====== Hardwares ======
===== Introduction =====
  * MESHdesk and APdesk allows you to centrally define hardware that are select-able when you add a device to either a Mesh or AP Profile.
  * The Hardware applet includes the specifying of:
        * WAN interface
        * LAN interface 
        * Radio function and specifications like transmit power. 
        * Up to **three** radios can be declared.
        * Radios that support Wi-Fi 4/5/6 (802.11n/ac/ax) are supported.
        * Whether the hardware can can be selected in MESHdesk and / or APdesk.
        * Include a photo of the hardware.

===== Add New Hardware =====
<WRAP center round important 80%>
  * Before you can attach a device to a Mesh network or AP Profile, you need to have a **MATCHING DEFINITION** for the hardware in the Hardware applet.
</WRAP>
{{ :2021:add_hardware.png?nolink&400 |}}

  * We use convention of **Name** = **Vendor** + **Model**
  * Firmware ID needs to match the value in the MESHdesk firmware (inside ///etc/config/meshdesk// file)
  * WAN Port also is unique to the hardware used.
  * LAN Port is optional and might not be available for hardware with a single Ethernet port.

<WRAP center round tip 90%>
  * Since it it so easy to build firmware for a new hardware model, we do not keep a list of supported devices.
  * We give instructions on the firmware build page on how to introduce new hardware models.
</WRAP>


  * There are three additional options
        * Make available to MESHdesk.
        * Make available to APdesk.
        * Make available to Sub Providers.
  * After you added the new device you need to optionally specify the radio specifications. (Some devices might not have any radios - however we can still control them under APdesk)

===== Add Radios to Hardware =====
{{ :2021:edit_hardware.png?nolink |}}

  * When you edit an existing hardware the tab offer you a slider to specify how many radios the device contains.
  * We support up to **three** radios.
  * The order of the radios are very important and has to match the order in OpenWRT.
  * In the above screenshot we see that **Radio0** is the 2.4G radio and **Radio1** is the 5G radio.
  * Refer to the following table for recommendations on what to select with single, dual and three radio devices.

==== Single Radio ====

  * Since there is only one radio it has to be used for both mesh and access point when doing mesh networks.
  * The config SSID is required for the mesh to fetch its config through the wireless network.

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | Select    | If you will use it in MESHdesk   |
| Access Point    | Select    |   |
| Config SSID    | Select    | If you will use it in MESHdesk   |

==== Dual Radio ====

  * We typically use the 5G radio for the mesh network with the option to have it also function as an Access Point.
  * The config SSID is required for the mesh to fetch its config through the wireless network. 
  * We use the 2.4G radio for the config SSID for various reasons, however the 5G radio can also be used for it.

=== 2.4G Radio ===

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | **DON'T Select**    |   |
| Access Point    | Select    |   |
| Config SSID    | Select    |If you will use it in MESHdesk  |

=== 5G Radio ===

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | Select     |If you will use it in MESHdesk   |
| Access Point    | Select    |   |
| Config SSID    | **DON'T Select**    |  |

==== Three Radio ====

  * Some hardware's 5G radios serve different bands so you need to determine if the different 5G radios only work on certain bands and adapt your hardware definition accordingly.
  * We typically use one 5G radio for the mesh network.
  * The second 5G radio function as an Access Point.
  * The config SSID is required for the mesh to fetch its config through the wireless network. 
  * We use the 2.4G radio for the config SSID for various reasons, however the 5G radio can also be used for it.

=== 2.4G Radio ===

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | **DON'T Select**    |   |
| Access Point    | Select    |   |
| Config SSID    | Select    |If you will use it in MESHdesk  |

=== First 5G Radio (Prefer Upper Bands) ===

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | Select     |If you will use it in MESHdesk   |
| Access Point    | **DON'T Select**   |   |
| Config SSID    | **DON'T Select**    |  |

=== Second 5G Radio (Prefer Lower Bands) ===

^ Item      ^ Value       ^ Comment          ^
| Mesh Interface    | **DON'T Select**    | |
| Access Point    | Select    |   |
| Config SSID    | **DON'T Select**    |  |

==== Edit Photo ====
  * The hardware will include a generic default photo.
  * To replace it simply select hardware from the grid and click the **Edit Photo** button on the toolbar to open a dedicated tab where you can replace the image.
  * The ideal image should be 64x64 pixels and in png format with transparent background.
  * Below you can see where this photo is used elsewhere in the program.

{{ :2021:photo_hardware.png?nolink |}}