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I'm looking for a simple way to configure an external Access Point (IP address, SSID, WPA key, turn WiFi on/off, etc.) via Linux command line instead of the standard web interface that APs offer.

This could be either an off-the-shelf AP that offers this feature, or a procedure to accomplish this with any standard APs. I realize the question might seem too broad; I'd like to find the simplest solution for this.

dr_
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    Take a look at openWRT – wurtel Nov 10 '15 at 10:30
  • The best way of doing that is accesing the AP trough Telnet or SSH. I your AP has the original manufacturer firmware you probably don't have this access (read the manual). OpenWRT allows you to do that, but you should be sure that your AP is compatible – migrc Nov 10 '15 at 12:48

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You'll (almost certainly) need to flash a custom firmware on the AP to enable this functionality. The two most common firmwares to use for this are OpenWRT and DD-WRT. They're very similar but have slightly different hardware compatibility lists. If you already have the AP check to see if one of them support it. If you're looking to buy an AP check it's compatibility with one of them before you buy. I've done extensive work with DD-WRT on a Linksys WRT54GL and it works like a charm. Best wifi router ever made IMHO.

David King
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  • Thanks for your answer. I don't have the AP yet; in fact, I might end up working on a different solution altogether. I'll take a look at DD-WRT and Linksys WRT54GL. – dr_ Nov 10 '15 at 14:58
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You can use wifi-ap for that.

wifi-ap is a snap package that will help you easily create an access point via terminal. All you have to do is to install it with the command sudo snap install wifi-ap, then call it from terminal like this wifi-ap.config to configure your access point.

Sidahmed
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