Good news! Thanks to the work Andrew KK4ZUZ was doing on tplink hardware support, this shed new light on configuration of the NS M5/M2 XW devices. I'm now running my NSM5 XW configured with both Ethernet ports fully functional with LAN, DtDlink, and WAN configurations. This device has always been painful with a different behavior than all the other aredn devices, but no longer.
Thanks to Darryl K5DLQ adding the advanced settings page with POE passthrough option, I am also powering an ipCam on the secondary port and able to communicate to it on the node's LAN.
This means we can have 1 cat5 cable up to the node on the roof into the primary port, then attach a short cat5 to an ipCam on the secondary port, and have our laptop in the shack also on the LAN of the mesh node with a vlan configured switch. This significantly simplifies the cabling and configuration and makes this device standard port usage like all other aredn devices. Both ports can be used interchangeably and concurrently.
I am looking for someone with an NS M2 XW device to validate the functionality, as we only have the NS M5 XW in the group. If you are willing to help out, please sysupgrade this image and give it a try:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fy4i1sEIyeuPTisoGhKbUp-5EvU7Nlr/view?u...
This link will be time limited and no longer valid in a ~week or so.
Note, if using POE setting for the 1st time, you may need to "save" the setting in adv config options to ensure the power is turned on the secondary port.
Joe AE6XE
Thanks to Darryl K5DLQ adding the advanced settings page with POE passthrough option, I am also powering an ipCam on the secondary port and able to communicate to it on the node's LAN.
This means we can have 1 cat5 cable up to the node on the roof into the primary port, then attach a short cat5 to an ipCam on the secondary port, and have our laptop in the shack also on the LAN of the mesh node with a vlan configured switch. This significantly simplifies the cabling and configuration and makes this device standard port usage like all other aredn devices. Both ports can be used interchangeably and concurrently.
I am looking for someone with an NS M2 XW device to validate the functionality, as we only have the NS M5 XW in the group. If you are willing to help out, please sysupgrade this image and give it a try:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fy4i1sEIyeuPTisoGhKbUp-5EvU7Nlr/view?u...
This link will be time limited and no longer valid in a ~week or so.
Note, if using POE setting for the 1st time, you may need to "save" the setting in adv config options to ensure the power is turned on the secondary port.
Joe AE6XE
Orv W6BI
The good news is the change and available image to test is enabling the single main port to be used with the standard configuration like other devices. However, I've discovered one issue when using both ports. LAN devices across both physical ports are currently not communicating with one another. LAN devices on both ports can be communicated with directly with the node and across the mesh network, however.
Please be aware of this issue for any testing of this image.
Joe AE6XE
Joe,
Thanks a lot for the update.
I installed the new firmware on my NS2M XW yesterday. I confirm that the VLANs are working perfectly on one port, the "Main Port".
I tested the LAN (untagged), (DtD, tagged vlan2), and (WAN, vlan tagged 1).
ALL WORKING fine.... "on Main port"
I didn't test the "Secondary port" to get to the issue you mentioned above. thanks for letting us know
HOWEVER,
I was unable to install the tunnel software, or any other package for what it matters, due to "Invalid software signature. Please remove wrong signature file" error message.
I was also unable to revert back to 3.18.9.0 firmware due to same error.
I believe I could have just TFTP'd back, but I didn't want to lose the configurations. so I am just waiting :-)
Let me know please if you need me to run more tests on this node.
The node would go to the page which says the node is being updated and will now reboot, however the node does NOT actually reboot or do anything. (it just keeps running, you can tell from the LEDs and by opening the status page in a separate tab of the browser).