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Using an OpenWRT router as an "advertised service" web page server for your AREDN node

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wa2ise
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Using an OpenWRT router as an "advertised service" web page server for your AREDN node

http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/webservaredn.html

A description on using separate OpenWRT routers to store and serve up web pages as advertised services to the AREDN node network.  This avoids compromising the support status of an AREDN node (if you stored the html files inside the node's flash) and avoiding possibly crashing the network.  If you have spare WRT54G routers, and don't want to tie up a PC as a server.  The WRT54G routers typically have about 2 to 3 megs of leftover flash memory to store these files (get the WRT54GS that come with larger flash memories, up to 8megs).  If you need more, use multiple routers or learn how to set up a Raspberry PI as a server (something I haven't started on yet) :-)

wa2ise
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I also figured out how to use

I also figured out how to use the above router's RAM to store temporary web pages (ones that have often changing info, things like club meeting notices, hamfests and such).  You create a new directory in the OpenWRT router, in its /tmp directory.   Get into the OpenWRT control web GUI: go to "system" and then "startup" and at the bottom is this:

And reboot the router.  More details at the link below

Of course, if the power goes out or if you reboot the router, these files in RAM will be gone.  Maybe use some form of UPS to keep the router alive? 

I revised the above http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/webservaredn.html

wa2ise
wa2ise's picture
One can use a 12V in 12V out
One can use a 12V in 12V out UPS to keep the files in RAM alive during short blackouts.  You can find these at the usual sites on the Internet. 
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wa2ise
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USB stick inside the router

Here's a mod that places a USB inside a WRT54GSv1 router.  http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/intusb.htm What's different about this mod is I installed a 4PDT switch and USB jack to switch the USB stick from being electronically inside the router, or directly connected to a computer via a USB cable.  This allows you to manage the files in the USB stick using windows drag and drop and such.  Quicker than working with a SSH console.  The stick inside the router means the router doesn't have to reconfigure itself if the stick is swapped or changed.  The router powers down when the stick is switched to computer access.
 

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