AAIA - Automated Access Point Installation & Automation

A Linux-based Wi-Fi Access Point setup automation tool that configures your system to create a virtual wireless access point using hostapd, dnsmasq, and iptables.

Overview

This project provides both automated and manual setup options for creating a wireless access point on Linux systems (tested on Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions). It creates a virtual interface (ap0) that operates alongside your existing wireless connection (wlan0), allowing your device to act as both a Wi-Fi client and access point simultaneously.

Features

• Virtual Interface Creation: Creates a virtual ap0 interface without interfering with your primary wlan0 connection
• DHCP Server: Automatic IP address assignment for connected clients (192.168.50.50-150)
• NAT & Routing: Internet sharing from primary connection to access point clients
• WPA2 Security: Secure wireless network with custom SSID and password
• Persistent Configuration: Services and settings survive system reboots

Requirements

• Linux system (Debian/Ubuntu-based)
• Wireless adapter supporting AP mode
• Root/sudo privileges
• Required packages: hostapd, dnsmasq, iptables, iw

Installation

Automated Setup (Recommended)

Run the setup script with your desired SSID and password:

chmod +x setup_ap.sh
./setup_ap.sh "YOUR_SSID" "YOUR_PASSWORD"

Example:

./setup_ap.sh "MyAccessPoint" "SecurePassword123"

Manual Setup

For step-by-step manual configuration, refer to manuel_setup.txt which provides detailed instructions for:

1. Installing required packages
2. Creating virtual interface
3. Configuring DHCP (dnsmasq)
4. Configuring access point (hostapd)
5. Setting up NAT and IP forwarding
6. Making configurations persistent

Network Configuration

• Access Point IP: 192.168.50.1
• DHCP Range: 192.168.50.50 - 192.168.50.150
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
• Lease Time: 12 hours
• Channel: 6 (2.4 GHz)
• Security: WPA2-PSK

How It Works

1. Virtual Interface: Creates ap0 as a virtual wireless interface
2. DHCP Server: dnsmasq provides IP addresses to connecting clients
3. Access Point: hostapd manages the wireless access point functionality
4. NAT & Routing: iptables rules enable internet sharing from wlan0 to ap0
5. IP Forwarding: Kernel parameter enables packet forwarding between interfaces

Verification

After setup, verify the access point is running:

# Check interface status
ip addr show ap0

# Check hostapd service
sudo systemctl status hostapd

# Check dnsmasq service
sudo systemctl status dnsmasq

# View connected clients
sudo iw dev ap0 station dump

Troubleshooting

• Interface not created: Ensure your wireless adapter supports AP mode

  iw list | grep "Supported interface modes" -A 8

• Services failing: Check logs

  sudo journalctl -u hostapd -e
  sudo journalctl -u dnsmasq -e

• No internet on clients: Verify IP forwarding and iptables rules

  cat /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward  # Should output: 1
  sudo iptables -t nat -L -n -v

File Structure

• setup_ap.sh - Automated setup script
• manuel_setup.txt - Step-by-step manual configuration guide
• README.md - This file

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and practical purposes.

Contributing

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome!

Notes

• The setup requires both wlan0 (for internet connection) and creates ap0 (for access point)
• Modifications may be needed for different network interfaces (e.g., wlan1 instead of wlan0)
• Ensure your primary wireless connection is established before running the setup
• Some systems may require additional driver support for virtual interface creation