Media Bridge mode vs. Wireless Ethernet Bridge

[rhoyfl7v]

Please disable Ethernet bridge option in the GUI for routers in which wireless Ethernet bridge mode is impossible.

https://wiki.freshtomato.org/doku.php/media_bridge

Media Bridge (MB) mode has several advantages over wireless Ethernet Bridge mode:

• MB mode will work with SDK7 ARM routers like the AC3200 / R8000
  (wireless Ethernet bridge mode is impossible).
• MB mode will work with SDK6 MIPS routers like the Asus RT-AC66U, D‑Link DIR‑865L,
  (wireless Ethernet bridge mode is impossible).
• MB mode will work with SDK6 ARM routers like Asus RT-AC68U, or Netgear R7000.
  (Wireless Ethernet Bridge mode is also possible).
• IPv4 and IPv6 communication will work
  (Wireless Ethernet bridge allows only IPv4, except SDK6 ARM dual-core models, which allow IPv6).

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Having this option available in routers that do not support it, should be considered a major bug, because it has caused me (possibly others) to break the router more than once, rendering it inaccessible or completely bricking it – we had to do a physical factory reset by buttons on several occasions. An option that is not supported by a router, should not be enabled in the GUI for that router, and a help/explanation link (e.g. ? icon) should be placed next to the grayed-out/disabled option to help the user quickly understand why that option is disabled in that router.

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[M_ars]

Yes, correct

Media Bridge (MB) and Wireless Ethernet Bridge (WET) support:

• Media Bridge (MB) will work for:

  1. SDK6.30 [MIPS RT-AC] (ex. RT-AC66U, D‑Link DIR‑865L)
  2. SDK6.37 (ex. RT-AC68U, R7000)
  3. SDK7 (ex. RT-AC3200, R8000)
  4. SDK714 (ex. RT-AC5300, RT-AC88U)

• Wireless Ethernet Bridge (WET) will work for:

  1. SDK5.10 (ex. WRT54GL, RT-N16)
  2. SDK5.110 (ex. E4200v1, RT-N66U)
  3. SDK6.37 (ex. RT-AC68U, R7000)
  4. SDK714 (ex. RT-AC5300, RT-AC88U)

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==> For ARM branch: SDK7 router should not allow/show (or disable) the GUI option for Wireless Ethernet Bridge.

==> For MIPS branch RT-AC: SDK6.30 router should not allow/show (or disable) the GUI option for Wireless Ethernet Bridge.

==> SDK5.X GUI / Code will not offer Media Bridge (so all OK)

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[pedro]

==> For MIPS branch RT-AC: SDK6.30 router should not allow/show (or disable) the GUI option for Wireless Ethernet Bridge.

Do you mean Wireless Client?

[M_ars]

Do you mean Wireless Client?

No, for MIPS RT-AC branch we provide: AP, AP + WDS, Wireless Client, Wireless Ethernet Bridge, WDS and Media Bridge

see https://bitbucket.org/pedro311/freshtomato-mips/src/4e92b95da634bea059126b71a9b4bd0026467804/release/src/router/www/basic-network.asp#lines-2029

“Wireless Ethernet Bridge” is not working with RT-AC / SDK6.30. But we also build RT-N image with the same branch and it is working there (see list above)

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[pedro]

So I don’t get something here…

https://wiki.freshtomato.org/doku.php/basic-network

It says (Table: 2.4 GHZ Interface Wireless Modes), that:

1. Wireless Client: “This mode does not work yet on SDK6 MIPS RT-AC builds” (?)
2. Wireless Ethernet Bridge: “SDK7 not working/possible” (OK, already done by me)
3. Media Bridge Mode: “This Mode is not supported in SDK5 (RT / RT-N) builds” (source already done this way)

So either there is an error in this table or I can't read at all.

[pedro]

Oh, and BTW: during my last tests, I was completely unable to connect in Wireless Client mode from my RT-N66U (RT-AC) to the RT-AC3200, so I guess that's true?

[M_ars]

Yes Yes :)

Wireless Client: “This mode does not work yet on SDK6 MIPS RT-AC builds” (?)

Also true. I just did not want to mix it with Media Bridge Mode & Wireless Ethernet bridge

So for MIPS-RT-AC “Wireless Ethernet Bridge” and “Wireless Client” option NOK / not working

[pedro]

So we have to fix this in our wiki:

Wireless Ethernet Bridge:

Configures FreshTomato to connect to another router. All clients connected to both routers remain in the same subnet.

• Since Wireless Ethernet Bridge 1.19, this mode must have security set to WPA2 to work properly.
• IPv4 communication works for MIPS and ARM builds.
• IPv6 communication will only work for FreshTomato 2021.1 SDK6 ARM Dual-Core and newer
• SDK7 not working/possible.
• Do not enable wireless band steering (BSD) while this mode is enabled.
• Recommendation: Use Wireless Ethernet Bridge interface only to connect to your main AP (no virtual interfaces). Other radio modules present can be used, for example, in Access Point mode.

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[M_ars]

Yes, will adjust it

[pedro]

GUI: Basic: Network: only display the wireless connection (WAN) types that are available for a given branch (fix #328)

→ <<cset d64cfebe33ae>>