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Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

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Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#131

Post by blibble »

cbdumas wrote: post #55

While we're talking routers I'll plug Mikrotik. Some basic knowledge of the Linux networking stack is required so they're not great for a general user, but for ~$50 I got a device that handles my setup with ease (Ipv4 over PPPoE and IPv6 over 6rd) and I'm seeing throughput significantly higher than my previous router which was a Zotac mini computer running pfsense. If you are more toward the power user / networking n…

yeah their stuff is pretty good

but as you say it's a pretty thin layer on top of the Linux stack

(e.g. you have to understand iptables else you'll get nowhere)

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#132

Post by sgtnoodle »

willis936 wrote: post #26
formerly_proven wrote: post #6

So after the Ubiquiti debacle I went out and looked for a similar combination (solid hardware + not-too-annoying software). After briefly considering Mikrotik (which has issues with ac (wifi 5) and no ax (wifi 6) support) I settled on Grandstream for now. They don't just make phones but a small set of fairly nicely featured wifi APs for ok prices. Hardware seems solid, Software not annoying. I've bought a few pieces…

Ubiquiti's Unifi line seems riddled with issues. Why would I want an account or the internet involved in any part of my network control? However, I am quite happy with the Edgerouter series. I just wish it got more updates. The last update to EdgeOS is 6 months old. I don't like my security gateway not being patched with weekly security updates.

It was a pain to figure out, but I was able to set up my own instance of the management software without going through their servers. At one point I had to SSH into the AP and wipe its nonvolatile memory...

Of course, I don't remember how to do it at this point, so hopefully I don't ever need to change the settings on my AP. It's been working completely issue free for a couple years now.

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#133

Post by wtallis »

howdydoo wrote: post #104
rocqua wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a specific problem with routers and certification for radio usage. This makes right to repair harder. It's not just a legal issue. The ether is quite full and it mostly works because there are clear rules that devices must meet. With user serviceable routers, bumping up power, or moving to locally forbidden (quieter) frequencies could become lifehacks. There was already an airport whose radio saw interferenc…

My PC has a 5ghz wifi antenna, and I can install any OS I want. Why should a router be any more locked down than my PC? The FCC takes illegal broadcasting VERY seriously and I think that should deter people from becoming criminals.

> Why should a router be any more locked down than my PC?

It's possible that the WiFi card in your PC will refuse to transmit on a 5GHz channel until it detects some other device already transmitting. I've pulled WiFi modules from dead laptops that had such restrictions enforced at the hardware/firmware level, making those WiFi cards unusable for a DIY access point.

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#134

Post by ei8ths »

tp-link is pretty solid but i recently went back to asus for their mesh and UI, its just incredibly better with more features. I never saw hidden networks on my tp-link ax 3000, what i did see is lack of firmware updates, it seems like my model was abandoned.

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#135

Post by throaway46546 »

louloulou wrote: post #10

Not sure what they mean by "build my own router", it's easy enough to flash open firmware on a lot of tp-link models. https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2021/1...

I built a small x86 box and installed OPNsense and all my router woes have gone away.

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#136

Post by londons_explore »

r1ch wrote: post #117

For those curious about the "Wi-Fi spam" comment: even though nothing is connected to the network and it's a hidden SSID, it still has to broadcast beacons every 100ms. The 802.11 standard says beacons must be sent at the lowest rate the AP supports, so your ~350 byte beacon at 1mbps (2.4 GHz) uses around 5% of the frequency. It doesn't take many SSIDs on the same 2.4 GHz channel to make the throughput fall through t…

Would there have been a better way to do design beacons? The general problem is a device needing to advertise itself for other devices to connect to, other devices which might not be capable of any faster rate...

Beacons being 350 bytes is pretty stupid though... They could have been 20 bytes long, saying "I'm a device with mac address XXX, plz contact me to know what services I have on offer".

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#137

Post by aceazzameen »

sgtnoodle wrote: post #126
aceazzameen wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, this is what I recommend to anyone who knows anything about computers. It also depends on each person's needs though, since OpenWRT sometimes excludes the latest tech. At home we connect to a TP-Link Archer C7 running OpenWRT. It's only WiFi5, but we have zero issues streaming many 5ghz devices off of it. It's even held up fine while we both work from home. I also run a second much older TP-Link router using st…

I had OpenWRT running on an Archer C7 for a while, but the wifi was "unreliable". It's like the 5Ghz would just randomly stop flowing packets. I never root caused it, but since I stopped using it my home wifi experience has been generally boring in a good way. I live near main street in a small touristy coastal town, and there's tons of access point beacons flying around. I only have a 10,000 sq. ft. lot and have thr…

Maybe my area is low then. There's 12 other 5Ghz APs in my area.

I also wonder if it's luck of the draw with some of these cheaper routers? My C7 is also a newer variant, a v5 I think.

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#138

Post by dddddddan »

Terry_Roll wrote: post #128
lordnacho wrote: post #32

I had a related problem with their PowerLine TPA-4220 devices yesterday. It turns out there's a DHCP server on it that you can't turn off! It's supposed to be smart and know when there's another DHCP server on the network, but it appears that this sometimes doesn't work. So I found that my laptop sometimes ends up configured on the wrong subnet, which of course kills the internet connection. The thing is, the web int…

You can use wireshark to access the server on the device, its what they use when they update firmware, but have you used a modded powerline adaptor to access engineering settings in white goods like modern fridge freezers because alot of them have a cpu controlling everything and you access it using the mains plug?

What? Do you have any proof of that?

Re: Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

#140

Post by mastazi »

> Maybe it's finally time to build my own router

Can anyone link a good "getting started" guide for this? I have experience managing servers but not managing network appliances, so I'm looking for a relatively gentle intro...

Edit: I'm not asking about how to install OpenWRT on an existing router, I'm looking for a guide on how to build a router from general purpose hardware - in the same way that you can build your own NAS etc.

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