Switch Raspberry (RaspAP) from an AP to a Wifi Client in a script

Question

Switch Raspberry Hotspot "RaspAP" (wlan0) to a simple Wifi Device via a script

What is missing

    #!/bin/bash
# This script will stop the RASPAP Hotspot (AP+DHP) and will Switch your Raspberry to a WIFI Client
# Be care : Before to do that, be sure that you have the correct SSID in : wpa_supplicant.conf

# Run : bash sap2cl.sh

# First :
# sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
#
#       ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
#       update_config=1
#       country=FR
#       network={
#        ssid="Freebox-CKL-I"
#        psk="xxxxxxxxx"
#       }

echo "Stopping hostapd, dnsmasq & dhcpcd"
sudo systemctl stop hostapd.service
sudo systemctl stop dnsmasq.service
sudo systemctl stop dhcpcd.service

echo "Restart wpa_supplicant"
sudo wpa_supplicant -B -Dnl80211,wext -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0

echo "Done."
exit

Nothing happen, after running the script : I can't find the IP address of my Raspberry through a network scanner

Answer 1

Was just having a look through this thread. I created a project a few years ago and wanted to find what has been discussed above, but rather than switching every reboot, I wanted it to connect to the local network if it found it, and if not (when I was out in the field), revert to ad-hoc.(where I could use it as a standalone webserver). I actually found this on another project it has been pretty useful to me, if that is what you need, (and like me, can't code, only follow instructions!) :)

Answer 2

Finally I got the solution. The only point is that I need a reboot to switch from Client to AP. But this is not really an issue in my case. However if there could be a solution in the last script I'm openminded

See script : scl2ap.sh

Thanks

Wifi

Activate Wifi in /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

    ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
    update_config=1
    country=FR
    network={
        ssid="Freebox-CKL-I"
        psk="xxxxxxxxx"
    }

Kill and restart Wifi

sudo pkill wpa_supplicant
sudo wpa_supplicant -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0 -B -Dnl80211,wext

Access point:

The Raspberry Pi needs to have the hostapd access point software package installed:

sudo apt-get install hostapd

To create a new configuration file : /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf Change : country, ssid , wpa_passphrase : to match with yours

    country_code=FR
    interface=wlan0
    ssid=LapemNetwork
    hw_mode=g
    channel=7
    macaddr_acl=0
    auth_algs=1
    ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
    wpa=2
    wpa_passphrase=password
    wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
    wpa_pairwise=TKIP
    rsn_pairwise=CCMP

Verify that configuration file location in /etc/init.d/hostapd containing is there, if not add. DAEMON_CONF=/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

Enable the wireless access point service and set it to start when your Raspberry Pi boots:

sudo systemctl unmask hostapd
sudo systemctl enable hostapd

---

DHCP Distribution

In order to provide network management services (DNS, DHCP) to wireless clients install dnsmasq

sudo apt-get install dnsmasq

To configure the distribution DHCP IP range we need to configure /etc/dnsmasq.conf At the bottom of the file we need to add the following lines.

    interface=wlan0
    dhcp-range=192.168.0.100,192.168.0.200,12h

activate the dnsmasq service at boot: sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq.service

---

AP as static

AP needs to have a static address: configured in etc/dhcpcd.conf

Defaut (DHCP) sudo cp /etc/dhcpcd.conf /etc/dhcpcd-dynamic.conf

Static add at the end of the file sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

    #Static IP
    interface wlan0
        static ip_address=192.168.0.1/24
        nohook wpa_supplicant
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd.conf /etc/dhcpcd-static.conf

Default mode AP

Command to run to activate AP for next boot

sudo systemctl unmask hostapd
sudo systemctl enable hostapd
sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq.service
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd-static.conf /etc/dhcpcd.conf

SWITCH : AP --> Client : definive

file : sap2cl.sh

Effect is dynamic and definive --> Next start will be as Client mode

#!/bin/bash
# This script will stop Hotspot (AP+DHCP) and will Switch your Raspberry to a WIFI Client (Definitely) 
# Effect is dynamic and definive --> Next start will be as Client mode
# Run : bash sap2cl.sh
echo "========================================"
echo " Switch from Hotspot (AP+DHP) to Client "
echo "  Next start will be : Wifi Client mode "
echo "========================================"
echo " "
echo "Stopping hostapd, dnsmasq "
sudo systemctl stop hostapd.service
sudo systemctl stop dnsmasq.service
echo "Configure Client to recover dhcp"
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd-dynamic.conf /etc/dhcpcd.conf
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
echo "Restart wpa_supplicant"
sudo pkill wpa_supplicant
sleep 2
sudo wpa_supplicant -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0 -B -Dnl80211,wext
echo "Done."
exit

SWITCH : AP --> Client : Next boot will be as AP

file : sap2clnsap.sh

Effect is dynamic --> Next start will be as AP

#!/bin/bash
# This script will stop Hotspot (AP+DHCP) and will Switch your Raspberry to a WIFI Client (Temporarily) 
# Effect is dynamic --> Next start will be as AP
# Run : bash sap2cl.sh
echo "========================================"
echo " Switch from Hotspot (AP+DHP) to Client "
echo "  Next start will be : AP mode "
echo "========================================"
echo " "
echo "Stopping hostapd, dnsmasq "
sudo systemctl stop hostapd.service
sudo systemctl stop dnsmasq.service
echo "Configure Client to recover dhcp"
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd-dynamic.conf /etc/dhcpcd.conf
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
echo "Restart wpa_supplicant"
sudo pkill wpa_supplicant
sleep 2
sudo wpa_supplicant -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0 -B -Dnl80211,wext
echo "Prepare for next start as AP"
sudo systemctl unmask hostapd
sudo systemctl enable hostapd
sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq.service
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd-static.conf /etc/dhcpcd.conf
echo "Done."
exit

SWITCH : Client --> AP : THIS IS NOT DYNAMIC, AND NEEDS A REBOOT

File : scl2ap.sh

#!/bin/bash
# This script will Switch from Client to Hotspot (AP+DHP) 
# Run : bash scl2ap.sh
echo "========================================="
echo " Switch from Client to Hotspot (AP+DHP)  "
echo " THIS IS NOT DYNAMIC, AND NEEDS A REBOOT "
echo "========================================="
echo " "
echo "Start hostapd, dnsmasq"
sudo systemctl restart dnsmasq.service
sudo systemctl restart hostapd.service
echo "Configure AP wit static IP Address"
sudo cp  /etc/dhcpcd-static.conf /etc/dhcpcd.conf
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
echo "Restart wpa_supplicant"
sudo pkill wpa_supplicant
sleep 2
sudo wpa_supplicant -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0 -B -Dnl80211,wext
echo "A REBOOT is needed here"
sudo systemctl unmask hostapd
sudo systemctl enable hostapd
sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq.service
echo "Done."
exit