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--- advanced_scenarios [2023/09/25 00:13] – [Scenario 3: Mixed Dual WAN (Ethernet and WiFi)] hogwild
+++ advanced_scenarios [2026/02/28 21:05] (current) – [Advanced Scenarios Notes] -Change Head to "Notes and Troubleshooting" hogwild
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Advanced Scenarios ======
-===== Advanced Wireless only Operations =====
+===== Advanced Wireless-Only Operations =====
 In most cases, a traditional consumer router works best in only one scenario. It connects your wired/wireless LAN clients to an Internet provider via a single physical WAN port on the router. In FreshTomato, this concept has been abstracted. Each physical or wireless router interface can be customized to work as WAN or LAN interface. This allows for some creative scenarios. Let's discuss some common examples.
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Wireless Client Mode can run on three types of devices:  \\   \\
-  - //Single band//: These are usually low-end devices. You can connect to a remote AP, and FreshTomato \\  will get an "external" IP address on the WAN interface (wl0 most likely). The router itself and its wired clients \\ will use this as a gateway to the Internet. \\  \\
+  - SINGLE BAND: These are usually low-end devices. You can connect to a remote AP, and FreshTomato \\  will get an "external" IP address on the WAN interface (wl0 most likely). The router itself and its wired clients \\ will use this as a gateway to the Internet. \\  \\
-  - //Dual-band//: Similar to above, but you have a secondary wireless chipset (probably "wl1"). \\ This secondary interface can be set to operate in a different mode, such AP or WPS mode. \\ Another potential scenario for dual-band devices is to have both wl0 and wl1 working in  \\ Wireless Client Mode, \\ and use the MultiWAN function to allow the router/AP to perform either load sharing \\ or active failover functions.\\  \\
+  - DUAL-BAND: Similar to above, but you have a secondary wireless chipset (probably "wl1"). \\ This secondary interface can be set to operate in a different mode, such AP or WPS mode. \\ Another potential scenario for dual-band devices is to have both wl0 and wl1 working in  \\ Wireless Client Mode, \\ and use the MultiWAN function to allow the router/AP to perform either load sharing \\ or active failover functions.\\  \\
-  - //Tri-band//: With these models, you have the flexibility of a third WiFi chipset to to use as you like, \\ in various combinations of operational modes.
+  - TRI-BAND: With these models, you have the flexibility of a third WiFi chipset to to use as you like, \\ in various combinations of operational modes.
  \\
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 Generally, a 2.4 GHz signal will travel further, so you should use that band to connect at longer distances. If your device is tri-band, ensure the two 5 GHz interfaces (regardless of the operating mode they're in) work on a non-overlapping frequency (channel). In this mode, your router will connect to the external WiFi and serve you an SSID. You wil connect to that SSID from within the property.
  \\
+ \\
 The Solution:
@@ Line 61: / Line 62: @@
  \\
-However, this is not always possible. Both Wireless Ethernet Bridge and Media Bridge modes allow you to extend the LAN from one building to another. However, if you have a large number of clients, and end-to-end LAN connectivity isn't a prerequisite, you might want to use Wireless Client mode. Doing so will stop broadcast packets, from crossing the WiFi link, or at least reduce them to a minimum. Of course, intra-LAN communication over the single wireless link is limited in capacity, but works well enough for low-bandwidth traffic. Setting the two wireless LANs to the same SSID usename/password will allows clients to roam freely between buildings, retaining WiFi connectivity at both sites.
+However, this is not always possible. Both Wireless Ethernet Bridge and Media Bridge modes allow you to extend the LAN from one building to another.
- \\
+If you have a large number of clients, and end-to-end LAN connectivity isn't a prerequisite, you might consider using Wireless Client mode. Doing so will stop broadcast packets from crossing the WiFi link, or at least reduce them to a minimum. Of course, intra-LAN (within the LAN) communication over that one wireless link will have limited capacity, but it will work well enough for low-bandwidth traffic. Setting the two wireless LANs to the same SSID username/password will allows clients to roam freely between buildings, retaining WiFi connectivity at both sites.
+ \\
+ \\
 The Solution:
@@ Line 84: / Line 88: @@
  \\ {{:pasted:20220215-171426.png}}
+ \\
-==== Scenario 4 ====
-**Pure WiFi DualWAN**
-This is a Dual WAN Wireless Client Mode scenario. Say for example you have a Dual/Tri-band router and have access to two different WiFi Services (say public, stree-based Wifi and a generous neighbour). You could configure wl0 as a wireless client for the public Internet and wl1 as a wireless client towards your neighbour's network. Then, if you have a Dual band model, you're left only with physical connectivity for your LAN.  However, if you had a Tri-band model, you'd still have room to create a local SSID. Remember that Dual band models always have one 2.4GHz interface and one 5GHz interface. Tri-band models always have one 2.4GHz interface and two 5GHz interfaces. Consider this carefully during your planning, as some devices are likely to be 2.4GHz only. Another possible option is to add a second local device (FreshTomato or otherwise) to handle LAN WiFi.
+==== Scenario 4: Pure WiFi Dual WAN ====
-Solution:\\
+ \\
-{{:pasted:20220215-171344.png}}
-==== Scenario 5 ====
-**WiFi6 integration**
-WiFi 6 is a superior technology not currently supported by FreshTomato due to driver/kernel restrictions. If you need to cover a large estate (for example, with repeaters), it is advised to buy external WiFi 6 mesh equipment to handle LAN WiFi connectivity only and let FreshTomato with WiFi disabled perform all gateway (to the Internet) operations. if you will require functions like Guest WLANs or any sort of LAN separation, make certain that the WiFi 6 mesh system you select supports VLANs.
+This is a Dual WAN Wireless Client mode scenario. Say, for example you have a Dual/Tri-band router and have access to two different WiFi Services (say street-based Wifi and a generous neighbour). You could configure wl0 as a wireless client for the public Internet and wl1 as a wireless client towards your neighbour's network. Then, if you have a Dual band model, you're left only with physical connectivity for your LAN.  However, if you had a Tri-band model, you'd still have room to create a local SSID. Remember that Dual band models always have one 2.4GHz interface and one 5GHz interface. Tri-band models always have one 2.4GHz interface and two 5GHz interfaces. Consider this carefully during your planning, as some devices are likely to be 2.4GHz only. Another option would be to add a second local device (FreshTomato or otherwise) to handle LAN WiFi.
-Solution:\\
+ \\
-{{:pasted:20220215-102621.png}}
+The Solution:
+ \\ {{:pasted:20220215-171344.png}}
+ \\
+==== Scenario 5: WiFi6 Integration ====
+ \\
+WiFi 6 is a superior technology, but is not currently supported by FreshTomato due to driver/kernel restrictions. If you need to cover a large area (say, with repeaters), it is best to get external WiFi 6 mesh equipment to handle LAN-only WiFi and let FreshTomato perform all gateway operations (to the Internet) with WiFi disabled. If you require Guest WLANs or any sort of LAN separation, ensure the WiFi 6 mesh system you select supports VLANs.
+ \\
+The Solution:
+ \\ {{:pasted:20220215-102621.png}}
+ \\
-===== Advanced Scenarios Notes =====
+===== Advanced Scenarios Notes and Troubleshooting =====
-WDS is a relatively old protocol to establish direct wireless connectivity between APs where the usage of a physical calble is not possible. As of 2022, using WDS is not recommended however it cans still help in some peculiar scenarios. WDS also is vendor-dependent and might not benefit from the full intra-device airtime bandwidth. Also please remember that currently trunking over WDS is not supported, this means that to extend a SSID/VLAN from AP1 to AP2 would work only for e.g. br0. If you were to extend the secondary SSID/VLAN you would need to use a secondary radio (e.g. 5GHz). So 1 WDS link = 1 VLAN (max).
+  * WDS is a relatively old protocol to establish direct wireless connectivity between APs where the usage of a physical cable isn't possible. While the use of WDS is unrecommended since 2022, WDS can still be helpful in certain, less common scenarios.
+  * WDS is vendor-dependent, and might not benefit from the full intra-device airtime bandwidth.
+  * Finally, remember that currently, trunking over WDS is not supported. Thus, to extend an SSID/VLAN from AP1 to AP2 would work only for one bridge (such as "br0"). If you wanted to extend the secondary SSID/VLAN, you would need to use a secondary radio (such as 5GHz interface). \\ In other words, 1 WDS link = 1 VLAN (max).

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