Help assigning main 2.4GHz band to separate bridge on WAP

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oldsports
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Joined: 11 Apr 2021
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:44    Post subject: Help assigning main 2.4GHz band to separate bridge on WAP Reply with quote
I am looking for some advice on how to set up a wireless network for a small non-profit that I do volunteer work for. The situation is that the non-profit’s office is in a small building that houses about 6-7 other small non-profit organizations. Each of the organizations have set up their own wireless networks, with many of them using the 2.4GHz band. Currently, I have set up an Trendnet TEW-812DRU router with DD-WRT r23808 as a WAP to create the wireless networks for my organization. I created a wireless network (“Office”) for the organization’s use and a VAP network (“Guest”) for visitors on its own bridge to separate the networks; both networks are created on the 2.4GHz band. I know I am running an old firmware version, but it does not have the issue with bridged VAP’s that need the start-up script workaround. I will eventually upgrade when I have time to experiment with that.

I am concerned with the number of 2.4GHz signals in the building (along with the number of signals from the rest of the neighborhood) potentially causing interference with my organization’s network. I thought it might be better to use the 5GHz band for the organization’s Office network and leave the 2.4GHz band for the Guest network and the other organizations to use. I believe that all of the devices they use (laptops, phones, etc.) that are connected wirelessly are able to use 5GHz.

I want to separate the main 2.4GHz band from the br0 bridge so it can be become the Guest network and the 5GHz band would become the Office network. The issue is that I cannot figure out how to assign the main 2.4GHz band to a separate bridge. When I create a new bridge (br1), I do not see wl0 as a choice for assignment to the bridge so I do not know how to separate it from the br0 bridge. As a workaround, I figure I could leave the VAP in place as the Guest network on the 2.4GHz band and stop broadcasting the SSID for the main 2.4GHz network so it would appear that the VAP is the only network on the 2.4GHz band. Another workaround is to abandon the 2.4GHz band completely and set up the Guest network as a VAP on the 5GHz band. If I do that, I would be risking that some visitors may not be able to connect to the Guest network if they have devices that do not have that capability.

So, can someone help me figure out how to separate the main 2.4GHz band from the 5GHz band? If that is not possible, which of the two workarounds would you suggest? Is there another option?

Thanks!
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oldsports
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Apr 2021
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 23:47    Post subject: Reply with quote
After doing some digging, I found a Wiki that details how to separate LAN and WLAN (https://forum.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Separate_LAN_and_WLAN). I looked before I posted, but I guess I was not looking for it the way it was titled. In any event, it looks like the right instructions so I will give it a try. Unfortunately, I am headed out of town for a couple of weeks so I will have to try it when I return.
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 19:02    Post subject: Reply with quote
1) Create a new bridge br1
2) Give br1 an ip addresses on a new subnet
3) Create a dhcp server for the sub-net
4) You can do both and assign both the 2.4Ghz and a vap on 5Ghz to br1.
oldsports
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Apr 2021
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 13:52    Post subject: Reply with quote
Per Yngve Berg,

Thanks for the response. Your answer mirrors what is in the Wiki that I found. My issue was that I was looking for "wl0" when I tried to assign it to the br1 bridge I created but it was not listed as a choice. The Wiki contains a step to figure out what the wl0 interface is called for my device. I need to execute the command "nvram get wl0_ifname" to see what my interface name is and assign that interface to br1. I am traveling for a couple of weeks so I will try that when I return.

Thanks!
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 14:36    Post subject: Reply with quote
On a Broadcom, they may be called eth0 or eth1
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