Flashing a NanoStation with DD-WRT - 11/08/2008

Warning! DD-WRT now requires a 20 Euro activiation fee for many wireless devices including the NanoStation2.

Installing the Firmware

  • Step 1: Download the Ubiquiti DD-WRT firmware located at:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv3/dd-wrt/downloads.html

  • Step 2: Power down the NanoStation by unplugging the Ethernet cable from the POE box.

  • Step 3: Plug your computer into the NanoStation POE box, and configure the adapter with the following settings:

    • IP: 192.168.1.100
    • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
    • Gateway: 192.168.1.20

  • Step 4:Hold the reset button (located on the bottom of the device, next to the Ethernet plugs) for approximately 10 seconds

  • Step 5: While holding the reset button plug the power cable back into the POE box

  • Step 6: Open a command prompt and...

    • cd into the directory for which the firmware is located
    • ping 192.168.1.20 until the device responds
    • tftp 192.168.1.20
      • From the tftp> prompt type:
        • bin
        • put (firmware image name goes here)
        • quit

Flashing a NanoStation with OpenWRT - 11/08/2008

OpenWRT is a free, open source firmware that can be loaded onto a number of different wireless networking devices, including the Ubiquiti NanoStation2. OpenWRT is a lightweight Linux distribution bundled with software that is useful for the management and administration of wireless networks.

Installing the Firmware

  • Step 1: Checkout the OpenWRT source with Subversion
    • svn co https://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/trunk/
  • Step 2: Change into the "trunk" directory that was created when OpenWRT was checked out.
    • cd trunk
  • Step 3: Run the following commands:
    • ./scripts/feeds update
    • ./scripts/feeds install -a
    • make menuconfig
      • From the configuration menu:
        • Select 'Atheros 231x/5312' from the 'Target System' menu
        • Select 'luci-admin-full' from the 'Administration' menu
        • Exit the configuration menu, and select "Yes" to save changes
  • Step 4: To compile OpenWRT, you must have the following dependencies installed on your system--all are available via apt in Ubuntu.
    • intltool
    • sdcc
    • openssl-dev
    • rsync
    • xgettext
    • ruby
    • fastjar
    • bison
    • xsltproc
    • jikes
  • Step 5: Once you have resloved all of the dependencies you must now compile OpenWRT by typing:
    • make
  • Step 6: Compiling OpenWRT takes quite a while, but when it is done, you will end up with a directory called “bin” in your “trunk” folder. In the “bin” folder, there will be a file called “openwrt-atheros-ubnt2-squashfs.bin”; this is your OpenWRT firmware image.

  • Step 7: Power down the NanoStation by unplugging the Ethernet cable from the POE box.

  • Step 8: Plug your computer into the NanoStation POE box, and configure the adapter with the following settings:

    • IP: 192.168.1.100
    • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
    • Gateway: 192.168.1.20

  • Step 9:Hold the reset button (located on the bottom of the device, next to the Ethernet plugs) for approximately 10 seconds

  • Step 10: While holding the reset button plug the power cable back into the POE box

  • Step 11: Open a command prompt and...

    • cd into the directory for which the firmware is located
    • ping 192.168.1.20 until the device responds
    • tftp 192.168.1.20
      • From the tftp> prompt type:
        • bin
        • put openwrt-atheros-ubnt2-squashfs.bin
        • quit

  • Step 12: When the flashing is complete the LEDs on the back of the device will cycle and the device will reboot. After it reboots, you can log on to the web interface by navigating a web browser to 192.168.1.1

Flashing the Firmware