802.11n

Channel

auto

Width:

20 MHz

Transmit Power:

auto

Advanced Settings:

Country Code:

CH - Switzerland

Allow legacy 802.11b rates

No

Distance Optimization

15 meters

Fragmentation Threshold

RTS/CTS Threshold

Force 40MHz mode

Beacon Interval

5 GHz Radio

General Setup:

Operating Frequency

Mode

802.11n

Channel

auto

Width

40 MHz

Transmit Power

auto

Advanced Settings:

Country Code

CH - Switzerland

Allow legacy 802.11b rates

No

Distance Optimization

10 meters

Fragmentation Threshold

RTS/CTS Threshold

Force 40MHz mode

Beacon Interval

WiFi Interface Configuration

Per network settings like encryption and mode of operation are grouped in the Interface Configuration.

Wireless Security Recommendations

To get highest possible wireless network security, as of August 2018 the following is recommended:

  1. Use WPA2-PSK as encryption standard. Don’t use WPA or WEP or any mixed mode.

  2. Use CCMP as cipher. Don’t use TKIP.

  3. Create your own unique wireless network name (SSID). Don’t use common or often used names, provider names, your own name, etc. The network name will be used as Salt to hash your wireless password.

  4. Create a long wireless password (max. 63 characters) with diceware.

  5. 802.11w Management Frame Protection will probably not work with all devices. Try to set it to “Mandatory”. If some clients fail to connect, set it back to “Optional”.

  6. Enable WPS push button, if your router is in a secure location, without physical access from strangers.

example.net

General Setup:

Mode

Access Point

ESSID

example.net

Network

lan

Hide ESSID

No

WMM Mode

Yes

Wireless Security:

Encryption

WPA2-PSK

Cipher

Force CCMP (AES)

Key

********

802.11r Fast Transition

No

802.11w Management Frame Protection

Optional

802.11w maximum timeout

802.11w retry timeout

Enable key reinstallation (KRACK) countermeasures

Yes

Enable WPS pushbutton, requires WPA(2)-PSK

Yes

MAC Filter:

MAC-Address Filter

Disable

Advanced Settings:

Isolate Clients

No

Interface Name

Short Preamble

Yes

DTIM Interval

Disassociate On Low Acknowledgment

Yes

WNDR3700 & WNDR3800 Wireless Chipsets

NETGEAR WNDR3800 routers use Atheros AR9220 (for 5 GHz) and Atheros AR9223 (for 2.4 GHz) wireless chips.

OpenWRT interfaces with these chips using the ath9k Linux wireless driver .

Atheros AR9220/AR9223 Features:

  • Supports spatial multiplexing, cyclic-delay diversity (CDD), and maximal ratio combining (MRC)

  • BPSK, QPSK, 16 QAM, 64 QAM, DBPSK, DQPSK, and CCK modulation schemes

  • Data rates of up to 130 Mbps for 20 MHz channels and 300 Mbps for 40 MHz channels

  • Wireless multimedia enhancements quality of service support (QoS)

  • 802.11e-compatible bursting

  • Support for IEEE 802.11e, h, and i standards

  • WEP, TKIP, and AES hardware encryption

  • 20 and 40 MHz channelization

  • 32-bit 0–33 and 66-MHz PCI 2.3 interface

  • Reduced (short) guard interval

  • Frame aggregation

  • Block ACK

  • IEEE 1149.1 standard test access port and boundary scan architecture supported

  • 337-pin, 12 mm x 12 mm BGA package

Atheros AR9220 Features:

  • Dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is supported in 5-GHz bands

  • All-CMOS MIMO solution inter-operable with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n WLANs

  • 2x2 MIMO technology improves effective throughput and range over existing 802.11a/b/g products

  • 2.4/5 GHz WLAN MAC/BB processing

Atheros AR9223 Features:

  • All-CMOS MIMO solution inter-operable with IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLANs

  • 2x2 MIMO technology improves effective throughput and range over existing 802.11b/g products

  • 2.4 GHz WLAN MAC/BB processing

ath9k Modes of operation:

  • Station

  • AP

  • IBSS

  • Monitor

  • Mesh point

  • WDS

  • P2P GO/CLIENT

ath9k Features:

  • 802.11abg

  • 802.11n

    • HT20

    • HT40

    • AMPDU

    • Short GI (Both 20 and 40 MHz)

    • LDPC

    • TX/RX STBC

  • 802.11i

    • WEP 64 / 127

    • WPA1 / WPA2

  • 802.11d

  • 802.11h

  • 802.11w/D7.0

  • WPS

  • WMM

  • LED

  • RFKILL

  • BT co-existence

  • AHB and PCI bus

  • TDLS

  • WoW

  • Antenna Diversity

References