Getting Started

Welcome to the OpenWrt Mesh Network project! This section will guide you through setting up your high-availability mesh network.

Choose Your Path

Guide	Time	Best For
Quick Start	30 min	First deployment, getting running fast
Initial Setup	15 min	Preparing a factory-fresh router
Ansible Basics	20 min	Understanding the automation

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Hardware: 3x D-Link DIR-1960 A1 routers (or compatible OpenWrt devices)
• Software: SSH client, web browser
• Network: Ethernet cables for wired mesh backbone
• Repository: This project cloned to your control machine
• Time: ~30 minutes for first node, ~15 minutes for each additional

Deployment Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Deployment Workflow                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  1. Flash OpenWrt  →  2. Audit Node  →  3. Deploy Config            │
│                                                                      │
│  Factory router       Check packages    Ansible automation          │
│  → OpenWrt 24.10      → Fix conflicts   → Full mesh config          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What You'll Build

A 3-node mesh network with:

• Wired Ring Topology: Full redundancy via LAN3/LAN4 connections
• Wireless Backup: 2.4GHz 802.11s mesh as failover
• Unified WiFi: 5GHz AP with 802.11r fast roaming
• Multi-Gateway: All nodes provide internet access
• VLAN Segmentation: Separate networks for clients, management, and IoT

Section Contents

• Quick Start - Deploy your first node step-by-step
• Initial Setup - Prepare a factory router for deployment
• Ansible Basics - Understand the automation workflow

Next Steps

1. Start with Quick Start for the fastest path to a working mesh
2. Review Architecture to understand the design
3. Explore Deployment for configuration options