Difference between pages "Setup Network" and "Getting Started"

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(→‎Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to WL-330N3G)
 
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When you have done the flashing of your meteobridge and initial network setup done, you can reach meteobridge for some final configuration with your browser by typing in its IP as URL. Following sections will tell you how to finalize the configuration so that your weather data gets uploaded to Weather Underground.
+
__NOTOC__
 +
To make a Meteobridge out of TP-LINK routers TL-MR3020 or TL-WR703N, you simply habe to install an applicable Meteobridge firmware image. Flashing the firmware can be done with the firmware update functions the router's stock firmware does provide. By doing so you will void the TP-LINK warranty, but having the cheap price in mind you will certainly not face a substantial financial risk in the unlikely event that you brick the router.  
  
−
Your browser will show you meteobridge's web interface with 5 tabs. Please go through all these tabs and make the required settings. The page will show warnings for all still missing essentials until you have worked through all of this. It is just a few steps, which will be explained in the chapters below, page by page.
+
==Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to TL-MR3020==
 +
Please consult the TP-Link manual to understand how to get access with your browser to its web interface. What the manual will tell you is basically that you have to connect your PC/Laptop via ethernet cable, and log in to the router's web interface (IP is 192.168.0.254, login name is "admin", password: "admin").
 +
When you have access to web interface of TL-MR3020, overwrite factory firmware like a regular firmware update by [http://www.meteohub.de/files/meteobridge-tl-mr3020-v13.bin meteobridge-tl-mr3020-v13.bin]. Wait until unit restarts. After that it will be a Meteobridge client in standard configuration receiving an IP via DHCP from your router in the LAN.
  
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==Setup Networking==
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==Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to TL-WR703N==
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When you can reach meteobridge web interface this is a proof that your network settings are fine. The meteobridge application code that presents the web interface is not stored in the non-volatile flash memory of the meteobridge, but gets downloaded from the Internet during boot. So without having the meteobridge connected to the Internet, this will not be there. However, once you have access to the web interface you can make changes to networking to prepare the unit to be operational in another network environment which may need different settings.
+
As TL-WR703N does only come with a Chinese web interface, it might be a bit tricky to find the right menu item to initiate firmware update. First you have to login with your browser. To achieve that you have to connect your PC/Laptop via ethernet cable, and log in to the router's web interface (IP is 192.168.1.1, login name is "admin", password: "admin").
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To get you around the bootstrap problem (how to configure networking when you need networking already configured to be able to do changes in the configuration?) there is a meteobridge simulator in the Internet, which works as described [http://meteobridge.com/wiki/index.php/Getting_Started#Cloud_Simulator_for_Network_Configuration here].
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When you have access to web interface of TL-WR703N, you select the item at the bottom of the left menu items, marked in light red on the picture below.
  
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===Type Of Connection===
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[[File:wr703n-p1.png]]
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In this section you can specify whether meteobridge should use "LAN" or "wireless LAN". When you select "wireless LAN" you have to provide some more information.
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* '''SSID''' is the name of the wireless LAN provided by the access point or router. Unless you have configured your router in a way that it hides the SSID, you shuld see the WLANs meteobridge can login to in the "nown SSID" drop-down box.
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* '''WLAN Region''' defines the geographical region your WLAN is located at. As frequencies and rules how to use these frequencies does change from region to region, it is important that you select the corect region here to make sure your meteobridge operates within RF regulations of your region. Simply select the country code that fits best to your current location.   
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* '''Encryption''' must refelct the type of encryption vaild for your WLAN. Meteobridge supports
+
−
** ''none'', no encryption at all, which is not recommended to use
+
−
** ''WEP Open System'', ''WEP Shared Key'' encryption methods from the past easy to hack today (also not recommended to use)
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−
** ''WPA PSK'', an encryption method not so easy to hack (weakly recommended)
+
−
** ''WPA2 PSK'', an up-to-date encryption method, with good protection (recommended)
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** ''WPA/WPA2 mixed mode''', which might make sense when you haven WPA equipment in your WLAN not abble to run WPA2.
+
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* '''Mode''' defines the 802.11 standard used in the WLAN. You can choose between
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−
** ''auto''', let decide meteobridge itself
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−
** ''802.11b'', the oldest and slowest standard up to 10 Mbps
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** ''802.11g'', a faster standard up to 50 Mbps
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** ''802.11g+n'', todays standard up to 100 Mbps and above
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* '''Passphrase''' is the password that grants access to your WLAN. Please don't use passwords with special characters, as these might not be handled correctly by the web interface.
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===IP Addresses===
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Next you choose sub menu item as marked in light red in the picture below and browse to target file by pressing light red marked file select dialog in the middle of the screen. Please use [http://www.meteohub.de/files/meteobridge-tl-wr703n-v13.bin meteobridge-tl-wr703n-v13.bin] to install Meteobridge firmware onto the device.
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You can chooese between two diffrent ways to provide the IP details for meteobrige. When you select DHCP all nedded data will be provided automatically from a DHCP server in the network. Meteobridge identifies itself as a DHCP client in the network and the DHCP server (mostly your router) does send all IP configuration data to it. If you dont select DHCP, you have to insert the following data manually:
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*'''IP''' is the IP address which is used in your local network to address meteobridge. As most home networks are using a class c network, you have to make sure that all devices in your network have IPs from the same class C network, or to say it less technical, that the first three numbers seperated by dots are the same.
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* '''Netmask''' defines the size of the subnet. A class C subnet as usually used in home networks always has a netmask of "255.255.255.0".
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* '''Gateway''' defines the IP in your local network that acts as a connector to the Internet. Normally this will be the LAN IP of your router.
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* '''DNS''' is the nameserver that should be used to translate domain names into IPs. In some stuations your router also acts as a DNS forwarder and handles DNS requests in your local network. If so, the IP of your router is a suitable DNS IP. If not you should use a DNS IP of your ISP or you can use google DNS which has esy to remember IP "8.8.8.8".
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When you use meteobridge in a non DHCP mode all these manual entries must be correct, otherwise you will not have Internet connection.
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===Proxy===
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[[File:wr703n-p2.png]]
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Networks in larger companies or organizations might not provide direct Internet access, but have a proxy server that needs to be contacted in order to retrieve data from the internet. In such a situation, pelase select the meteobridge proxy swith. You can insert the IP of the proxy server (not the name, it must be the IP) and the port number, where the proxy service is provided at). When your proxy also needs some username/password authentification, then you are out of luck, as meteobridge can't handle that.  
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===General Remarks on Networking===
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Finally, a "are you sure" dialog will pop up, please press "yes" button and wait until progress bar has reached 100%. Unit will reboot automatically. After reboot it will be a Meteobridge in standard configuration receiving an IP via DHCP from your router in the LAN.
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Meteobridge has very low networking demands. Communication to the Internet is purely done via HTTP requests on port 80. This is exactly what you need to reach out for the Internet with your browser. A rule of thumb is, that in any network where you can browse the Internet, meteobridge should also be able to work properly. Some routers can be configured to block outgoing traffic on port 80. This firewall setting has to be released for the meteobridge LAN IP, otherwise meteobridge will not be able to connect to any weather network.
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 +
==Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to WL-330N3G==
 +
As ASUS WL-330N3G cannot be flashed by its stock web interface, it is necessary that you setup a TFTP environment on your Host PC to transfer the flash data via the ethernet to WL-330N3G. Using TFTP is quite simple.
 +
 
 +
First of all the router needs to toggled into "TFTP update mode". This is done by keeping the button on the top pressed for 5-10 seconds while doing a power cycle. After a couple of seconds the power LED starts a very slow blinking. You can now release the button. Router now waits for being firmware-updated via TFTP.
 +
 
 +
Sections below describe how to do it for Linucx and Windows 7.
 +
 
 +
===Flashing via TFTP on Linux===
 +
TFTP update does not need any additional software installed, your Linux already has all you need. Flashing is very straight forward, just execute the script below.<pre>#!/bin/sh
 +
#
 +
if [ "$1" = "" ]
 +
then
 +
  echo "error: flash sys file missing as parameter"
 +
  exit 1
 +
else
 +
  echo "power cycle WL-330N3G with button pressed and wait"
 +
  echo "until power LED does go off and on again. Then "
 +
  echo "release button and press <RETURN>."
 +
  read a
 +
  echo "start flashing..."
 +
  ifconfig br0:0 192.168.1.20
 +
  echo -ne "binary\ntrace\nrexmt 1\nput $1\nquit\n" | tftp 192.168.1.1
 +
  echo "...transfer done."
 +
  echo "Wait until unit does reboot (will take at least 2 minutes). "
 +
  echo "Do not remove from power during flash process!"
 +
fi
 +
</pre>
 +
The script needs to be called with the flash update file [http://www.meteohub.de/files/meteobridge-wlmr3020-v13.sys meteobridge-wlmr3020-v13.sys] as parameter. Please execute the script as root, otherwise "ifconfig" and "tftp" will not do or will ask for root password. "ifconfig" sets a virtual ethernet adapter with IP 192.168.1.20 on your Linux box, which is the IP the router expects to get the firmware update from.
 +
 
 +
===Flashing via TFTP on Windows 7===
 +
First you have to enable the TFTP service of your Windows 7. You can do that by
 +
# Open Control Panel > Programs and Features
 +
# Click "Turn Windows features on or off" in left side
 +
# Enable "TFTP Client" then click OK button
 +
Having tftp enabled you open a cmd shell and type the following commands into it.<pre>
 +
</pre>
 +
 
 +
===Final Flashing Tasks===
 +
IP of router in update mode is 192.168.1.1, which hopefully will not do a collision with one of your other devices. If there is a collision, switch off the other devices during flash. After data has been transferred via TFTP you have to wait a couple of minutes until flash process inside the router is done and router restarts itself. Restart switches off all LEDs for a short time. Now it is safe to disconnect the router from power. Interrupting the flash processes by a power cycle will brick the router.
 +
 
 +
==IP Signaling==
 +
When Meteobridge is connected to your LAN it will try to receive a dynamic IP from your DHCP server during boot. Wait until blinking of the largest LED has stopped. Do a short press on the the transparent push button on top of the large LED (TL-MR3020) or a short press of the reset button behind the pinhole at the back of the unit (TL-WR703N). Now LED will start signaling the IP.
 +
 
 +
Meteobridge will signal its IP by pulsing the LED beneath the pressed button (TL-MR3020) or the blue LED on the top of the device (TL-WR703N). Sequence begins with LED going off, then each of the four numbers (delimited by a dot) will be signaled one by one. The dot between the numbers will be signaled by a "H" (LED shines bright). Each number is signaled by blinking digit per digit. Each digit is represented by a "M" (LED shines medium dimmed) repeated as often as the digit tells us. The zero digit is signaled by ten blinks. After having done this for all digits of all numbers of the IP, the end is signaled by LED staying off a while like it started with. When Sequenze is done, the LED is constantly turned on again.
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Example: IP 192.168.10.77 Legend: M = LED medium dimmed, H = LED shines bright, _ = LED is dark
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 +
<pre>Signal:                                          Comment
 +
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M___H              192
 +
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___H        168
 +
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___H                  10
 +
___M_M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M___              77</pre>
 +
 
 +
When Meteobridge is connected via LAN it will signal the LAN IP. To get the WLAN IP signaled in that case, please disconnect ethernet cable from meteobridge's LAN port and start IP signaling again. This time WLAN IP will be signaled.
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 +
If you don't like reading the blinks, you can also use an IP scanner (for example: [http://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/ Advanced IP Scanner]) or you can look into the logs of your router that provides IPs via DHCP for clients in the LAN/WLAN.
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 +
When a FAT formatted USB stick is connected to the USB port, a file "network.log" is written to the USB stick in addition to the LED blinking. The file will look like this:<pre>Sat Jan  5 00:23:16 UTC 2013
 +
MAC:    90:F6:52:C5:2A:B7
 +
LAN IP:  192.168.123.245</pre>
 +
 
 +
==Cloud Simulator for Network Configuration==
 +
If Meteobridge client cannot connect to your LAN or your LAN does not provide a DHCP service, large LED will not leave fast-blinking mode. To get network settings fixed, you can define the correct network parameters in a simulator in the Internet, which works as follows.
 +
# Please browse to [http://config.meteobridge.com config.meteobridge.com]. There you will find a simulation of the Meteobridge web interface. Please select the "Setup Network" tab and configure settings as needed for your specific network situation.
 +
# When settings are done, please press "save" and change to "Download" tab which will cause your browser to start downloading a configuration file named "config.tgz".
 +
# Please store that file (as is, do not unpack) on a USB stick formatted as FAT and start the Meteobridge with the USB stick plugged into the USB port of Meteobridge. When network settings are right, Meteobridge will stop with slow and fast blinking and turn on the LED constantly.
 +
# You can now remove the USB stick, it is no longer needed. File "config.tgz" on USB stick has been used and renamed to "config.tgz.done".
 +
 
 +
==First Login==
 +
When you have done the flashing of your meteobridge and initial network setup done, you can reach meteobridge for final configuration with your browser by typing in its IP as URL.
 +
 
 +
As login is protected by a password, your browser will ask for a user name and password. '''Please enter ''meteobridge'' as user und also ''meteobridge'' as password'''. While the user cannot be changed, you can change the password later on. Sections listed in the setup menu at the left will tell you how to finalize configuration so that your weather data gets finally uploaded to Weather Underground.
 +
 
 +
Your browser will show you meteobridge's web interface with 5 tabs. Please go through all these tabs and make the required settings. The page will show warnings for all still missing essentials until you have worked through all of this. It is just a few steps, which will be explained in the setup chapters, page by page.
 +
 
 +
==Back to Defaults==
 +
When you have misconfigured the network or system password in a way that you can't no longer reach meteobridge, you can revert the system back to defaults by pressing the button on the top of TL-MR3020 / WL-330N3G or the reset button at the back of TL-WR703N at the back behind a pin hole. By pushing these buttons you can revert to defaults in two ways.
 +
# '''Reset to default network operation''' is done by pressing the button and keeping it presses until LED goes on again for the first time. Now release button and system will restart with default network configuration, which is LAN DHCP client mode. Network settings done before are still stored inside meteobridge when unit has started in LAN DHCP client mode, but these will need additional "Save" clicks to be made active again.
 +
# '''Reset password''' is done by pressing button and keeping it pressed until LED goes on for the second time. Meteobridge will reboot and will be available with default password via ssh (user root, password meteobridge) and http (user meteobridge, password meteobridge).
 +
 
 +
==Flash Again==
 +
When you need to flash a new meteobridge firmware to your device, you can do that by going to "Setup Network" tab und pressing "Expert Mode (OpenWrt)" button. This will bring you to the openwrt SW stack below meteobridge application software stack. Login with your meteobridge password and goto "System" tab. Select sub tab "Backup / Flash Firmware" and use offered "flash new firmware" section. Unmark "keep settings" option and start flashing. Keep device connected to power, it wil restart automatically. WL-330N3G always needs to be flashed with the TFTP environment as explained.

Revision as of 19:08, 7 January 2013

To make a Meteobridge out of TP-LINK routers TL-MR3020 or TL-WR703N, you simply habe to install an applicable Meteobridge firmware image. Flashing the firmware can be done with the firmware update functions the router's stock firmware does provide. By doing so you will void the TP-LINK warranty, but having the cheap price in mind you will certainly not face a substantial financial risk in the unlikely event that you brick the router.

Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to TL-MR3020

Please consult the TP-Link manual to understand how to get access with your browser to its web interface. What the manual will tell you is basically that you have to connect your PC/Laptop via ethernet cable, and log in to the router's web interface (IP is 192.168.0.254, login name is "admin", password: "admin"). When you have access to web interface of TL-MR3020, overwrite factory firmware like a regular firmware update by meteobridge-tl-mr3020-v13.bin. Wait until unit restarts. After that it will be a Meteobridge client in standard configuration receiving an IP via DHCP from your router in the LAN.

Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to TL-WR703N

As TL-WR703N does only come with a Chinese web interface, it might be a bit tricky to find the right menu item to initiate firmware update. First you have to login with your browser. To achieve that you have to connect your PC/Laptop via ethernet cable, and log in to the router's web interface (IP is 192.168.1.1, login name is "admin", password: "admin"). When you have access to web interface of TL-WR703N, you select the item at the bottom of the left menu items, marked in light red on the picture below.

Wr703n-p1.png

Next you choose sub menu item as marked in light red in the picture below and browse to target file by pressing light red marked file select dialog in the middle of the screen. Please use meteobridge-tl-wr703n-v13.bin to install Meteobridge firmware onto the device.

Wr703n-p2.png

Finally, a "are you sure" dialog will pop up, please press "yes" button and wait until progress bar has reached 100%. Unit will reboot automatically. After reboot it will be a Meteobridge in standard configuration receiving an IP via DHCP from your router in the LAN.

Flashing Meteobridge Firmware to WL-330N3G

As ASUS WL-330N3G cannot be flashed by its stock web interface, it is necessary that you setup a TFTP environment on your Host PC to transfer the flash data via the ethernet to WL-330N3G. Using TFTP is quite simple.

First of all the router needs to toggled into "TFTP update mode". This is done by keeping the button on the top pressed for 5-10 seconds while doing a power cycle. After a couple of seconds the power LED starts a very slow blinking. You can now release the button. Router now waits for being firmware-updated via TFTP.

Sections below describe how to do it for Linucx and Windows 7.

Flashing via TFTP on Linux

TFTP update does not need any additional software installed, your Linux already has all you need. Flashing is very straight forward, just execute the script below.
#!/bin/sh
#
if [ "$1" = "" ]
then
  echo "error: flash sys file missing as parameter"
  exit 1
else
  echo "power cycle WL-330N3G with button pressed and wait"
  echo "until power LED does go off and on again. Then "
  echo "release button and press <RETURN>."
  read a
  echo "start flashing..."
  ifconfig br0:0 192.168.1.20
  echo -ne "binary\ntrace\nrexmt 1\nput $1\nquit\n" | tftp 192.168.1.1
  echo "...transfer done."
  echo "Wait until unit does reboot (will take at least 2 minutes). "
  echo "Do not remove from power during flash process!"
fi

The script needs to be called with the flash update file meteobridge-wlmr3020-v13.sys as parameter. Please execute the script as root, otherwise "ifconfig" and "tftp" will not do or will ask for root password. "ifconfig" sets a virtual ethernet adapter with IP 192.168.1.20 on your Linux box, which is the IP the router expects to get the firmware update from.

Flashing via TFTP on Windows 7

First you have to enable the TFTP service of your Windows 7. You can do that by

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features
  2. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" in left side
  3. Enable "TFTP Client" then click OK button
Having tftp enabled you open a cmd shell and type the following commands into it.


Final Flashing Tasks


IP of router in update mode is 192.168.1.1, which hopefully will not do a collision with one of your other devices. If there is a collision, switch off the other devices during flash. After data has been transferred via TFTP you have to wait a couple of minutes until flash process inside the router is done and router restarts itself. Restart switches off all LEDs for a short time. Now it is safe to disconnect the router from power. Interrupting the flash processes by a power cycle will brick the router.



IP Signaling


When Meteobridge is connected to your LAN it will try to receive a dynamic IP from your DHCP server during boot. Wait until blinking of the largest LED has stopped. Do a short press on the the transparent push button on top of the large LED (TL-MR3020) or a short press of the reset button behind the pinhole at the back of the unit (TL-WR703N). Now LED will start signaling the IP.

Meteobridge will signal its IP by pulsing the LED beneath the pressed button (TL-MR3020) or the blue LED on the top of the device (TL-WR703N). Sequence begins with LED going off, then each of the four numbers (delimited by a dot) will be signaled one by one. The dot between the numbers will be signaled by a "H" (LED shines bright). Each number is signaled by blinking digit per digit. Each digit is represented by a "M" (LED shines medium dimmed) repeated as often as the digit tells us. The zero digit is signaled by ten blinks. After having done this for all digits of all numbers of the IP, the end is signaled by LED staying off a while like it started with. When Sequenze is done, the LED is constantly turned on again.

Example: IP 192.168.10.77 Legend: M = LED medium dimmed, H = LED shines bright, _ = LED is dark



Signal:                                          Comment
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M___H               192
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___H         168
___M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M_M___H                   10
___M_M_M_M_M_M_M___M_M_M_M_M_M_M___              77


When Meteobridge is connected via LAN it will signal the LAN IP. To get the WLAN IP signaled in that case, please disconnect ethernet cable from meteobridge's LAN port and start IP signaling again. This time WLAN IP will be signaled.

If you don't like reading the blinks, you can also use an IP scanner (for example: Advanced IP Scanner) or you can look into the logs of your router that provides IPs via DHCP for clients in the LAN/WLAN. 


When a FAT formatted USB stick is connected to the USB port, a file "network.log" is written to the USB stick in addition to the LED blinking. The file will look like this:
Sat Jan  5 00:23:16 UTC 2013
MAC:     90:F6:52:C5:2A:B7
LAN IP:  192.168.123.245


Cloud Simulator for Network Configuration


If Meteobridge client cannot connect to your LAN or your LAN does not provide a DHCP service, large LED will not leave fast-blinking mode. To get network settings fixed, you can define the correct network parameters in a simulator in the Internet, which works as follows.



  1.  Please browse to config.meteobridge.com. There you will find a simulation of the Meteobridge web interface. Please select the "Setup Network" tab and configure settings as needed for your specific network situation. 
    2. 

  2.  When settings are done, please press "save" and change to "Download" tab which will cause your browser to start downloading a configuration file named "config.tgz". 
    3. 

  3.  Please store that file (as is, do not unpack) on a USB stick formatted as FAT and start the Meteobridge with the USB stick plugged into the USB port of Meteobridge. When network settings are right, Meteobridge will stop with slow and fast blinking and turn on the LED constantly.
    4. 

  4.  You can now remove the USB stick, it is no longer needed. File "config.tgz" on USB stick has been used and renamed to "config.tgz.done".


First Login


When you have done the flashing of your meteobridge and initial network setup done, you can reach meteobridge for final configuration with your browser by typing in its IP as URL. 

As login is protected by a password, your browser will ask for a user name and password. Please enter meteobridge as user und also meteobridge as password. While the user cannot be changed, you can change the password later on. Sections listed in the setup menu at the left will tell you how to finalize configuration so that your weather data gets finally uploaded to Weather Underground.

Your browser will show you meteobridge's web interface with 5 tabs. Please go through all these tabs and make the required settings. The page will show warnings for all still missing essentials until you have worked through all of this. It is just a few steps, which will be explained in the setup chapters, page by page.



Back to Defaults


When you have misconfigured the network or system password in a way that you can't no longer reach meteobridge, you can revert the system back to defaults by pressing the button on the top of TL-MR3020 / WL-330N3G or the reset button at the back of TL-WR703N at the back behind a pin hole. By pushing these buttons you can revert to defaults in two ways.



  1.  Reset to default network operation is done by pressing the button and keeping it presses until LED goes on again for the first time. Now release button and system will restart with default network configuration, which is LAN DHCP client mode. Network settings done before are still stored inside meteobridge when unit has started in LAN DHCP client mode, but these will need additional "Save" clicks to be made active again.
    2. 

  2.  Reset password is done by pressing button and keeping it pressed until LED goes on for the second time. Meteobridge will reboot and will be available with default password via ssh (user root, password meteobridge) and http (user meteobridge, password meteobridge).


Flash Again


When you need to flash a new meteobridge firmware to your device, you can do that by going to "Setup Network" tab und pressing "Expert Mode (OpenWrt)" button. This will bring you to the openwrt SW stack below meteobridge application software stack. Login with your meteobridge password and goto "System" tab. Select sub tab "Backup / Flash Firmware" and use offered "flash new firmware" section. Unmark "keep settings" option and start flashing. Keep device connected to power, it wil restart automatically. WL-330N3G always needs to be flashed with the TFTP environment as explained.






									

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