Being somewhat new to AREDN and having just implemented my first AREDN node, I noted that there seemed to be no way to use it effortlessly from my home Wi-Fi networked computers. It also appeared that I couldn't host services from my home network computers. The AREDN node was a completely different network with a different IP block. I saw several people asking how to integrate AREDN into their existing computer networks but the best answer offered was that plugging a computer into the switch via cable would allow you to be on both the home network and AREDN at the same time.
Having a good bit of computer experience and just enough networking knowledge to be dangerous, I set out to integrate my new AREDN node fully into my existing home network. I took the time to document how I did this and am offering it here in hopes that it will guide others. This paper documents my own setup but the concept should be universally applicable.
The document contains many screenshots and is a little too large to upload in this forum so I have hosted it on my own website. For anyone interested, please check it out at the address below.
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Preface: The subject of this paper is to document a method of integrating an Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) node seamlessly into my existing home computer network. The goal was to allow any computer on my home network to access the AREDN mesh as well as being able to run any service for AREDN by port forwarding to my networked computers. At the same time the home network would function as usual with all computers having access to each other as well as the Internet. I wanted the ARDEN mesh to be as easy to access as the Internet without having to plug in different cables or do anything special.
After struggling with AREDN for 2 weeks your write-up gives me hope. The VLAN has been horrible to deal with. I have three diffferent VLAN switches and have yet to get anything to work via VLAN. (none of the switches are Netgear) I hope I don't have to buy another one.
Thanks 73 Ed
Hi, Ed:
Did you succeed with the struggle and get aredn firmware loaded into your unidentified Wi-Fi device?
I suspect that your 3 different unidentified VLAN capable switches do not have VLANs configured out-of-the-box.
You may need to program the VLANs on those unidentified switches.
There are instructions on programming many configurations of VLANs on this web site.
There are sample configurations for Netgear and TP-Link devices here on this web site.
Here is a link to an video explaining VLANs: https://www.arednmesh.org/content/understanding-vlans
I hope this helps, Chuck
and connect multiple computers at a field day site and use the logging software.
You did not describe a scenario that requires an AREDN mesh network.
As far as described, you could use an 'OffTheShelf' WiFi router with 4 port ethernet switch.
If AREDN: Will the logging software be on an advertised service on the mesh?
If yes, then any (AREDN mesh) LAN connected computer could access the logging service.
Is one of your mesh devices a Mikrotik hAP?
Chuck
The plan is to have a server running the logging program and several, possibly seven or more, remote computers sending their data back to the server. All using the mesh not wired, I'm using the program now at home between three computer using my WiFi service. I'm at a loss on what settings I need to do to have the server seen over AREDN by the other computers. I can purchase Mikrotik hAP if it is required.
I've used AREDN to stream video from several cameras back to the command trailer during events. Never shared a program though.
Thanks in advance
Give your server an address reservation on a network connected node.
Any computer on the mesh can address the server by NAME or IP address.
I have never done a camera, but i have a
Kg6wxc map server, apache-mysql-php server, adsb airplane mapper, bpq node, chat room, and a pbx
Each running on a RPi.
If you can do it on wifi, you can do it with AREDN.
The main difference will likely be the IP addresses.
I hope this helps,
Chuck
Example config:
That is interesting. Where is the one computer that has access to all three networks (Internet, home, and mesh) connected? If you have this configuration working I would like to know more about how DNS, gateways, etc. are configured in the node and routers.
If I am understanding it correctly you still have two routers at work but now the mesh network router is connected to the Internet instead of the home network router. I can see where that could be made to function. You should write up a detailed description of a working setup and post it somewhere!
I'm not familiar with the AR150, however it seems like this would give you *two* NAT (or other) IP translations between the internet and your home LAN devices, as the mesh node will be the first router to get thru and then your LAN router/firewall would be the second in line. Double-NAT addressing has been known to sometimes cause strange network effects and possible problems. Not sure, but worth considering. I defer to the AREDN networking experts on this.
Just a thought,
- Don - AA7AU
I use a GL-AR-150-ext to connect to my home router.
My Comcast (Home) router can create a "guest" net, but only on WiFi.
So I use a the AR-150 to provide the Internet connection to an AREDN node.
Two of the GL-AR-150-ext's make a neat tunnel node or AREDN (limited distance) node with Internet access. One has AREDN fw and the other has the GL iNet fw.
Plug the Internet LAN device into the AREDN WAN one and also have the Internet one connect to the Home Router WiFi Guest network.
The GL-AR-150-ext can also provide Internet access to a more powerful AREDN node like a Nanostation.
I can allow AREDN access to my Home network with the AR-150-ext, but don't. I really don't want an open network plugged into my Home net.
73, Don, KM4DC
The 10.166.6.77 address is reserved for the router that connects the networks together. In other words it is the go-between router as seen by the ARDEN node. See the first screenshot on page 6 and you will see where it is used. 10.166.6.73 is the AREDN node itself and provides gateway and DNS for 10.xx.xx.xx addresses.
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Please read the "Theory" section of the document again. I try as best I can to explain what I am doing there. Basically your home computers are on a local network 192.xx.xx.xx. You are connecting them to two Wide Area Networks (WANS). One WAN is the Internet and the other WAN is the AREDN network. Your home router does the job of connecting them to the Internet and the other router (in my case inside one Nanostation) connects them to the AREDN network. It needs an address within the AREDN node's address range to do this job.
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Sorry for the delay in answering. Truthfully I am not doing much with AREDN lately so I have not been watching the forum.
KC5LIO, thank you very much for taking the time to write this up. It made all the difference in getting my WAN connection to function for devices on the AREDN LAN. It's folks like you who make the Internet a good place.
73, Tom
You are welcome Tom. I appreciate the feedback and I am glad you found the documentation useful.