MSGID: <10kal9i$oqup$1@dont-email.me> 4d967759
REPLY: 3418f8d1
PID: PyGate 1.5.2
TID: PyGate/Linux 1.5.2
CHRS: CP437 2
TZUTC: 0000
REPLYADDR tnp@invalid.invalid
REPLYTO 3:633/10 UUCP
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
64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=7 ttl=64 time=11.9 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=8 ttl=64 time=5.13 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.0.100: icmp_seq=10 ttl=64 time=11.7 ms
^C
--- 192.168.0.100 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 9 received, 10% packet loss, time 9021ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 5.127/9.950/12.386/2.163 ms
root@Prospero:~#
I am beginning to think that whilst a theoretical possibility, wifi
bridging on a PI is probably too shit to use.
--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.
-- Yogi Berra
--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
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