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* Vitals [1]
* Official Details [2]
* Pictures [3]
* OEM Firmware [4]
* Alternate Firmware [5]
* Support Forum [6]
* Misc Notes & Links [7]
* Modifications / Addon\'s [8]
* Discussion [9]
* netbooting OpenWrt [10]
* kernel configuration [11]
* userland [12]
* VxWorks bootloader config [13]
* dhcp server config [14]
* Problems [15]
VITALS
* MANUFACTURER : Senao / EnGenius [16]
* MODEL : NL-5354AP1-Aries2
* TYPE : Dual radio Access Point
* EXTERNAL ANTENNA JACK : 2 x UFL on board
* USB PORTS : none
* PARALLEL PORT : none
* POWER : 5V 2.5 A switch mode power supply
* WLAN CHIPSET : Atheros AR 5112 2.4/5 GHz dual band radio & AR 2112
2.4 GHz radio
* TRANSMIT POWER :
* 802.11a up to 100 mW
* 802.11b up to 200 mW
* 802.11g up to 125 mW
* RECIEVE SENSITIVITY :
* TBA
* TBA
* AVAILABLE NEW : Yes, as refurbished, EOL product
* AVERAGE PRICE : $45 ebay ( justDeals)
* VITALS LAST UPDATED : 16 October 2006
OFFICIAL DETAILS
* 2 MB Flash
* 8 MB RAM
* Serial console and telnet server for CLI
* Usual details for this sort of device.
Note: it is a Bridging device not routing so there is no router type
services. No DHCP, No DNS, No Firewall. It does support AP, Client,
P2P and P2MP modes as well as WDS.
Quick Guide [17]
User Manual [18]
PICTURES
[19]
Larger Version [20]
OEM FIRMWARE
The OEM firmware is VXWorkes based.
Senao Firmware v 1.7 [21]
ALTERNATE FIRMWARE
There is a FreeBSD [22] port that will run on this little device
FreeBSD for mips [23]
OpenWrt port [24] in progress for the Atheros processor.
I have this netbooting, had to tweak the kernel cmd line and also the
kernel drivers to build in the appropriate packages.
SUPPORT FORUM
MISC NOTES & LINKS
This device has 3 interfaces, LAN, WLAN0, WLAN1. The interfaces are
bridged in the box, it has a MAC address for each interface but only
supports a single IP Address across all interfaces.
Can be configured to be a 802.11a or 802.11g client, bridge or
repeater via the command line interface, web interface is for access
point only modes.
User review [25]
Another review [26]
the CLI login is admin pw iktpw
in addition there is an admin mode ( enter admin password senao )
MODIFICATIONS / ADDON\'S
PoE [27] support is mentioned in the data sheet, however on my
machines the tracks have been cur from the RJ45 connector, there is
some of the detection curcuitry but the 48 V capable powersupply is
not populated on the board. Instead there is a small daughter board to
take the 5V supply from the Jack.
The dinky antennas have to go... Perhaps a neat little 5.8 GHz Yagi (
16 DBi in a 25 cm long antenna ) and a pannel for the 2.4 Ghz and wrap
it in a nice little waterproof box.
DISCUSSION
It's a constrained device, ( both flash, Memory mknod console c 5 0
The kernel will run /etc/preinit once it has loaded. You will find
that it chokes either here or just past here when init runs
/etc/init.d/rcS
rcS will run through the Snn* files listed in /etc/rc.d. Once it runs
S10boot then you will be totally hosed. SO for now move that directory
aside and create a blank one in it's place. Then init will run without
doing the boot configuration and give you a shell to work in.
I'll go through the inssues here next update.
VXWORKS BOOTLOADER CONFIG
You need to set up the VxWorks [32] bootloader to boot from the net.
It is able to find the kernel but not pass command line options.
The kernel you build will use DHCP to set up the network interface
and mount the userland from the NFS server details returned in the
DHCP response.
DHCP SERVER CONFIG
I tried to use udhcpd or dnsmasq to return the DHCP parameters but
they do not support netbooting machines with different parameters.
DHCP is pretty robust though so if you have multiple DHCP servers
running, then the client will accept the response that contains the
best/ most information.
I ran dhcpd on the linux machine I was serving the userland from.
PROBLEMS
The first problem will be the device seeming to fail in the boot
process. This is because the boot loader serial console is at 115200
baud while the default OpenWrt [33] kernel will set the baud to 9600.
This is so slow you will se no messages at all after the boot loader
loads the kernel and jumps to the start address.
Fix this by either running your terminal at 9600 and ignoring the
boot loader "junk" or changing the command line of the console.
Not found console - the default firmware has /dev empty, create the
console device as described above.
errors when interacting with the NFS mounted root fs.
need to mount the FS rw earlier in the boot process.
Don't see all the mounts in /proc - haven't worked this one out. you
can see the mounts with mount
Links:
------
[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#vitals
[2] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#official_details
[3] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#pictures
[4] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#oem_firmware
[5] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#alternate_firmware
[6] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#support_forum
[7] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#misc_notes___links
[8] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#modifications___addon_s
[9] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#discussion
[10] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#netbooting_openwrt
[11] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#kernel_configuration
[12] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#userland
[13] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#vxworks_bootloader_config
[14] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#dhcp_server_config
[15] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#problems
[16] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?EnGenius
[17]
http://www.senao.com.tw/english/product/driverdb/000063188/Aries-AP-QuickGuide.pdf
[18]
http://www.senao.com.tw/english/product/driverdb/000063150/NL-5354AP1-Aries2-Manual-V12.pdf
[19] http://home.people.net.au/~stev391/NL-5354AP1_Inside.jpg
[20] http://home.people.net.au/~stev391/NL-5354AP1_Inside.jpg
[21]
http://www.senao.com.tw/english/product/driverdb/000063189/5354AP1Aries2-FrimwareV17.zip
[22] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?FreeBSD
[23] http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/evbmips
[24] http://wiki.openwrt.org/AtherosPort
[25] http://ben.pfountz.com/~bpfountz/5354_ap1_aries2.htm
[26]
http://www.keenansystems.com/nl5354ap1_aries2_80211_super_a_g_access_point_review.htm
[27] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PoE
[28] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OPENWRT
[29] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWrt
[30] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWrt
[31] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWrt
[32] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?VxWorks
[33] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWrt
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