This document contains instructions to configure a Commotion wireless node through the Commotion Setup Wizard and the administration interface. This is a vital part of deploying and adding nodes to a Commotion-based community wireless network, ensuring that new nodes are compatible with the network. If you have not installed Commotion on the router yet, see the document Install on a Ubiquiti Router before using this guide. This document includes:
+This document contains instructions to configure a Commotion wireless node through the Commotion Setup Wizard and the administration interface. This is a vital part of deploying and adding nodes to a Commotion-based community wireless network, ensuring that new nodes are compatible with the network. If you have not installed Commotion on the router yet, see the installation documents in Guides and How-tos before using this guide. This document includes:
1. A router with Commotion installed, plugged in to your computer’s Ethernet port.
+2. A copy of the worksheet at the end of this document, to keep track of settings.
+3. (Optional) A printed or off-line copy of the node hands-on test located at the end of this document.
Don’t share the passwords or information with anyone, unless you trust them on the network!
-1. Start Commotion Setup Wizard by clicking on the image labeled Setup Wizard:
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-Note: Clicking the Advanced button will disable the Commotion Setup Wizard and allow you to configure your node manually.
1. Start Commotion Setup Wizard by clicking on the image labeled Setup Wizard:
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Clicking the Advanced button will disable the Commotion Setup Wizard and allow you to configure your node manually.
-2. Use the information you gathered or decided on to fill in the fields in the Commotion Setup Wizard. The Setup Wizard has four required pages and one optional page. The values you enter are saved as you navigate between pages, and are applied on the Configuration Confirmation page.
+2. Use the information you gathered or decided on to fill in the fields in the Commotion Setup Wizard. The Setup Wizard has four required pages and one optional page. The values you enter are saved as you navigate between pages, and are applied on the Configuration Confirmation page.
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Setup Wizard, page 1 - Node Settings
-Enter the Node Name and Administration Password.
Setup Wizard, page 1 - Node settings
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Enter the Node Name and Administration Password.
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Setup Wizard, page 2 - Mesh Network
-Enter the Mesh Network Name and select the Channel. If your mesh network should encrypt traffic between mesh devices, check the appropriate box and enter the Mesh Encryption Password.
Setup Wizard, page 2 - Network settings
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Enter the Mesh Network Name and select the Channel. If your mesh network should encrypt traffic between mesh devices, check the appropriate box and enter the Mesh Encryption Password.
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Setup Wizard, page 3 - Wireless Network
-If desired, configure an Access Point to provide wireless network access through this node. Enter the Access Point Name, select the Channel to use, and provide a Password that people should be required to use to connect.
Setup Wizard, page 3 - Wireless Network
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If desired, configure an Access Point (AP) to provide wireless network access through this node. Enter the Access Point Name and provide a Password that people should be required to use to connect.
+Note: If you configure an AP on the node, it must use the same channel as the Mesh network.
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Setup Wizard, page 4 - Configuration Complete
-You have now completed all the required steps to configure your mesh node.
Setup Wizard, page 4 - Configuration complete
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You have now completed all the required steps to configure your mesh node.
Setup Wizard, page 5 - Additional Network Interfaces
-This page provides option settings to configure your node's wired interface, if desired. When you are done, click Finish
Optionally, if you want to set additional options for how the wired WAN (Ethernet) port behaves, see Advanced Configuration options below.
-Setup Wizard - Confirm settings
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Skim through the settings, then scroll down and hit Save and Apply:
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3. When you finish the Commotion Setup Wizard, the node will reset. This will take a couple minutes—be patient. When the node starts up again, it will automatically connect to other mesh nodes in the area with matching mesh link information. 
3. When you finish the Commotion Setup Wizard, the node will reset. This will take a couple minutes—be patient. When the node starts up again, it will automatically connect to other mesh nodes in the area with matching mesh link information.
Now, log in to the Administrator configuration pages. After the Commotion Setup Wizard, your browser should take you to the admin page automatically. If it does not, type thisnode/ into your browser’s URL bar and press “Enter”.
You will encounter a certificate warning here, accept it and move on.
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-Click on “Administration” and enter the node’s admin user and password—which are “root.” You set this during the Commotion Setup Wizard.
+Click on the Administration button at the bottom of the page. You will be prompted for a username and password. The administration username is always "root" - enter it if necessary. You set the administrator password during the Commotion Setup Wizard, enter it and hit the "Login" button.
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The basic settings for your node were set during the Commotion Setup Wizard, but you might want to know how to change settings.
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ This page provides option settings to configure your node's wired interface, ifNote: If at any time the interface returns a page that says “The CGI interface did not produce any response,” simply wait a minute and try to reload the page. Double check that any changes you made were saved when you log-in again.
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This password is for the “root” administrator on the system, and is required to change any other settings. You set this during the Setup Wizard.
This password is for the “root” administrator on the system, and is required to access the Administration interface and to change any other settings. You set this during the Setup Wizard.
+ +
You can change the mesh link settings at any time. You might do this to create a separate network, to change the name of the mesh connection, or to change the mesh encryption key.
+ +If you are changing mesh link settings, this will break existing mesh connections. Remember that all settings (mesh name, Wi-Fi channel, and encryption password) must match for nodes to mesh!
+
This may cause the node to become unstable. Rebooting the device after changing this function should help to prevent problems.
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You may also click "Upload" to upload an HTML file from your computer to use for the Welcome Page text.
To change the time before a user must re-connect via the Welcome Page:
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To turn the Welcome Page on or off:
If you are hosting a Gateway node (sharing Internet with the rest of the network), you can limit the total amount of bandwidth allowed for the rest of the network, using Quality of Service (QoS).
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You can see if the node has successfully connected to other mesh nodes in two ways.
- -When not logged in, hover your mouse on Overview above the Commotion logo on the front page, then click Nearby Mesh Devices.
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or
- -Navigate to the Status page and click on Nearby Mesh Devices.
+You can see if the node has successfully connected to other mesh nodes by viewing the mesh visualizer.
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Navigate to the Status page and click on Nearby Mesh Devices.
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Occasionally there are new releases of the Commotion Wireless software, available online at commotionwireless.net. Please download the "sysupgrade" version and follow these directions.
+Occasionally there are new releases of the Commotion Wireless software, available on the Downloads page. Please download the "sysupgrade" version and follow these directions.
+ +Read the Verifying Signatures page for more information on making sure you have real Commotion images.
-There is important information about verifying what you download at https://commotionwireless.net/download/verify-signatures.
-Be sure to record your node and network settings so that you can re-enter them when you run Quickstart with the next version of the software. +Be sure to record your node and network settings so that you can re-enter them when you run Setup Wizard on the new version of Commotion.
You can change the configuration of a router on the mesh network that you set during the Setup Wizard process. You might do this create a separate network, or to change the identity of the network.
+In the Basic Configuration menu, under Network Settings -> Additional Network Interfaces, there are additional options to configure how the WAN interface (the Ethernet port that is normally plugged into a router or switch with a connection to the Internet) behaves. On many devices, such as dedicated Access Points or client devices such as the Ubiquiti PicoStation or NanoStation series, there may be only one Ethernet port. On devices with multiple switch ports, this will configure the WAN port only.
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After changing this setting, you will need to hit "Save", then confirm the change. A reboot of the node is recommended after changing these settings.
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When you are done configuring, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the computer. If you wish to host a Gateway (share Internet with the mesh network), plug it into your Gateway router/modem. If not, save it for later configuration and troubleshooting.
+When you are done configuring, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the computer. If you wish to host a Gateway (share Internet with the mesh network), plug the Commotion node into your Gateway router or modem, and reboot the node.
+ +For further information on various types of hardware setups, please see Common Hardware Setups. For more complicated hardware configurations, see Advanced Hardware Setups.
-For more detailed information on node, mesh, and AP security, see the module Secure the Network (Hardware and Software). For problems with a node or the network, we're developing a new module Troubleshoot for Node Hosts which will be available soon.
+If you are having issues with your Commotion node or configuration, see Troubleshoot your Wireless Node.
This is a short hands-on test you can use to explore any Commotion node’s administrator interface. Completing this test is not required to set up a node on a network, but it can help you understand how to find important information that network administrators need to keep the network functioning properly. If you are configuring several nodes with other people, everyone can explore these details if they run through this test on their node, and fill out the answers.
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