XPost: comp.sys.raspberry-pi   
   From: tnp@invalid.invalid   
      
   On 14/01/2026 22:59, c186282 wrote:   
   > On 1/14/26 16:00, The Natural Philosopher wrote:   
   >>   
   >> If you recall I was after a configuration that would allow a Pi 4 or 5   
   >> to act in addition to its generic operation as a server on the   
   >> network, to also act as a wifi access point.   
   >>   
   >> I have *sort of* succeeded.   
   >>   
   >> The general process is to down the wifi and Ethernet interfaces,   
   >> create a bridge interface as master and slave the two other interfaces   
   >> (Thernet and wifi) to it   
   >>   
   >> The bridge interface has all the IP stuff attached to it.   
   >>   
   >> The Wifi interface has instructions to be an access point and have an   
   >> SSID, securitry and so on.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Ultimately I discovered that all this does is create and edit files in   
   >>   
   >> /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections and frankly this is probably   
   >> the easiest way to do it   
   >>   
   >> Here are the three files I created via nmcli   
   >>   
   >> # more br0.nmconnection   
   >> [connection]   
   >> id=br0   
   >> uuid=db3fc586-63b4-43f6-9cf3-efd207086553   
   >> type=bridge   
   >> interface-name=nm-bridge   
   >> timestamp=1768417618   
   >>   
   >> [ethernet]   
   >>   
   >> [bridge]   
   >> stp=false   
   >>   
   >> [ipv4]   
   >> address1=192.168.0.101/24,192.168.0.254   
   >> dns=192.168.0.101;   
   >> method=manual   
   >>   
   >> [ipv6]   
   >> addr-gen-mode=default   
   >> method=disabled   
   >>   
   >> [proxy]   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> -----------------------------------   
   >>   
   >> # more Garden.nmconnection   
   >> [connection]   
   >> id=Garden   
   >> uuid=f977bba8-bda3-404b-89c3-57c959c8b1fd   
   >> type=wifi   
   >> interface-name=wlan0   
   >> master=db3fc586-63b4-43f6-9cf3-efd207086553   
   >> slave-type=bridge   
   >> timestamp=1768410601   
   >>   
   >> [wifi]   
   >> band=bg   
   >> channel=9   
   >> mode=ap   
   >> powersave=2   
   >> ssid=MyGarden   
   >>   
   >> [wifi-security]   
   >> key-mgmt=wpa-psk   
   >> psk=rottenRatz   
   >>   
   >> [bridge-port]   
   >> --------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >>   
   >> # more Ethernet.nmconnection   
   >> [connection]   
   >> id=Ethernet   
   >> uuid=4a8b7eb6-678a-47e2-b5b2-416cc800438f   
   >> type=ethernet   
   >> interface-name=eth0   
   >> master=db3fc586-63b4-43f6-9cf3-efd207086553   
   >> slave-type=bridge   
   >> timestamp=1768409686   
   >>   
   >> [ethernet]   
   >>   
   >> [bridge-port]   
   >>   
   >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >   
   >    I've set up Pi2s3s4s as 'servers' before, it was   
   >    never THIS complex however. A PI is just a very   
   >    small Linux box. Alas if you need multiple net   
   >    ports you may need to think of USB dongles.   
   >   
   >    Oh, 'nmcli' ... if you have to add THIS much junk   
   >    faster to manually edit the config file. Actually   
   >    I posted instructions on that about a year+ ago.   
   >    The NM GUI app is fairly capable too, IF you   
   >    have a GUI on yer PI. Not all do, hence my post.   
   >   
   >> Now for the problems:   
   >>   
   >> First of all I cant get the Pi4B to do more than 72Mbps. I *think*   
   >> this is a hardware limit   
   >   
   >    Net/USB/WiFi speed ratings for PIs are almost always   
   >    "best case" ... actually they're kinda LIES. The P4   
   >    was much better, P5s even better, but it's not gonna   
   >    be like a PCI card plugged into your Big Box.   
   >   
   >> More importantly if  any connected wifi clients try to use the   
   >> *internet*, response is flaky as fuck. 50%+  packet loss   
   ..   
   >> But wifi clients connected via the Pi WiFi  can access the *LAN*   
   >> smoothly. No packet loss.   
   >>   
   >> Wifi clients attached via any other access point can access the   
   >> internet smoothly.   
   >>   
   >> Just not *wifi clients attached via the pi*....   
   >>   
   >> I am struggling to understand how a device can access the LAN   
   >> perfectly but not the Internet.   
   >>   
   >> Any ideas?   
   >   
   >    DO check to see if your DNS and router base address   
   >    are correct. I had to get a new router and all my   
   >    clients were still pointed at the old base address.   
   >    They'd (usually) work OK on the LAN, but you could   
   >    not get updates or any other internet stuff.   
   >   
   As my job used to be in networking, of course I checked all that before   
   posting   
      
   The PI is not acting as a DHCP server, Merely as a bridge. The router   
   does all that (DHCP)  and assigns the  DNS servers etc.   
      
   I can ping an external *IP address* from the PI faultlessly.   
      
   I can't ping an external IP address from a wifi connected client consistntly   
   I CAN ping an internal *IP address* from a wifi connected client flawlessly.   
      
   >    /etc/dhcpcd is the place to start.   
      
   No, it isn't., Its not involved   
      
   > Also use NM to   
   >    look at all those device defs. Tweaking those things   
   >    fixed MY internet problems. Just ONE number mal-typed,   
   >    ONE mistaken, number is enough to screw up everything.   
   >   
   Done all that already. That's why I published the nm files. So you could   
   check.   
      
   E,g. here are some ping results   
   This is from the Pi itself ...   
      
   root@Coriolanus:~# ping vps.templar.co.uk   
   PING vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151) 56(84) bytes of data.   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=1 ttl=59   
   time=21.0 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=2 ttl=59   
   time=21.0 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=3 ttl=59   
   time=21.3 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=4 ttl=59   
   time=21.3 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=5 ttl=59   
   time=21.3 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=6 ttl=59   
   time=20.8 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=7 ttl=59   
   time=20.9 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=8 ttl=59   
   time=21.0 ms   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=9 ttl=59   
   time=21.3 ms   
   ^C   
   --- vps.templar.co.uk ping statistics ---   
   9 packets transmitted, 9 received, 0% packet loss, time 8010ms   
   rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 20.788/21.093/21.302/0.192 ms   
      
   Now from a laptop connctred vuas the pi as a wifi access point   
      
      
   root@Prospero:~# ping vps.templar.co.uk   
   PING vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151) 56(84) bytes of data.   
   64 bytes from vps.templar.co.uk (185.113.128.151): icmp_seq=3 ttl=59   
   time=112 ms   
   ^C   
   --- vps.templar.co.uk ping statistics ---   
   14 packets transmitted, 1 received, 92.8571% packet loss, time 13351ms   
   rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 111.730/111.730/111.730/0.000 ms   
      
   But pinging the main server on the LAN is this   
      
     root@Prospero:~# ping 192.168.0.100   
   PING 192.168.0.100 (192.168.0.100) 56(84) bytes of data.   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=12.4 ms   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=9.96 ms   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=11.3 ms   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=8.69 ms   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=10.2 ms   
   64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=6 ttl=64 time=8.30 ms   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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