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OpenVPN Bridges

Enable Packet forwarding for IPv4

The machine running CoovaChilli will act as a router and thus needs to be configured as such.
This means that the IP packets needs to be forwarded from one interface to the other.
Edit the /etc/sysctl.conf.
Find and uncomment net.ipv4.ip_forward=1 line.

Building and Installing Coova Chilli

The version of CoovaChilli is 1.6 as of this writing.
We will download and build the .deb package from source.
First ensure the required packages to build the .deb package are installed.

sudo apt-get install build-essential libssl-dev libjson-c-dev gengetopt
sudo apt install devscripts debhelper

Download the release 1.6's .tar.gz file of the source here: https://github.com/coova/coova-chilli/releases
Before we can build the package, we have to remove a dependency (hasrl) specified in the Debian control file.
This dependency is not required and including it causes trouble when you want to install the package.

# If you downloaded with wget
tar -xzvf 1.6.tar.gz
# If you downloaded with the browser 
tar -xzvf coova-chilli-1.6.tar.gz
cd coova-chilli-1.6/
 
vi debian/control
#Look for this part
#------
#Depends:
# ${shlibs:Depends},
# iptables,
# haserl,
# adduser,
#------
#------ CHANGE TO THIS (remove haserl as a dependency)
#------
#Depends:
# ${shlibs:Depends},
# iptables,
# adduser,
#-----
 
debuild -i -us -uc -b
cd ..
sudo dpkg --install coova-chilli_1.6_amd64.deb

From the output of the dpkg command you will see that CoovaChilli is by default disabled. In the next section we will configure it to become a working entity.

Selecting previously unselected package coova-chilli.
(Reading database ... 125842 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack coova-chilli_1.6_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking coova-chilli (1.6) ...
Setting up coova-chilli (1.6) ...
Chilli default off. Look at /etc/default/chilli
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9.2) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (245.4-4ubuntu3.6) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...

Configuring Coova Chilli

Enable CoovaChilli

Edit the following file

sudo vi /etc/default/chilli

Change it to look like this

START_CHILLI=1
CONFFILE="/etc/chilli.conf"
HS_USER="chilli"

Save the file.

Create the main config file

Create a file called /etc/chilli/config and use the following as reference:

/etc/chilli/config

HS_WANIF=eth0            # WAN Interface toward the Internet
HS_DNS1=4.4.4.4
HS_DNS2=8.8.8.8
HS_RADIUS=164.160.89.129
HS_RADIUS2=164.160.89.129
HS_RADSECRET=testing123    # Set to be your RADIUS shared secret
HS_UAMSECRET=greatsecret     # Set to be your UAM secret
HS_UAMALIASNAME=chilli
HS_UAMSERVER=$HS_UAMLISTEN
HS_UAMFORMAT=https://cloud.radiusdesk.com/cake4/rd_cake/dynamic-details/chilli-browser-detect/
HS_UAMHOMEPAGE=http://\$HS_UAMLISTEN:\$HS_UAMPORT/www/coova.html
HS_MODE=hotspot
HS_TYPE=coovachilli
HS_WWWDIR=/etc/chilli/www
HS_WWWBIN=/etc/chilli/wwwsh
HS_PROVIDER=Coova
HS_PROVIDER_LINK=http://coova.github.io/
HS_LOC_NAME="My HotSpot"           # WISPr Location Name and used in portal
HS_UAMUISSL=on
HS_SSLKEYFILE=/etc/chilli/key.pem
HS_SSLCERTFILE=/etc/chilli/cert.pem
HS_UAMALIASNAME=uam
HS_DNS_DOMAIN=mesh-manager.com
HS_UAMUIPORT=4990

Make sure you include the key.pem and cert.pem in order for SSL to work correct.
You can use these from the MESHdesk firmware
https://github.com/RADIUSdesk/openwrt-meshdesk/tree/main/MESHdesk/files/MESHdesk/captive_portals
Create the VLAN config directories

#Here you will need **ifconfig** to be installed
sudo su
cd /etc/chilli
./newmulti.sh br0.101
./newmulti.sh br0.102
  * Create the three VLAN configs
./newmulti.sh br0.103

Create the three VLAN configs

/etc/chilli/br0.101/config

HS_LANIF=br0.101            # WAN Interface toward the Internet
HS_NETWORK=10.101.0.0      # HotSpot Network (must include HS_UAMLISTEN)
HS_NETMASK=255.255.0.0   # HotSpot Network Netmask
HS_UAMLISTEN=10.101.0.1  # HotSpot IP Address (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMPORT=3990            # HotSpot UAM Port (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMUIPORT=4990          # HotSpot UAM "UI" Port (on subscriber network, for embedded portal)
 
HS_DYNIP=10.101.1.1
HS_DYNIP_MASK=255.255.0.0
HS_STATIP=10.101.0.1
HS_STATIP_MASK=255.255.255.0
# HS_DNS_DOMAIN=
 
HS_NASID=rd-vlan101
HS_SSID=rd-vlan101-ssid

/etc/chilli/br0.102/config

HS_LANIF=br0.102            # WAN Interface toward the Internet
HS_NETWORK=10.102.0.0      # HotSpot Network (must include HS_UAMLISTEN)
HS_NETMASK=255.255.0.0   # HotSpot Network Netmask
HS_UAMLISTEN=10.102.0.1  # HotSpot IP Address (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMPORT=3991            # HotSpot UAM Port (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMUIPORT=4991          # HotSpot UAM "UI" Port (on subscriber network, for embedded portal)
 
HS_DYNIP=10.102.1.1
HS_DYNIP_MASK=255.255.0.0
HS_STATIP=10.102.0.1
HS_STATIP_MASK=255.255.255.0
# HS_DNS_DOMAIN=
 
HS_NASID=rd-vlan102
HS_SSID=rd-vlan102-ssid

/etc/chilli/br0.103/config

HS_LANIF=br0.103            # WAN Interface toward the Internet
HS_NETWORK=10.103.0.0      # HotSpot Network (must include HS_UAMLISTEN)
HS_NETMASK=255.255.0.0   # HotSpot Network Netmask
HS_UAMLISTEN=10.103.0.1  # HotSpot IP Address (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMPORT=3992            # HotSpot UAM Port (on subscriber network)
HS_UAMUIPORT=4992          # HotSpot UAM "UI" Port (on subscriber network, for embedded portal)
 
HS_DYNIP=10.103.1.1
HS_DYNIP_MASK=255.255.0.0
HS_STATIP=10.103.0.1
HS_STATIP_MASK=255.255.255.0
# HS_DNS_DOMAIN=
 
HS_NASID=rd-vlan103
HS_SSID=rd-vlan103-ssid

Add NAT Support

By default CoovaChilli does not do NAT between the two interfaces. We have to add NAT support during start-up in order to have a working system.

Failing to do this step will leave you with a broken system.

Edit the /etc/init.d/chilli file and add the following:

test ${HS_ADMINTERVAL:-0} -gt 0 && {
    (crontab -l 2>&- | grep -v $0
        echo "*/$HS_ADMINTERVAL * * * * $0 radconfig"
        ) | crontab - 2>&-
}
 
#NAT mod
iptables -F POSTROUTING -t nat
iptables -I POSTROUTING -t nat -o $HS_WANIF -j MASQUERADE
# ---HEADS-UP--
#NOTE The $HS_WANIF dit not populate for some unknown reason so I had to do
#iptables -I POSTROUTING -t nat -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
#END NAT mod
 
ifconfig $HS_LANIF 0.0.0.0

Test it out

Restart CoovaChilli for the latest changes to be effected.

sudo systemctl stop chilli
sudo systemctl status chilli
sudo systemctl start chilli

Confirm it started fine

sudo systemctl status chilli
 
.......
● chilli.service - LSB: Start CoovaChilli daemon at boot time
   Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/chilli; generated)
   Active: active (running) since Sat 2022-06-11 03:05:26 UTC; 2s ago
     Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
  Process: 7619 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/chilli start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCES
    Tasks: 1 (limit: 1108)
   CGroup: /system.slice/chilli.service
           └─7706 /usr/sbin/chilli -c /etc/chilli.conf
 
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes systemd[1]: Started LSB: Start CoovaChilli daemon at boo
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes chilli[7706]: PID 7706 saving options to /var/run/chilli
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes chilli[7706]: PID 7706 loading binary options file /var/
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes chilli[7706]: Loading modules
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes chilli[7706]: CoovaChilli 1.4. Copyright 2002-2005 Mondr
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes chilli[7706]: TX queue length set to 100
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes coova-chilli[7713]: PID 7713 loading binary options file
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes coova-chilli[7713]: Loading modules
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes coova-chilli[7713]: USER root(0/0), GROUP root(0/0) CHIL
Dec 21 03:05:26 osboxes coova-chilli[7713]: Running /etc/chilli/up.sh (0/0)
.......

Reboot the system and make sure CoovaChilli started up fine

Startup sequence

We need to make sure that CoovaChilli starts at the right time.
The right time will be:
- First we configure the bridges.
- Then we start up OpenVPN tunnels.
- Then we start up CoovaChilli.
Disable the normal startup sequence of CoovaChilli

systemctl disable chilli

Edit the /etc/rc.local file and add the following below the startup of OpenVPN

#Add the startup of OpenVPN
systemctl start openvpn@server_vlan_101
systemctl start openvpn@server_vlan_102
systemctl start openvpn@server_vlan_103
 
#Add the startup of CoovaChilli
systemctl start chilli
 
exit 0

Reboot the system and make sure everything is up and running after the reboot.

System Checks

To confirm the bridges are up along with the OpenVPN tunnels

root@localhost:/home/system# brctl show
bridge name	bridge id		STP enabled	interfaces
br0.101		8000.002222ffffff	no		eth1.101
							tap0
br0.102		8000.002222ffffff	no		eth1.102
							tap1
br0.103		8000.002222ffffff	no		eth1.103
							tap2

To check if CoovaChilli started up fine:

ifconfig
 
....
tun0: flags=81<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING>  mtu 1500
        inet 10.101.0.1  netmask 255.255.0.0  destination 10.101.0.1
        inet6 fe80::70ad:961c:836d:ea9  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 100  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 10  bytes 592 (592.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0
 
tun1: flags=81<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING>  mtu 1500
        inet 10.1.0.1  netmask 255.255.255.0  destination 10.1.0.1
        inet6 fe80::dfa6:b905:30f9:8478  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 100  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 10  bytes 592 (592.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0
 
tun2: flags=81<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING>  mtu 1500
        inet 10.1.0.1  netmask 255.255.255.0  destination 10.1.0.1
        inet6 fe80::c5e:ff84:c088:a947  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 100  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 10  bytes 592 (592.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0
 
....

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Table of Contents

OpenVPN Bridges

Enable Packet forwarding for IPv4

Building and Installing Coova Chilli

Configuring Coova Chilli

Enable CoovaChilli

Create the main config file

Add NAT Support

Test it out

Startup sequence

System Checks