Hamradio

The image is intended for users of Broadcom hardware (e.g. Linksys WRT54). We have to use Kernel 2.4 due to missing Kernel 2.6 wireless lan drivers.

The difference to the normal kamikaze 7.09 release is the applied 9a4gl-patch to solve some AX.25-related bugs of the kernel. The image also has the “kmod-ax25-dg8ngn” activated as a standard. Module “ax25” and “mkiss” are loaded on startup (see /etc/modules.d).

The difference to the normal kamikaze 7.09 “kmod-ax25” package is our own “kmod-ax25-dg8ngn”-package. See section “kmod-ax25-dg8ngn” for OpenWRT-Kamikaze 7.09 Kernel 2.4.

The last difference to the normal kamikaze 7.09 release is our “ipkg.conf” containing:

src dg8ngn-release http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/7.09/brcm-2.4/packages
src dg8ngn-packages http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/packages/mipsel

You can download the images here: http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/7.09/brcm-2.4

The difference to the normal kamikaze 7.09 “kmod-ax25” package (Kernel 2.4) is the content.

You can use our kmod-ax25-dg8ngn with the Original Kamikaze (not Whiterussian) Image. We don't recommend this due to the missing 9a4gl-patch. Use our image instead.

You can download the module using ipkg. Add this to your ipkg.conf:

src dg8ngn-release http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/7.09/brcm-2.4/packages

Say “ipkg update”, “ipkg install kmod-ax25-dg8ngn”.

Use “insmod <module>” to load a module and “dmesg” and “lsmod” to see if everything is working fine.

The difference to the normal kamikaze 7.09 “kmod-ax25” package (Kernel 2.6) is the content.

You can use our kmod-ax25-dg8ngn with the Original Kamikaze (not Whiterussian) Image.

Since “mkiss” has been modified on Kernel 2.6 it depends on “crc16”-module which will be autoloaded on startup (see /etc/modules.d).

You can download the module using ipkg. Add this to your ipkg.conf:

src dg8ngn-release http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/7.09/brcm47xx-2.6/packages

Say “ipkg update”, “ipkg install kmod-ax25-dg8ngn”.

Use “insmod <module>” to load a module and “dmesg” and “lsmod” to see if everything is working fine.

Same as above but for Atheros hardware (e.g. LaFonera)

You can download the module using ipkg. Add this to your ipkg.conf:

src dg8ngn-release http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/7.09/atheros-2.6/packages

To use our packages on your device just add this to your ipkg.conf:

src dg8ngn-packages http://db0fhn-i.ampr.org/openwrt/kamikaze/packages/mipsel

Say “ipkg update”.

• ax25-essentials / ax25-helpers (ax25-apps / ax25-tools)
• TheNetNode
• Xnet
• Wampes
• Digi_Ned
• Conversd-saupp
• Telpac-node

Requirements:

• Router recently flashed with Kamikaze 7.09 firmware (use my special image for broadcom hardware like the WRT54)
• Access to the router by telnet or ssh
• Router with serial connectors (recommended)

Aim:

• Building a wireless link to interconnect automatic working hamradio stations (e.g. Echolink/D-Star/ATV/Remote-TRX)
• Joining the global Packet Radio Network using Xnet AX.25 platform with connection to the core Nodes IGATE and IGATEB
• Joining the AMPR Network (44.x.x.x) with full AMPR-Routing using Xnet and the core Node IGATE
• Building an APRS gateway and digipeater using a TRX and a TNC connected to one serial device
• Building a POCSAG transmitter or/and a Packet Radio user access using one serial connection

Links:

• Have a look on the mainpage and jump to the configuration of DB0FHN ↔ DF0ANN

First of all you have to decide whether you want to use bridging or routing on the wireless routers. I recommend to use routing on your LAN with internet access and to use bridging on the LAN where your automatic working hamradio stations are located. Of course routing is more complex to setup but you can save a lot of unnecessary traffic on your wireless link and increase security. If your LAN is located at an university for example you don't want to have all the Layer-2 traffic on that link.

Another decision is the wireless mode of your link. I highly recommend to use WDS (Wireless Distribution System) for linking as this is no master/slave model and you define endpoints using the bssid addresses. You should prove whether you really need encryption for your link. I don't use any encryption due to these reasons:

• on some models the perfomance is decreased
• if you run your link outside the ISM-regulations but within amateur radio regulations, you have to use “open speech”
• simple netscanners like “netstumbler” don't find the WDS-link
• if some guys really found channel and ssid of your link, they need a device which can talk WDS (simple windows drivers don't)
• if some guys really found channel and ssid of your link and can talk WDS, they need to spoof the bssid of your endpoints and disable this endpoint (otherwise the link will not work any more due to two stations with the same bssid)
• if some guys really did that all, they have to use the right IP-address and IP-network settings to get into the network

Let us start with a normal home network. You already use a central router (internetrouter) for your internet connection with the IP-address 192.168.1.1 and network mask of 255.255.255.0. Now we want to add a wireless link from your home to the hill where the local repeater is already waiting for its internetconnection to be extended by Echolink.

As we want to use IP-Routing at home we have to define a new network for the hamradio stuff. Let us take 172.16.0.0/24 for it. The new wireless router at home (HOMEROUTER) needs an IP-address of the home LAN for the ethernet device, e.g. 192.168.1.44. Furthermore it needs another IP-address of the hamradio network on its wireless device, e.g. 172.16.0.254. The router on the hill (HAMROUTER) uses bridging and use just one IP-address of the hamradio network, e.g. 172.16.0.253 for the wireless and the ethernet device.

First we login to the HOMEROUTER using telnet or ssh. We remove some links to scripts we don't need:

rm /etc/rc.d/S45firewall     # We write our own firewall
rm /etc/rc.d/S50httpd        # We don't need a webserver
rm /etc/rc.d/S50telnet       # We use ssh to access the router
rm /etc/rc.d/S60dnsmasq      # We use static IP-addresses

We edit the network settings: vi /etc/config/network (changes to originalfile)

#### LAN configuration
config interface lan
        option ifname   "eth0.0"
        option proto    static
        option ipaddr   192.168.1.44
        option netmask  255.255.255.0
        option gateway  192.168.1.1
        option dns      192.168.1.1


#### WLAN configuration
config interface wlan
        option proto    static
        option ipaddr   172.16.0.254
        option netmask  255.255.255.0

We edit the wireless settings: vi /etc/config/wireless

config wifi-device  wl0
        option type     broadcom            # example for the WRT54 hardware
        option channel  1                   # channel 1-6 on 2.4GHz is within the hamradio band
        option distance 16000               # distance to the endpoint in km

config wifi-iface
        option device   wl0
        option network  wlan                # link the wifi-interface to the wlan-configuration (network)
        option mode     wds
        option ssid     ssid                # you need to set a ssid
        option encryption       none
        option wds      1
        option bssid    00:12:34:56:78:9A   # endpoint's wireless mac address (HAMROUTER)

config wifi-iface                           # we need this to get a WDS-only configuration
        option device   wl0
        option mode     ap

Then we login to the HAMROUTER using telnet or ssh. We remove some links to scripts we don't need:

rm /etc/rc.d/S45firewall     # We write our own firewall
rm /etc/rc.d/S50httpd        # We don't need a webserver
rm /etc/rc.d/S50telnet       # We use ssh to access the router
rm /etc/rc.d/S60dnsmasq      # We use static IP-addresses

We edit the network settings: vi /etc/config/network (changes to originalfile)

#### LAN configuration
config interface lan
        option ifname   "eth0.0"
        option type     bridge               # spawn a bridge and add "eth0.0" to it
        option proto    static
        option ipaddr   172.16.0.253
        option netmask  255.255.255.0
        option gateway  172.16.0.254
        option dns      192.168.1.1

We edit the wireless settings: vi /etc/config/wireless

config wifi-device  wl0
        option type     broadcom            # example for the WRT54 hardware
        option channel  1                   # channel 1-6 on 2.4GHz is within the hamradio band
        option distance 16000               # distance to the endpoint in km

config wifi-iface
        option device   wl0
        option network  lan                 # add the wifi-interface to the lan-configuration -> bridge
        option mode     wds
        option ssid     ssid                # you need to set a ssid
        option encryption       none
        option wds      1
        option bssid    00:9A:78:56:34:12   # endpoint's wireless mac address (HOMEROUTER)

config wifi-iface                           # we need this to get a WDS-only configuration
        option device   wl0
        option mode     ap

We should be able to ping 172.16.0.253 from 192.168.1.44 after we rebooted both devices. If you use IP-routing you have to maintain IP-routes. In this case your internetrouter has to be feed with a new route for your hamradio network. Route the network 172.16.0.0 with subnetmask 255.255.255.0 over the device 192.168.1.44. You should now be able to configure forwarding rules for incoming TCP- or UDP-connections on your central router (e.g. UDP 5198 and UDP 5199 to Echolink-PC 172.16.0.1).

If you are not able to set a route on your internetrouter (e.g. central router of the university) please have a look on my workaround.