Currently using a Linksys WRT3200ACM running OpenWrt as an access point. It’s located on the top shelf of a wire rack on the first floor. Seems to provide good 2.4 GHz coverage on all three floors, 5Gz coverage on the first two floors.
I recently upgraded to a Linksys LGS326 managed switch with support for LACP and configured three TrueNAS servers with 2 link LACP connected to the switch. I was able to confirm I can get 2x940Mbps.
WHAT I TRIED
I got a lot of mileage out of the WRT3200ACM over the years, and investigated trying to add LACP to 2 LAN ports to improve bandwidth from Wifi clients to the TrueNAS servers. I tried adding LACP with OpenWrt releases 19.07.7 and 20.02.0rc3, but I was unsuccessful at getting it working. The LuCI GUI is missing from 19 and is broken in 20. I have also read some routers may be bandwidth limited by a single GB link between the CPU and integrated switch, thus will never be able to achieve any increase in bandwidth.
RECOMMENDATION
Was interested in a recommendation on either an WiFi 6 AP or router that supports LACP to help improve total bandwidth from multiple WiFi clients to TrueNAS servers, and provide good coverage over three floors.
I understand that some Netgear and ASUS routers support LACP. I almost bought a Netgear RAX78 from Costco, but wasn’t sure well it would provide similar coverage to the WRT3200ACM in my three story home.
OP, the WRT3200ACM is the reason I moved to pfSense 5 years ago. That devices stopped working suddenly (like thousands of others - check Linksys forums, there is still a thread I am following from 5 years where I posted). I loaded OpenWRT on it but it is kind of '90 interface that is slow and non-intuitive and I just stashed that router back in its box.
If you want to “play” with little more networking stuff, you have to move away from consumer routers like the WRT3200ACM and get something that is more geared toward business (for the features providec) - like a Netgate SG-3100 for example. And if you are not new to networking, well maybe something more advance like Fortigate firewall devices could fit you.
I am already running pfSense on a Protectli appliance. I abandoned OEM firmware and DD-WRT many years ago. I am using the WRT3200ACM as an AP only running OpenWRT.
Actually just completed testing an internal development snapshot of OpenWRT running kernel 5.10 with back ports from 5.13 for LACP support for Marvell chipsets. While LACP is functional on the WRT Series with the back ports and even though the WRT3200ACM has a 2x1Gbps link between the switch and CPU, the DSA switch drivers currently only support 1 Gbps.
My post was inquiring about a Wifi 6 router or AP that supports LACP LAG.
Good news. I have been working with the OpenWrt development team. They updated the Marvel WRT Series DSA drivers to support multiple CPUs and Layer3+4 LACP HASH.
I get a combined simultaneous 1.5 to 1.75Gbps throughput with 2 LAN ports in 802.3ad LACP mode. I might be able to get some additional useful life out of my existing hardware running OpenWrt while I wait for Wifi 6 and 6e prices to come down. The patches were back ported to kernel 5.10. Not sure when the next RC will be released that includes the patches. Still working with the dev team on a WLAN routing issue.
(apologies for bumping a 15 month old thread but…)
Hi @elvisimprsntr delighted to hear you got this working (as i want to do something similar with the same hardware (WRT32x instead of WRT3200ACM but the only diff is a cosmetic one (for our intents and purposes).
Any chance you could share the config you used to set this up if you still have it? I’ve been struggling to find documentation on how to do this via luci or uci, so if you managed to get it working without resorting to hand-modifying files (outside of uci’s control), i’d love to know (how)
I have since replaced my WRT routers with enterprise class access points. I got tired of dealing with the OpenWrt issues, Marvell proprietary drivers, and lack of reliable WPA3 support.
