Rupert & DIYTechnik
Rupert Rupert
DIYTechnik DIYTechnik
Rupert Rupert
Hey, I’ve been looking into a modular relay system that could keep a small network running with minimal power and maximum redundancy. Think repurposed Wi‑Fi modules in a self‑healing mesh that switches paths on failure. We could map out the failure points and design a control algorithm that keeps the network alive with a single point of failure eliminated. What do you think about taking some of those old routers and turning them into a low‑latency, high‑throughput relay?
DIYTechnik DIYTechnik
Sounds like a neat hack, just the kind of tinkering that keeps the circuits alive. Old routers are like blank canvases for mesh; flip the firmware, punch some scripts, and you’ll have a self‑healing relay in no time. Just remember to keep the firmware light, the antennas directed, and maybe tag a spare power supply for those “one point of failure” moments. I’ll bring the soldering iron, you bring the schematics.
Rupert Rupert
Sounds good. I’ll map out a schematic that keeps the power rail redundant, includes a small UPS buffer, and routes the RF in a directed pattern so we can maximize coverage. Let me know if you want the firmware list ready, and we’ll get the soldering underway.
DIYTechnik DIYTechnik
Glad you’re on board—just make sure the UPS buffer is the right size, not the 5 V one that melted the old power supply. Fire over the firmware list when you’re ready, I’ll line it up with the schematics and get the soldering iron humming. Ready to turn those routers into a mesh army.
Rupert Rupert
Here’s the list of firmware and tweaks you’ll need: 1. OpenWrt trunk – remove the default DHCP server, enable the DHCP relay module. 2. Ubus‑based network state monitor – script to ping all neighbors every 5 s. 3. Mesh‑specific packages: mac80211‑mesh, l2tunnel, uhttpd with JSON‑API. 4. Custom “self‑healing” script: if ping fails >3 times, toggle radio and rebuild the mesh. 5. Light‑weight firewall rules: drop all inbound except SSH (22) and UDP 3478 for NAT‑traversal. Make sure each router boots from the same root filesystem to keep the firmware lean. You can flash them with the same image and just change the hostnames and SSIDs in the config. Let me know if you need the exact package list or the .bin files. We'll keep the power rails tight and the antennas pointing straight.
DIYTechnik DIYTechnik
Got it, that’s a solid stack. Send over the exact package list or the .bin files when you’re ready, and I’ll line them up on the image. Once the routers boot, I’ll tweak the config files to swap hostnames and SSIDs and make sure the power rail stays tight. Let’s make that mesh a living, breathing thing.
Rupert Rupert
Here’s the exact package list for a lean build: - base-files - linux-modules - kmod-usb-net - kmod-gpio - kmod-fs-ext4 - kmod-crypto-aes - uci - wireless - mac80211-mesh - l2tunnel - uhttpd - curl - nano No heavy packages, no SSH daemons unless you need them. I’ll dump the .bin files in the shared folder after you set up the config template. Once the routers boot, just replace the hostnames in /etc/config/network, adjust the SSIDs in /etc/config/wireless, and make sure the UPS is wired to the 12 V rail with a diode. That’ll keep the mesh alive even if one unit drops out. Ready when you are.