Google Wifi

1. OpenWRT Install
2. Wifi Mesh (802.11s)
- 2.1. Create a mesh device

Neat little device that runs ChromeOS. They have been abandoned by upstream but make excellent OpenWRT devices! I am using them to build out a bunch of Reticulum nodes.

1. OpenWRT Install

This is a distilled version of the OpenWRT wiki page for the device.

1.1. Factory Reset

Hold the Reset button
Connect power
Release button when flashing orange
Insert recovery image
LED should turn off, and recovery begins
After about 5-6 minutes, the device should automatically reboot; LED will pulse blue

1.2. Install OpenWRT

Hold the Reset button
Connect power
Release button when flashing orange and amber
Press SW7
wait for pulsing blue then purple blink
connect USB
Press SW7

1.3. Copy image to device

scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new -O openwrt-24.10.4-ipq40xx-chromium-google_wifi-squashfs-factory.bin root@192.168.1.1:/tmp/
ssh root@192.168.1.1 -C "dd if=/dev/zero bs=512 seek=7634911 of=/dev/mmcblk0 count=33 && dd if=/tmp/openwrt-24.10.4-ipq40xx-chromium-google_wifi-squashfs-factory.bin of=/dev/mmcblk0"
ssh root@192.168.1.1 "reboot"
ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/known_hosts -R '192.168.1.1'

ssh root@192.168.1.1 "opkg update && opkg install cfdisk resize2fs"
... resize the FS
ssh root@192.168.1.1 "resize2fs /dev/loop0"

2. Wifi Mesh (802.11s)

2.1. Create a mesh device

Under Network -> Interfaces -> Devices:

Add device configuration
Device type set to "Bridge device"
Device name set to "reticulum-mesh0"
Ports set to ~wan

Save and apply

Under Network -> Interfaces

Add new interface
Name set to "mesh"
Protocol set to "Unmanaged"
Device set to reticulum-mesh0
Under the Firewall Settings tab, set Create / Assign firewall-zone to "wan"

Under Network -> Wireless

Select Add for the radio you are wanting to configure
Mode set to 802.11s
Mesh Id set to "PMesh"
Network set to mesh

Save and apply