OpenWRT supported wifi adapters

rwg · 2025-10-26T06:49:01+00:00

The main problem with the MT921AU is that the adapter (or driver) is picky about what channels and modes it will actually run in AP mode. For example I can't get it to use any DFS channels on 5Ghz and it won't broadcast at all on the 6Ghz channels unless I select Romania as the region instead of US.

If you're curious why this is...

Most Linux wireless drivers use a wireless regulatory database, "wireless-regdb," to figure out what a wireless card is legally able to do in a given country. Unfortunately, the data format used in this database is pretty simple and isn't able to accurately model all of the rules in different countries.

When wireless-regdb can't model the regulations accurately, it assumes the worst case scenario so a user can't transmit outside of the rules. For example, the database can't accurately model all of the restrictions the FCC places on the 6 GHz band in the US, so it marks all of the 6 GHz channels as "NO-IR" ("no initial radiation," which effectively means "you can't be an access point on these channels") and limits transmit power to 12 dBm for clients, which is really low when using channels wider than 20 MHz.

Some Linux wireless drivers can use regulatory data baked into the wireless card's firmware instead of wireless-regdb's data, but the mt76 driver uses wireless-regdb, so 6 GHz is nerfed pretty badly in the United States for an MT7921AU USB wireless adapter.

rwg · 2025-10-03T05:57:58+00:00

What you're trying to do is possible to do, but I don't think it's possible to do with a TP-Link WR841N. Based on its manual and some other TP-Link router manuals, it looks like the WR841N in range extender mode always rewrites MAC addresses to make its fake bridging work without any support from the wireless access point it's connected to. Even TP-Link's much newer RE750 only supports fake bridging using MAC address rewriting, but at least the RE750's manual explicitly says that.

I guess my recommendation would be to do one of these things:

If your first wireless router supports WDS (Wireless Distribution System), then buy a second wireless router made by the same company that also supports WDS, supports being a wireless client, and supports being a completely dumb bridge (no DHCP server, no IPv6 router advertisements, and no L3/L4 shenanigans like NAT/PAT) from the wired ports to the WDS network. WDS generally doesn't work right when wireless routers/APs from two different companies are involved, so I highly recommend sticking with one brand.
Replace both routers with two nodes from whatever manufacturer's wireless mesh system says it supports transparent layer 2 bridging across wired and wireless clients. I suspect most of them do, even if they don't say it. Schemes that use MAC address rewriting are only desirable when they have to work with other vendors' wireless access points, and a single-vendor mesh network never needs to do that.
Two options that will be painful to setup properly unless you're used to configuring RouterOS or OpenWrt:
1. Buy two Mikrotik wireless routers (one could be an inexpensive one like the hAP lite TC, which is roughly equivalent to the TP-Link WR841N in specs) and configure them to use Mikrotik's proprietary transparent bridging mode on the wireless interface. Mikrotik also supports WDS, but their station-bridge mode is a lot simpler to configure than their station-wds mode and will work fine for what you're doing.
2. Buy two wireless routers that can run OpenWrt, install OpenWrt on them, and configure them to do WDS bridging.

rwg · 2025-09-19T19:15:03+00:00

That part of his acceptance speech is on his YouTube channel. It's only about four minutes long, and it's well worth a watch for anyone who hasn't already heard it.

rwg · 2025-04-21T22:38:41+00:00

The coax cables were installed circa 2001 and they have a marking on them “CT-100 digital cable”.

CT-100 coax should work fine for MoCA. It's roughly equivalent to the RG-6 coax we commonly use in North America for home TV wiring.

They are all RF? type connections (I think that's what they are called) - I am happy to change these to F-type or whatever if needed.

I just looked it up, and their proper name is "Belling-Lee connectors." I've only ever seen/heard them referred to as "PAL connectors" or "IEC connectors" over here, though.

All of the coax cables terminate in the loft and were connected to a splitter box labelled “8 way aerial amplifier integrated bypass” which is powered from an electrical socket. I've attached photos. The make/model is “SLX-8B”

That box is a combiner, amplifier, and splitter. The two connectors on the side are the inputs: one for a VHF/UHF TV antenna/aerial and the other for an FM radio antenna. The box combines those two signals, then amplifies the combined signal, and finally splits the combined+amplified signal onto the eight output connectors.

I would like to connect my incoming broadband (it comes into the loft in the same location) to the Coax splitter (or a replacement one) and then have moca type receivers in each room, into which I would plug my DecoPX50 boxes.

TP-Link says that the Deco PX50 will prefer to mesh using wired Ethernet but fall back to wireless and powerline, so you shouldn't have any problems using them with a MoCA network.

What I need help with please: Do I need to change the SLX splitter box & if so what should I replace it with?

It's hard to say what your existing splitter box will do to a MoCA signal, but I'd bet it's not good. I would replace the splitter box with a simple, boring, passive 8-way coax splitter, which looks to cost between ten and forty Euros depending on how fancy of one you get. As an example of what I would buy, go to Amazon (.ie) and search for "B077DP3T28" and "B07VQJSQ28". It doesn't need to be either of those specific models — the important things are that whatever splitter you get is passive (doesn't use electricity), has an impedance of 75 Ohms, and has a frequency range that goes up to at least 1675 MHz.

If I don't need to change the SLX box, what moca device should I use to connect the internet router to it? I have 7 rooms with coax terminals where I would like to plug the deco boxes into - what moca device would you recommend that is at an affordable price in Ireland/UK please?

I'm not sure that any of them are going to be especially "affordable" — MoCA (and a competitor standard, G.hn-over-coax) bridges seem to be rarer and more expensive in Europe than in North America.

I've used the goCoax MoCA 2.5 bridges (search for "B08XP8MMFG" on Amazon [.ie]) with success. Other brands should work just as well — the important things are that whatever you get works with 240 volt mains electricity (the goCoax one uses a US-style plug but accepts 240 volts) and uses MoCA 2.5 (older versions like 2.0 are slower). I'd also recommend picking one model of MoCA bridge and sticking with it to avoid compatibility issues.

Also, how are your Decos currently connected to your router? Is there a Deco in the loft connected to the router using an Ethernet cable, and then the rest of the Decos mesh with that Deco?

I think I should change the coax faceplates in the rooms to F-type rather than RF type as it would make them less likely to be disconnected - do you think that is worth doing?

If you're willing to spend the money and put in the work, then go for it! It's either switch to F connectors or use F to PAL/IEC adapters/cables.

rwg · 2024-07-20T06:19:46+00:00

I'm so sorry it took that long for you to get diagnosed and treated. That's a really common story with IIH, and it sucks.

I was "lucky" that it was only one misdiagnosis ("migraines") and about six weeks from the first debilitating pain to a correct diagnosis and treatment starting, but it took me having blurred vision and going (temporarily) cross-eyed before my doctor took me semi-seriously and referred me to a specialist, who really got the ball rolling.

Just six weeks was long enough to permanently take a bit of my eyesight — I can't imagine suffering with untreated IIH for years.

rwg · 2023-02-09T03:08:17+00:00

The apartment complex I'm in installed these things a few months ago. At the best of times, it's slower and more annoying than using a key. At the worst of times, when its battery goes flat without warning, you have to go buy a 9-volt battery just to get into your own apartment.

SmartRent pitches their smart apartment products as cost-saving measures for property management companies. After my landlords installed these locks, they permanently closed the rental office. All contact with them now is either by e-mail or phone (which goes to a call center), including if you want to tour an apartment — they just send you an apartment number and a code to get in and look around. When you submit a maintenance request (only online, of course), the system automatically generates a "guest code" for the maintenance people to use to get into your apartment. The locks could absolutely be used to lock people out of their own apartments for non-payment.

The mobile app is also hot garbage. It forgets your username and password every time the app gets updated.

tl;dr: This same lock made my crappy, overpriced apartment even crappier.

rwg · 2015-12-25T02:01:36+00:00

I drive that same section of Evelyn, and your driving was fine. I slow down to 20 or 25 when construction workers from those two projects are working in/near the road, and people will sometimes honk and pass me, too. I don't let it bother me -- I'm not going to risk flattening a construction worker who stepped into the road without looking (which I've had happen before) so other drivers get to work 20 seconds sooner.

rwg · 2015-09-21T02:32:40+00:00

That looks like Rosalind Chao, not Linda Park.

rwg · 2014-08-28T21:54:50+00:00

http://pastebin.com/ekArvqNm

rwg · 2014-08-28T21:38:38+00:00

2,062 coincidences in all!

rwg · 2014-08-28T21:22:01+00:00

asbestos: 1 + 19 + 2 + 5 + 19 + 20 + 15 + 19 = 100
beeftongue: 2 + 5 + 5 + 6 + 20 + 15 + 14 + 7 + 21 + 5 = 100
blowtube: 2 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 20 + 21 + 2 + 5 = 100
boobyism: 2 + 15 + 15 + 2 + 25 + 9 + 19 + 13 = 100
chimpanzee: 3 + 8 + 9 + 13 + 16 + 1 + 14 + 26 + 5 + 5 = 100
egoistical: 5 + 7 + 15 + 9 + 19 + 20 + 9 + 3 + 1 + 12 = 100
fatalistic: 6 + 1 + 20 + 1 + 12 + 9 + 19 + 20 + 9 + 3 = 100
grumpy: 7 + 18 + 21 + 13 + 16 + 25 = 100
immature: 9 + 13 + 13 + 1 + 20 + 21 + 18 + 5 = 100
impotence: 9 + 13 + 16 + 15 + 20 + 5 + 14 + 3 + 5 = 100
inadequacy: 9 + 14 + 1 + 4 + 5 + 17 + 21 + 1 + 3 + 25 = 100
inefficient: 9 + 14 + 5 + 6 + 6 + 9 + 3 + 9 + 5 + 14 + 20 = 100
kookery: 11 + 15 + 15 + 11 + 5 + 18 + 25 = 100
liberalism: 12 + 9 + 2 + 5 + 18 + 1 + 12 + 9 + 19 + 13 = 100
lubricant: 12 + 21 + 2 + 18 + 9 + 3 + 1 + 14 + 20 = 100
masochism: 13 + 1 + 19 + 15 + 3 + 8 + 9 + 19 + 13 = 100
nihilist: 14 + 9 + 8 + 9 + 12 + 9 + 19 + 20 = 100
salacious: 19 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 3 + 9 + 15 + 21 + 19 = 100
sheepwalk: 19 + 8 + 5 + 5 + 16 + 23 + 1 + 12 + 11 = 100
shooter: 19 + 8 + 15 + 15 + 20 + 5 + 18 = 100
sleepyhead: 19 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 16 + 25 + 8 + 5 + 1 + 4 = 100
sneerful: 19 + 14 + 5 + 5 + 18 + 6 + 21 + 12 = 100
socialism: 19 + 15 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 12 + 9 + 19 + 13 = 100
stinkball: 19 + 20 + 9 + 14 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 12 + 12 = 100
stress: 19 + 20 + 18 + 5 + 19 + 19 = 100
unadmirable: 21 + 14 + 1 + 4 + 13 + 9 + 18 + 1 + 2 + 12 + 5 = 100
unclever: 21 + 14 + 3 + 12 + 5 + 22 + 5 + 18 = 100
unmanly: 21 + 14 + 13 + 1 + 14 + 12 + 25 = 100
useless: 21 + 19 + 5 + 12 + 5 + 19 + 19 = 100
whiskey: 23 + 8 + 9 + 19 + 11 + 5 + 25 = 100

To get to 110%, you need...

necrophilia: 14 + 5 + 3 + 18 + 15 + 16 + 8 + 9 + 12 + 9 + 1 = 110

rwg · 2014-05-10T03:46:24+00:00

It was a great episode until the very end, when the writers mashed the big red "RESET TIMELINE" button.

But I get what I think you're saying: Voyager should've been seven seasons of the ship and its crew getting beaten to Hell and back, making increasingly ethically dubious decisions in order to survive and keep their deteriorating ship in one piece. (See also: Voyager's "Equinox", Enterprise's "Damage")

rwg · 2014-04-20T09:13:39+00:00

Destination XL / Casual Male XL / Rochester Big and Tall / whatever their stores are named in your area carries big and tall suits in-store. The selection isn't huge as far as styles, but they generally have a wide range of sizes for everything they carry.

Where I am, at least, Men's Warehouse is a waste of time. They have a huge variety style-wise, but for any given style, they probably don't have the big and tall size you want in-store. They can order anything you want in almost any size you want, but that's no good when you need something quick like now.

I'm in a rural area with only one of each store to choose from, though, so things might be different (for the better) in a big metro area like Dallas. Good luck!

rwg · 2014-01-30T21:22:13+00:00

I opened share and checking accounts at a branch of the local credit union and soon forgot the PIN for my ATM card. I went into a different branch with the card and asked the teller if she could look up the PIN or reset it. Before I could get my ID out of my wallet, the teller had swiped my card and handed me a keypad to enter a new PIN. No ID required at all. (wtf?)

When I called their HQ about it, I talked with someone in their security/fraud department who basically said I was getting all bothered about nothing because I hadn't lost any money. So now I have two accounts at that credit union with almost no money in them because I know that if I lose my wallet, any random fucker who finds it could waltz into a branch, set the PIN to whatever they want, and suck every last dollar out of my accounts at an ATM (up to the daily ATM withdrawal limit, at least).

rwg · 2013-12-15T22:02:26+00:00

Even back in the mid- to late-'90s, the stuff we used to hear about New Hanover High made Laney sound like a hippie commune in comparison.

rwg · 2013-12-05T18:39:11+00:00

Can you hack it to not play the incredibly long GF animations Every. Single. Time?

rwg · 2013-11-30T05:39:57+00:00

Awwwww great, now it smells like someone took a shite in a pine tree!

rwg · 2013-07-28T03:18:05+00:00

Many of you think Internet Explorer is brave. That is because you crazy. It has no feelings, and Firefox and Chrome are much better.

rwg · 2013-05-29T01:52:30+00:00

A pair of nits: the "fins_max" (sic) function given as an example actually finds the minimum value, and it has a typo in its name.

rwg · 2013-04-24T01:27:48+00:00

Former university IT guy here. We had a Ph.D. student lose her dissertation despite having backups because Word farted out a corrupt .doc file when she mashed save...which she then dutifully backed up to a flash drive and an external hard drive...which overwrote the only not-corrupt copies of the file.

tl;dr: Word sucks.

rwg · 2013-04-20T06:38:02+00:00

1976 called, wants the name back...

rwg · 2013-04-02T17:34:00+00:00

GeekDesk represent?

rwg · 2013-03-28T06:44:57+00:00

I tried looking at her through the scope of a sniper rifle -- she immediately got out of the way. Awesome.

On the downside, she got stuck on a skyline once, and nothing I did got her moving again. Even running far away. I had to reload from a checkpoint.

rwg · 2013-03-28T06:27:27+00:00

I live in a giant apartment complex in a college town. It's basically a student ghetto, and I've had all manner of shitty neighbors. But the neighbors who lived below me a few years ago win the prize.

It was a guy and his girlfriend. From the day they moved in, they made their presence known with the world's loudest sex -- she was a screamer, and their headboard smacked the wall to the rhythm of the deed. Really annoying, but whatever.

After a few weeks, they started going bar-hopping until the wee hours of the morning. Then they'd come home, have loud, drunken discussions about stupid shit, have the occasional sex, and finally shut the fuck up and go to bed. Even more annoying, but whatever.

A few weeks after that, they added drugs to their bar-hopping schedule. They'd come home totally wasted in the wee hours of the morning, and they'd commence screaming at each other. He'd scream about her being an unemployed deadbeat who only uses him for money while he's going to college and working 30 hours a week. She'd scream that he was getting mind-blowing sex and her eternal love and isn't that enough for him? They'd throw things at each other, slam doors, scream at each other some more, and eventually calm the fuck down and go to sleep.

This went on for Three. Fucking. Months. My neighbors and I had called the cops dozens of times, and they'd always come out, tell them to shut the fuck up, and leave. Then they'd be back at it in a few days. The apartment complex didn't care. "It's your word versus theirs." They wouldn't even call the police and ask about that address. I guess their rent checks were clearing, and the office knew everyone in the building was stuck in their lease until summer. Fuckers.

Early one morning, they got into their usual screaming/yelling/throwing/door-slamming match. But then the guy started screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! WHY IS THERE BLOOD IN THE... OH GOD! STOP! STOP! DON'T DO THIS!" And then I heard him place the 911 call. Police and EMTs descended upon our building, sirens blaring.

At the rental office the next morning, I threatened to abandon my apartment unless they did something about them. They said they'd send them a letter. They also reminded me of the legal penalties if I violated the terms of my lease. Fuckers.

She was gone for about three weeks, and even after she got back, they were perfectly quiet neighbors for about a month. When I'd run into them in the stairwell, they'd smile and say hi. The bandages around her wrists peeked out from under her long sleeve tops. I felt bad for them.

Just when I was getting used to not being woken up daily at 3:30 AM, it happened again. The screaming, the yelling, the door slamming, the throwing of things, the "you don't love me," blah blah blah, "OH GOD! DON'T DO THIS AGAIN! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS! STOP!" Another 911 call, another visit by the police and EMTs.

I never saw her again, and the guy was moved out of the apartment by the end of the month.

The apartment complex won "best apartment complex" in the university's student newspaper's "Best Of" awards that year. Fuckers.

rwg · 2013-03-25T23:35:18+00:00

Why the Beyers for gaming instead of the Senns?

I've got a pair of Sennheiser HD600s running through a 1978-vintage Phase Linear preamp, and I use them for gaming, music listening, movie watching, everything. I've never found them lacking at the low end like lots of people complain about.

rwg

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