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OpenWRT gateway with TP-Link brand access points

Hello, I have a grievance and need a proper solution.
It seems that TP-Link's Deco mesh WiFi APs don't tag the three SSIDs to vlans (and they see no operational issue with this), and I would like to make the most use out of the "iot" network they provide to separate smart devices from my own.
I could do by IP and assign static routes to such devices, but I was hoping something would be possible in router mode, though im unfamiliar with how such a structure works.

Edit: may not matter to include I have a couple M5 units and an x60

Any other suggestions (including other brand mesh WiFi units, most especially supporting openwrt) are appreciated

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

You can built a mesh network out of off the shelf routers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVoZppb_FR0

anamethatisnt , (edited )

Any router that supports latest openwrt will be able to do a mesh network, if you have the option to run cable I would recommend ethernet backhaul instead.

Sometimes there are caveats when setting up the mesh, f.e. the firmware issue and fix here:
https://www.tekovic.com/blog/openwrt-80211s-mesh-networking/

Hardware list:
https://openwrt.org/toh/start?toh.filter.supportedcurrentrel=22.03%7C23.05

edit:
OpenWrt Mesh guide:
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/mesh/80211s
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/mesh/mesh11sd

edit 2 adding the openwrt warning here:
It is unfortunate that some manufacturers have used the word “Mesh” for marketing purposes to describe their non-standard, closed source, proprietary “roaming” functionality and this causes great confusion to many people when they enter the world of international standards and open source firmware for their network infrastructure.

The accepted standard for mesh networks is ieee802.11s.
The accepted standard for fast roaming of user devices is ieee802.11r.

These are two completely unrelated standards.

bbuez OP ,

Thank you very much for that final note, I just love misleading marketing tactics and actually may not have noticed. Cheers!

catloaf ,

Can you put the second SSID on a different subnet and block the traffic between them on your router?

bbuez OP ,

Issue is assigning static IPs to devices like nest cameras and the dubiously branded vacuum cleaner, NAT alone should be enough to restrict connection even if the adapter its on is configured as lan then? Im a little in over my head as far as routing goes, wanting to self host some web server and I want to take as many precautions as necessary (maybe even overkill)

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