Raspberry Pi Travel Router - RaspAP (2024)

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers on how to transform a Raspberry Pi into a travel router using a USB Wi-Fi dongle, as the built-in Wi-Fi adapter no longer supports the required functionality. The host walks through the process from installation of the Raspberry Pi OS Light, configuring settings, updating the Raspberry Pi, to installing and setting up the raspAP software. The video also addresses common issues and provides solutions, ultimately showing how to connect the Raspberry Pi to a home network and the internet via Wi-Fi.

Takeaways

• 📹 The video is an updated guide on turning a Raspberry Pi into a travel router, improving upon an older video.
• 🔧 The Raspberry Pi's built-in Wi-Fi adapter can no longer be used as a Wi-Fi repeater due to software changes, requiring an additional USB Wi-Fi dongle.
• 💽 The Raspberry Pi Imager Software (version 1.8.5 or later) is used to install Raspberry Pi OS Light (64-bit version recommended) on a micro SD card.
• 🌐 Settings such as host name, default username, password, and home network can be configured without using the terminal through the Raspberry Pi Imager Software.
• 🔒 SSH and password authentication should be enabled in the 'Services' tab of the Raspberry Pi Imager Software.
• 📋 After inserting the micro SD card into the Raspberry Pi and booting it up, the Ethernet cable is used to speed up the process, though it's not mandatory.
• 🛠️ Updating the Raspberry Pi through the terminal with 'sudo apt update' and 'sudo apt upgrade' is recommended for every new Raspberry Pi setup.
• 🔄 The raspAP software is installed through the terminal using a command from the raspap.com website.
• 📱 The Raspberry Pi can be accessed via its hostname (e.g., raspap.local) or by finding its IP address.
• 🔧 The wlan0 (built-in) and wlan1 (USB dongle) interfaces are reconfigured to optimize performance, with wlan1 set as the hotspot and wlan0 connecting to the internet.
• 🔄 Configuration files related to the built-in Wi-Fi as a hotspot and preconfigured networks must be removed for the changes to take effect, which is done through the terminal.
• 🌐 Once the Raspberry Pi reboots, it should create a new Wi-Fi network accessible via the hostname or IP address, and the raspAP control panel can be used to connect to desired Wi-Fi networks.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a travel router, including the process of setting it up and the necessary software and hardware requirements.

Why is the previous video on this topic outdated?

The previous video is outdated because the Raspberry Pi's built-in Wi-Fi adapter can no longer be used as both a connection to another network and a hotspot due to changes in the RAS AP software.

What software is used to create the Raspberry Pi bootable media?

The Raspberry Pi Imager software, specifically version 1.8.5 or later, is used to create the bootable media for the Raspberry Pi.

Which operating system is recommended for the Raspberry Pi in this tutorial?

Raspberry Pi OS Light (64-bit version) is recommended for the Raspberry Pi in this tutorial.

What is the purpose of the USB Wi-Fi dongle mentioned in the video?

The USB Wi-Fi dongle is used as an additional Wi-Fi adapter for the Raspberry Pi, which is necessary for the travel router setup since the built-in Wi-Fi adapter can no longer serve both purposes.

How does the Raspberry Pi Imager software help in setting the hostname, username, and password?

The Raspberry Pi Imager software allows users to set the hostname, default username, and password without having to do so through the terminal, which saves time and simplifies the initial setup process.

What command is used to update the Raspberry Pi and why is it important?

The commands 'sudo apt update' and 'sudo apt upgrade' are used to update the Raspberry Pi. It is important to keep the system updated to ensure compatibility, security, and smooth operation.

How does one access the Raspberry Pi once it is booted up and connected to a network?

One can access the Raspberry Pi by using its hostname (in this case, raspAP.local) or by finding its IP address and connecting through SSH with the default username and password.

What are the two Wi-Fi interfaces on the Raspberry Pi and what determines their roles?

The two Wi-Fi interfaces are wlan0 (the built-in Wi-Fi adapter) and wlan1 (the USB Wi-Fi dongle). The roles are determined by the type of Wi-Fi adapters they are; wlan0 is an 802.11ac adapter, which is faster and has better range, making it suitable for connecting to another Wi-Fi network, while wlan1, an 802.11n adapter, is used as the hotspot.

What changes need to be made in the Raspberry Pi's configuration files to switch the roles of wlan0 and wlan1?

The configuration files for wlan0 need to be edited to remove its hotspot settings, and the preconfigured network settings need to be deleted. Then, the raspAP software is configured to use wlan1 as the hotspot.

How does one connect the Raspberry Pi to the desired Wi-Fi network after switching the Wi-Fi interfaces?

After switching the Wi-Fi interfaces, one needs to access the raspAP control panel, go to the Wi-Fi client section, and manually connect to the desired Wi-Fi network by adding it to the list and then selecting connect.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Raspberry Pi Travel Router Update

The video begins with the creator discussing an older video on turning a Raspberry Pi into a travel router. They mention that while the old method still works for Ethernet connections, it's outdated for Wi-Fi repeater functionality. The creator introduces the need for a compatible USB Wi-Fi dongle for the Raspberry Pi to serve as a Wi-Fi repeater. They proceed to guide the viewer through the process of setting up the Raspberry Pi using the Raspberry Pi Imager software, version 1.8.5, and choosing Raspberry Pi OS Light. The creator sets the hostname, default username and password, and ensures SSH is enabled. The process includes writing and verifying the installation, and booting up the Raspberry Pi with an Ethernet cable for a faster setup.

05:00

🔧 Configuring Raspberry Pi as a Wi-Fi Repeater

In this paragraph, the creator explains the steps to configure the Raspberry Pi as a Wi-Fi repeater using the raspap software. They discuss the need to switch the wireless interfaces, with wlan0 (built-in) being the hotspot and wlan1 (USB dongle) connecting to the internet. The creator emphasizes the importance of using a high-performance Wi-Fi adapter for the internet connection. They guide the viewer through the raspap interface to configure the hotspot for wlan1 and provide instructions on how to change the default settings. The creator also covers the necessary steps to delete previous network configurations for wlan0 and the preconfigured network to avoid conflicts.

10:01

🌐 Connecting and Testing the Raspberry Pi Travel Router

The final paragraph details the process of connecting the Raspberry Pi to the internet via the Wi-Fi repeater setup. The creator explains how to access the raspap control panel and configure the Raspberry Pi to connect to a specific Wi-Fi network. They demonstrate the process on an iPad, showing that the hotspot is working but requires further configuration to connect to the internet. The creator then guides the viewer on how to add and connect to a Wi-Fi network through the raspap control panel. Once connected, they test the setup by attempting to access a website. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to like and subscribe for more content.

Keywords

💡Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers used for educational and hobbyist purposes. In the video, it is used as the central device to create a travel router, which can connect to other networks and provide Wi-Fi access points for other devices.

💡Travel Router

A travel router is a portable device that allows users to connect multiple devices to the internet by routing the network traffic through it. In the context of the video, the Raspberry Pi is being configured to act as a travel router, providing Wi-Fi connectivity and network bridging capabilities.

💡Wi-Fi Repeater

A Wi-Fi repeater is a device that extends the range of a Wi-Fi network by receiving the signal from the original router and transmitting it again. The video discusses using the Raspberry Pi as a Wi-Fi repeater to expand the coverage of an existing Wi-Fi network.

💡USB Wi-Fi Dongle

A USB Wi-Fi dongle is a small wireless network adapter that plugs into a USB port to provide Wi-Fi connectivity. In the video, a USB Wi-Fi dongle is necessary for the Raspberry Pi to function as a Wi-Fi repeater, as the built-in Wi-Fi adapter is no longer supported for this purpose.

💡Raspberry Pi Imager

Raspberry Pi Imager is software used to write the Raspberry Pi OS onto an SD card. It simplifies the process of preparing the SD card for use with the Raspberry Pi. The video mentions using version 1.8.5 or later of the Raspberry Pi Imager software for the process.

💡Raspberry Pi OS Light

Raspberry Pi OS Light is a slimmed-down version of the Raspberry Pi OS that does not include a desktop environment by default, making it more lightweight and suitable for devices with limited resources. It is chosen in the video for its efficiency.

💡SSH

SSH stands for Secure Shell, a protocol used for securely accessing and managing a remote computer or device over a network. In the video, SSH is enabled to allow secure access to the Raspberry Pi from another device on the same network.

💡WLAN

WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network. It refers to the wireless networking technology that allows devices to communicate over a certain area, typically a home, school, or office. In the context of the video, WLAN interfaces are used by the Raspberry Pi to connect to and extend Wi-Fi networks.

💡RaspAP

RaspAP is software designed to turn a Raspberry Pi into a Wi-Fi access point or router. It simplifies the process of setting up the Raspberry Pi for network-related tasks. The video provides a step-by-step guide on installing and configuring RaspAP on the Raspberry Pi.

💡Configuration Files

Configuration files are text files that define the settings for software or hardware components. In the context of the video, configuration files are edited to change the Raspberry Pi's network settings and designate which Wi-Fi interface should act as the hotspot.

💡Network Adapter

A network adapter is a hardware component that allows a computer or device to connect to a network. In the video, the Raspberry Pi has two network adapters: the built-in Wi-Fi adapter (wl0) and the USB Wi-Fi dongle (wlan1), which are used for different purposes in the setup.

Highlights

The video is a step-by-step guide on turning a Raspberry Pi into a travel router.

The previous video on the topic is outdated, especially for Wi-Fi repeater functionality.

The Raspberry Pi OS has been updated to version 1.8.5, and using a later version of the Raspberry Pi images software is recommended.

A second USB Wi-Fi dongle is required for the Raspberry Pi to function as a Wi-Fi repeater, as the built-in Wi-Fi adapter is no longer supported for this purpose by the RASP AP software.

The Raspberry Pi Imager software simplifies the process of setting up the Raspberry Pi, including hostname, default username and password, and wireless LAN settings.

SSH and password authentication should be enabled in the services settings for remote access.

The Raspberry Pi should be updated before proceeding with the installation of the RASP AP software.

The RASP AP software can be installed through the terminal using a command from the RASP AP website.

Some services can be optionally installed with the RASP AP software, but for optimal performance, certain configurations need to be adjusted.

The Raspberry Pi 4 used in the video has a built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter, which is faster and has better range than the 802.11n adapter of the USB dongle.

For the travel router to work optimally, the USB Wi-Fi dongle should be used as the hotspot (wl1), and the built-in adapter (wl0) should connect to the internet.

The rasp AP interface allows for easy configuration of the Raspberry Pi's Wi-Fi settings through a web browser.

To switch the roles of the Wi-Fi interfaces, certain configurations need to be deleted and reconfigured in the Raspberry Pi's system files.

After reconfiguring, the Raspberry Pi needs to be rebooted and connected to through its newly created Wi-Fi hotspot.

Once rebooted, the Raspberry Pi can be accessed through the rasp AP control panel to connect to a desired Wi-Fi network.

The video concludes with a demonstration of the Raspberry Pi successfully connecting to the internet through its hotspot and accessing a website.

Transcripts

a little while ago I made a video on how

to turn your Raspberry Pi into a travel

router the good news is that's been one

of my most popular videos the bad news

is that video is a little bit out of

date it'll still work if you're trying

to connect to another network via the

ethernet Jack using an ethernet cord but

if you're trying to use this as a Wi-Fi

repeater it won't work in that video I

was using the W built-in Wi-Fi adapter

both to connect to another Network and

as a Hotpot where my other devices can

connect to it the RAS AP software now no

longer supports a one adapter to get

this done we need another USB Wi-Fi

dongle that's Raspberry Pi compatible

just like this one in this video I'm

going to take you step by step on how to

get this done from installation to

completion let's get into it here we are

in the Raspberry Pi imager software Ware

this is version

1.8.5 make sure you're using a later

version of the Raspberry Pi imagees

software as this will save you a lot of

time I have my micro SD card already

inserted into my card reader and the OS

we're choosing is Raspberry Pi OS light

though I'm choosing the 64-bit version

the 32-bit version will also work and

make sure you choose the right storage

media device my 32 gigabyte card is in

there is this will erase the contents of

your media and we're we're going to hit

next go to edit settings and this is

where we can do all our different

settings we don't have to go into the

terminal now to do all these settings so

I set the host name to rasp AP I set my

default username and password I already

set the home network I have already so I

don't have to configure that later and

then we're going to go choose our

wireless land settings uh country

settings the time zones and then the

last thing you need to do is go into

services and make sure you enable SSH

and use password authentication we're

going to go ahead and hit save and then

say yes go to yes and this will now

write and verify our installation I have

to put in my password here and we'll

speed this

up okay now everything has been written

and verified and now we're going to

insert our micro SD card into the

Raspberry Pi and be ready to boot this

up so now I have the Raspberry Pi booted

up I actually have the ethernet cable

plugged into it which is not mandatory

but it does speed up the process here

now we're in terminal and we're not

going to do a lot of the commands that

we did in the previous video because

we've saved time we already have our PI

password set the Wi-Fi set and the host

name set now because I'm on on my Mac I

can just go into my raspberry Pi by

doing rasp ap. looc now rasp AP is the

host name that we set now if this does

not work because you're on a Windows

machine you can either install bonjour

on your Windows machine or you can just

try to find the IP address so instead of

saying rasp ap. local you could just

type in the IP address here so I'm going

to go ahead and do this I'm going to say

yes type in my password and now I'm in

my Raspberry Pi and there's first before

we install the rasp AP software we need

to update our Raspberry Pi so the first

thing we need to do is pseudo app update

and this is what you should do probably

for every Raspberry Pi that you create

you should already do all the upgrades

here and then I'm going to go pseudo apt

upgrade I'll go Dy so it'll say yes to

every prompt after that and this will

take a little while to update so I'm

just going to go ahead and speed through

this right now

okay so the Raspberry Pi has finished

updating that took actually a few

minutes the times will vary based on the

model of Raspberry Pi that you have in

your internet connection it's mainly on

the model Raspberry Pi that you have uh

older versions will take longer but it

it is now updated and now we're ready to

install the rasp AP software to install

the rasp AP software we're going to do

it through the terminal but first we

need to go to the rasp

ap.com website and go to docs and go

down and copy this command here and

we're going to go ahead and paste it in

the terminal we're going to hit

okay and we're going to hit yes to most

of these things until the end and the

end we'll have some optional things here

but most of these things we want to say

yes to and some of the recommended ones

we do want to say yes to as well so this

will take a minute or two to

install so I said yes to some of the

recommended services but here we come to

some of the um optional services so this

one is the add blocking service I'm

going to say no then the next couple are

VPN Services I'm going to say no to both

of them but I will just say this does

have VPN support with openvpn and wire

guard so you can connect automatically

to an

openvpn or a wire God guard server or

actually a third party Service as well

and this one is the thirdparty service

uh packages there but I'm going to go

ahead and say no to it and this will

complete our installation so I'm going

to hit yes on the reboot but when I

after I do that I'm going to go ahead

and disconnect my ethernet cable if

you're doing this wirelessly of course

you don't have to do that but we're

going to just go all Wireless from now

on so let me give you an overview of

what is going on we have our Raspberry

Pi with the rasp AP software and I'm

using a Raspberry Pi 4 which has a

built-in Wi-Fi adapter or interface and

that's usually given the IDE of w Lan Z

and then we're using a USB dongle Wi-Fi

dongle and that's given an ID of w Lan

one so we have these two wireless

interfaces by default rasp AP and if you

follow the documentation on the rasp

website it makes W l0 our built-in

interface the hotspot where all our

devices are connected to this is

basically creating a new Wi-Fi network a

local Wi-Fi network that our devices

will connect to and then wlan1 is

responsible for connecting to the

internet Internet connecting to a coffee

Shop's Wi-Fi or your home network or

your public Wi-Fi if you follow all the

documentation you can get everything to

work but in my experience the

performance is not that great especially

when it comes to the internet connection

to have this work and perform optimally

we need to switch up the wireless

interfaces and have WL one be the

hotspot and WLAN zero connect to the

internet now this has to do with the

type of adapters they are now wlan0 is

an 80211 AC Wi-Fi adapter and WLAN 1 our

USB doll goes an 80211 and adapter the

AC is faster and has better range we

need to have better range when we

connect to another Wi-Fi network and

since we're using this as a travel

router we can assume that most of our

devices are right next to it or nearby

so WL one adapter as our hotspot is is

good enough in other words you need to

have a better performing Wi-Fi adapter

connected to the internet and the other

one as your Hotpot you can find AC Wi-Fi

adapters that are Raspberry Pi

compatible but I don't have experience

using them now our Raspberry Pi is all

booted up now one thing I'll assume is

that your Wi-Fi dongle is already

inserted into your Raspberry Pi I've

actually had it inserted in throughout

this whole process already now if you

don't have it inserted in you can go

ahead and do it now it's not a big deal

you might have to wait a few minutes for

it to join your home network okay so but

we're going to go into the raspberry

rasp AP interface and for us is rasp ap.

looc or you can type in the IP address

here it's admin and the default password

is

secret and we're here in the rasp AP

control panel and remember what we want

to do now is have W Land one as our

hotspot right now

wl0 is set to be the Hotpot and then

WLAN one is connecting to our home

network so we need to configure our

hotspot for wl0 or W Land one to to be

the Hotpot and we're going to do a few

configurations here I'm going to go into

my security I'm going to change this to

Ras

pass go into advance and make sure our

country code is set to the right one for

our case it's us United States and we're

going to hit save settings so we've

configured rasp AP and told it that W

Land one needs to be our new Hots spot

but do not reboot at this time if you do

reboot it's not going to work without

doing the next steps we have two issues

here W land zero even though we told it

not to be the hot spot still has some

entries in the Raspberry Pi to be

configured as a hot spot and then W Land

one you even though we told it to be a

hotspot in the RAS AP interface it's

still going to try to connect and will

connect to our preconfigured home

network and that's the home network that

I configured in the Raspberry Pi imaging

software so we need to do two things

first we need to delete any entry of WL

zero our built-in Network to be any

configuration of it as a hotspot and

then we need to delete any entry of our

preconfigured Network so this means that

we need to go back into terminal we're

back in terminal and we're logged into

our Raspberry Pi already so first we're

going to delete any entry of WL zero as

a hotspot so we're going to go pseudo

and then you're going to use your editor

of choice I usually use VI but for the

purposes of this demo I'm going to do

Nano we're going to go

SLC

DHCP

cd.com

and we're going to go down to where it

says rasp AP wl0 configuration now these

are configurations for wl0 to be a

hotspot and since we set W Lan one as a

Hotpot it already put it in the

configurations for that so we're going

to delete these lines five lines right

here you can go to the line that you

want to delete in Nano you can say

contrl

k as many times and then we're going to

do contrl X say yes hit enter and now we

have

that entry deleted next we're going to

delete any preconfigured network entry

in our system here so we're going to do

two commands here pseudo

RMC capital N Network you can hit tab to

autocomplete for you then system

connections then you can hit tab again

but it'll it should be only one file in

there called preconfigured NM connection

so we're going to hit enter that deletes

that file and next we're going to delete

the WPA supplicant file which has the

actual entries of what your network

adapter should be configured to so we're

going to go pseudo

RM

EC WPA supplicant wpas supple. comom and

now we have both files deleted from our

system and lastly we can go pseudo

reboot now when I hit enter in here we

are no longer going to be able to

connect to our Raspberry Pi through our

home network we have to connect to the

Raspberry Pi's hotspot that it will

create through WL one so the Raspberry

Pi has rebooted I see the network that

it created connected to it and now we

need to go into the rasp AP control

panel again and tell the Raspberry Pi

our repeater which wi-fi network to

connect to so we can go to rasp ap. looc

now if you're using an IP address your

new IP address will be

10.9.1 41.1 but we're going to go ahead

and use Ras

B.L and the

admin our default password secret and

now we're in our Ras AP control panel

and we're going to go to Wi-Fi client

here and if you run into this error

called re reinitialize you're can to hit

rescan and your Wi-Fi networks should

show up after that now if you keep on

going into that Loop of rescanning and

it keeps on giving you that error go

ahead and reboot the Raspberry Pi and it

should work again so now we just need to

connect to our home network and we're

good to go and then to demonstrate that

this is working we're here on my iPad

and I'm connected to the Hotpot that we

created but I haven't fully configured

the Wi-Fi network so if we go to a

website this will not connect to it we

need a configure the rasp AP software to

connect to the Wi-Fi network that we're

on so if we go to rasp p. Loco I got to

type in my username and password and

this is what I would do when I go to

another location or a coffee shop I'd

have to go into the rasp P control panel

and go to my Wi-Fi client here and

connect to the network that I want to so

I'm going to connect to my home network

here and once you hit add Network you

add it to the list and it doesn't

necessarily connect to it right away so

you might have to hit

connect and this should connect to our

Wi-Fi network after

that so I see that it's connected and

now I can go to a website let's say

everyday

tech.vs Pi into a travel router I'll

leave links below to other Wi-Fi

adapters that are Raspberry Pi

compatible you need to make sure that

they are Raspberry Pi compatible if you

found this video helpful hit that like

button consider hitting that subscribe

button until the next one see

you