topic Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network in Wireless

Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:48:16 GMT

Hello everybody, my name is Asma.

I plan to create a uncensored mesh network for my project, i have been provided a cisco 1841 router with two fast Ethernet ports. I want to create a simple peer to peer network, however i am very stuck in the designing process, as in how many switch and access points i should use or what commands i should use to configure the router.

My goal is to create a network that is not monitored by my ISP but i would be using my ISP router to get internet.

Anybody with mesh networking experience, please help!!

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

balaji.bandi — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:53:03 GMT

its all depends on the requirement, if you are not sure i would suggest to engage with cisco partner to help you.

This require lot of requirment gathering like :

1. where you like to deploy

2. how many users.

3. what is the scope of the area

4. requiremetn site survey to come to how many AP required.

5. what is the bandwidth requirment

so on...

get some idea look below document :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/technology/mesh/7-3/design/guide/Mesh/Mesh_chapter_01.html

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:37:37 GMT

Thank you for replying, this is just an experiment and a project for graduation, i am only going to use two aps, one as a root ap and the second one as mesh ap, due to covid i am setting all this up in my home

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

balaji.bandi — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:00:26 GMT

what AP do you have at home? Does the one root AP mean to act as controller?

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:17:11 GMT

atm i dont have one, i am just waiting to understand what design ineed, so that i can get an ap, maybe a switch too

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

Scott Fella — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:29:41 GMT

Well if this is for your home, the next question is how much do you want to spend. I have my own lab at home and I don't use any consumer equipment. You can look at the Meraki Go equipment that is cloud based. With getting enterprise gear, you have to also be able to download the images, which means you need support. So be careful when you are looking at older gear for home lab, because even though its cheap, you might have a firmware that is buggy or doesn't allow for some feature.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:40:15 GMT

this is for a graduation project and the equipment is being provided by my college, i am just setting up the equipment at home due to covid

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

Scott Fella — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 22:46:19 GMT

Okay, but we still would need to know what exact equipment you have and the code version that is on that equipment. You also need a console cable.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 02:20:33 GMT

i have a cisco 1841 router so far, i have a console cable, going to get a switch and two as soon

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

Scott Fella — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 02:59:08 GMT

I think just wait until you have everything and then provide the information about the model and firmware. Without that, there is no way to help.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 03:03:06 GMT

thank you for helping out

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

Arshad Safrulla — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 09:04:35 GMT

As a high level what you need;

1. Strong Encryption between Root and Mesh AP.

2. DNSSEC & DNS over HTTPS (DoH) connecting clients

3. Client authentication system which uses unique parameters to identify and authenticate, authorize users, but doesn't retain any identity information.

4. TOR capable ISP facing edge

5. WPA3 capable clients and wireless AP's.

Some good articles;

(https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/emea/docs/2019/pdf/BRKSEC-2011.pdf)

https://blogs.cisco.com/networking/wpa3-bringing-robust-security-for-wi-fi-networks

What you want to achieve may not be possible using Cisco products as Cisco adheres to most of the known standards. You may have to look into opensource products and start customizing them as per your requirement. Some opensource standards you may look in to

1. TOR for routing

2. Opensense for firewalling and edge

3. OpenWRT for wireless

4. Free Radius

Since this is a college project, I recommend u to use opensource products. this can help you financially and also provide you more customizable solution.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

Scott Fella — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 16:57:27 GMT

@Arshad Safrulla good info here.... the equipment is being provided by the school, so no need to look for other solutions. It will be interesting what equipment will be provided however.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 01:19:02 GMT

i like the idea of using opensourse products, since its more cost effective. And you are right cisco products might not be compatible with the system that i am trying to achieve

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 01:19:38 GMT

school is just providing some old junk and wants me to make use of it

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 01:56:29 GMT

Hello everybody, might be a dumb question to ask but can i configure cisco 1841 as a tor router or a vpn router

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

balaji.bandi — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 08:30:32 GMT

i like the idea of using opensourse products, since its more cost effective. And you are right cisco products might not be compatible with the system that i am trying to achieve

it is lot of Open WRT kit with source code of GUI much cheaper if you have local experts if the total school is not cisco house products.

been deployed many way back with - Atheros wireless chipset with own GUI for point to point links where - cable was the Limitation.

some opensource - used some time back (not totally working for cisco house so not much hands on it now a days)

https://libremesh.org/

Hello everybody, might be a dumb question to ask but can i configure cisco 1841 as a tor router or a vpn router

yes it can be used for both the purpose, check the code you running on it and License you have.

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 19:38:52 GMT

i did, it doesn't support any of that, i have decided not to use any cisco device and rather move to a raspberry pi device and configure it as a tor router, and use WiFi hotspot for peer to peer mesh networking

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

balaji.bandi — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 20:13:58 GMT

Sure as suggested before, if you have hands-on Linux, that is best tool to use (it is for both advantage, the device can be re-used other purpose) and you get addons to install on same device, if you go to RasberryPi

Re: Project to create uncensored wireless mesh network

sasma — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 21:03:58 GMT

yes thats what i am going to do now, thank you for all the help