Posting via Broadband Hamnet

[KC2UGV]

Just dropping a line... Posting via a small broadband-hamnet mesh, running HSMM-Pi.

This is working quite nicely. Only two nodes thus far, but working on more, now that I've spec'd out hardware and the install procedure.

[NQ6U]

Cool! I've been interested in playing with that.

[KC2UGV]

Cool! I've been interested in playing with that.

If you have a Pi that you're interested in installing it on, I'm going to post a base image with all the work done, and an install script that puts all the pieces together for one of the ralink USB dongles. I'll put a link up here when I get them together.

[K7SGJ]

Cool! I've been interested in playing with that.

Well........that might just be the impetus required to make you quit playing with yourself, eh?

Actually, with the price of a PI these days, that could be a lot of fun to experiment with.

[KC2UGV]

Duplicating the efforts via scripting is turning out to be a large pain in the ass. I had this working (When I posted this), but now trying to script this out, it's turning royally painful.

Namely, it took me two days to get two working nodes. So, I decided to re-do one of the nodes, so I can contribute the work back (As an install image, or scripts). Turns out I'd need three scripts: The ralink driver builds require 3 reboots, I've learned, or rather re-learned.

The hsmm-pi portion isn't difficult (A git pull, and install), but the driver needs to be rebuilt. And, for unit testing, I need to go to a clean slate, to test. The kernel source clone takes forevveeeeeeeer to do. The whole driver build process is about 2 hours long (Oh, how I wish I knew how to do cross-compiles).

[KC2UGV]

Ok, boils and ghouls... I'm grabbing an updated, clean HSMM Pi image as we speak. I forgot to change the SSID back to what it's default, so you'll want to change that (It's currently "KAISERTOWN", default is "HSSM-MESH"). Passwords are are defaults (Web interface is "admin" and "changeme", SSH is "pi" and "raspberry").

It's configured as a Inet gateway, with an Node address of 10.0.0.1/8 (This allows you do bump all of the octets shy of the first for your mesh, giving you a HUUUGE number of networks). It's eth interface with get a DHCP address from your router once you plugin.

I'll be posting the link for the image shortly.

[KC2UGV]

So, while the image is uploading, here's a quick how to, and shopping list for a single HSMM Pi node.

(Image should finish uploading in about 90 minutes, and will be located here: http://bit.ly/1kZa6id)

Shopping List (Amazon Links included):

* Raspberry Pi Kit - Pi board, case, and power supply (http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Basic-Premium-Supply/dp/B00DG9D63A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1408664587&sr=1-1&keywords=CanaKit+Raspberry+Pi+%28512+MB%29+Basic+K it+%28Raspberry+Pi+512+MB+%2B+Premium+Black+Case+% 2B+Micro+USB+Power+Supply%29)
* MediaTek 7160 (http://www.amazon.com/150Mbps-Wireless-Adapter-802-11n-Antenna/dp/B008BZ40HA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=qibox+ralink)
* 8GB SD Card (http://www.amazon.com/PNY-Optima-Class-Memory-P-SDHC8G4H-GE/dp/B000P5XLOW/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1408664684&sr=1-11&keywords=8GB+SD+Card)

Shortcut:
Use Win32DiskImager (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Win32DiskImager) to burn the above image to your SD card. It'll work out of the box: Connect it to your router, connect to it with a web browser, configure, and reboot.

The below has shamelessly cribbed from the following:
http://va3paw.com/2014/03/16/hsmm-mesh-on-raspberry-pi/
https://github.com/urlgrey/hsmm-pi

Long steps:
- For ralink USB cards (mediatek 7601):
* Execute the following:

sudo bash
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
reboot


rpi-update
reboot


cd /usr/src
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux.git
sudo ln -s /usr/src/linux /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
cd linux
make mrproper
zcat /proc/config.gz > .config
cp .config .config.org
sed -i 's/^CONFIG_CROSS_COMPILE.*/CONFIG_CROSS_COMPILE=""/' .config
make modules_prepare
wget https://raw.github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/master/extra/Module.symvers
cd /usr/src
wget "http://www.mediatek.com/AmazonS3/Downloads/linux/DPO_MT7601U_LinuxSTA_3.0.0.4_20130913.tar.bz2"
tar -xvjpf DPO_MT7601U_LinuxSTA_3.0.0.4_20130913.tar.bz2
cd /usr/src/DPO*
sed -i "s/ULONG RTDebugLevel = RT_DEBUG_TRACE\;/ULONG RTDebugLevel = 0\;/" os/linux/rt_linux.c
make
make install
exit

* This part is needed for any wireless card, even if it already works for the Pi out of the box. This installs the HSMM Pi software.


cd ~
git clone https://github.com/urlgrey/hsmm-pi.git
cd hsmm-pi
git checkout tags/v0.4.0
sh install.sh

Now, go and configure your node by connecting to it via port 80. IMPORTANT!!! Do not reboot the pi until you've configured the node. Otherwise, it will not bring up any of it's interfaces, and you'll need console mode to bring up an IP.

If this node will be connected to your router, in order to supply internet access to the mesh, leave it as a WAN device. If you will have clients connected (Via it's eth interface) configure it as a "LAN" node. The pi has a neat feature where the ethernet connection doesn't require a crossover cable, it will autonegotiate the connection even with a straight cable. So, connect it to your laptop :)

[KU0DM]

This sounds awesome. I would love to experiment with setting this up at the ham shack on campus and using it to get free internet. :yes: Give us the details on the network capabilities; range, speed, etc...

[KC2UGV]

This sounds awesome. I would love to experiment with setting this up at the ham shack on campus and using it to get free internet. :yes: Give us the details on the network capabilities; range, speed, etc...

Range and speeds are all dependent on Line-of-sight, antenna, and distance. Clear LOS, you can get 5 miles easily at 11mb/s using directional antennas.

For the USB dongle I have been testing in the links, I get about 70 feet, with clear LOS, and about 30 ft with obstructions (Such as homes). Of course, that's all Part 15. Under Part 97, I could use up to 1500W (Don't suggest more than 1 or 2W, however).

[KC2UGV]

They don't make xfering a 1.9GB file easy these days... Trying again.

[XE1/N5AL]

Neat project. I take it that the Raspberry Pi doesn't have any problem powering the USB WiFi adapter (i.e., you aren't using a powered usb hub)?

[KC2UGV]

Neat project. I take it that the Raspberry Pi doesn't have any problem powering the USB WiFi adapter (i.e., you aren't using a powered usb hub)?

Not this one, but I also don't have any other USB devices on the board, either. It does become problematic if you start adding devices above and beyond this one.

As an aside, the download link is live. It will require an 8GB card to burn it to.

[W3WN]

If you have a Pi that you're interested in installing it on, I'm going to post a base image with all the work done, and an install script that puts all the pieces together for one of the ralink USB dongles. I'll put a link up here when I get them together.
Sounds like a plan. My Pi has been sitting at work for a couple of weeks now, doing nothing; just been too busy to do anything with it.

[KC2UGV]

So, a more up-to-date version of the steps, complete with test results (And progress for the on-going project), you can go here:
http://www.buffalomesh.net/Nodes/HSMM