Hotspot Setup

This guide explains how to configure WarDragon Pro v3 as a WiFi hotspot for field deployments where no existing network infrastructure is available.

Prerequisite: Hotspot configuration requires local console access (monitor + keyboard) during initial setup. See Unboxing & First Boot for instructions on connecting a monitor and keyboard.

Overview

When configured as a hotspot, WarDragon:

• Creates its own WiFi access point
• Provides DHCP to connected clients
• Allows ATAK/TAK devices to connect directly
• Can simultaneously maintain Ethernet connectivity

Video Tutorial

📺 WarDragon Internal Hotspot Setup - Step-by-step video walkthrough

Quick Setup

Enable Pre-configured Hotspot

If your WarDragon came with a pre-configured hotspot:

# Check if hotspot connection exists
nmcli connection show | grep -i hotspot

# Enable the hotspot
sudo nmcli connection up WarDragon-Hotspot

# Verify it's running
nmcli device status

Create New Hotspot

If you need to create a new hotspot configuration:

# Create hotspot with custom SSID and password
sudo nmcli device wifi hotspot \
  ifname wlan0 \
  ssid "WarDragon-Field" \
  password "SecurePassword123"

Detailed Configuration

Step 1: Identify WiFi Interface

# List wireless interfaces
nmcli device status | grep wifi

# Should show wlan0 (internal WiFi)
# Note: wlan1 or similar may be the Panda adapter - don't use for hotspot

Step 2: Create Hotspot Connection

# Create persistent hotspot configuration
sudo nmcli connection add \
  type wifi \
  ifname wlan0 \
  con-name "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  autoconnect no \
  ssid "WarDragon" \
  mode ap \
  ipv4.method shared \
  ipv4.addresses "192.168.12.1/24" \
  wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk \
  wifi-sec.psk "YourSecurePassword"

Step 3: Configure WiFi Security

For better security, use WPA2/WPA3:

sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk \
  wifi-sec.proto rsn \
  wifi-sec.group ccmp \
  wifi-sec.pairwise ccmp

Step 4: Set WiFi Channel and Band

For best performance with ATAK devices:

# Use 2.4 GHz band (better compatibility)
sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  wifi.band bg \
  wifi.channel 6

# Or use 5 GHz for less interference (if devices support it)
sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  wifi.band a \
  wifi.channel 36

Step 5: Enable and Test

# Start the hotspot
sudo nmcli connection up "WarDragon-Hotspot"

# Verify it's running
nmcli device wifi list ifname wlan0
iw dev wlan0 info

Auto-Start on Boot

To have the hotspot start automatically:

# Enable autoconnect
sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" connection.autoconnect yes

# Set priority (higher = preferred)
sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" connection.autoconnect-priority 100

DHCP Configuration

NetworkManager's "shared" mode automatically runs a DHCP server. Connected clients receive:

• IP addresses in 192.168.12.0/24 range
• Gateway: 192.168.12.1 (WarDragon)
• DNS: Forwarded through WarDragon

Custom DHCP Range

For more control, edit dnsmasq configuration:

sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/dnsmasq-shared.d/wardragon.conf

Add:

dhcp-range=192.168.12.10,192.168.12.100,12h
dhcp-option=option:router,192.168.12.1
dhcp-option=option:dns-server,192.168.12.1

Restart NetworkManager:

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Connecting Clients

From ATAK/TAK Device

1. Open device WiFi settings
2. Find and connect to WarDragon (or your custom SSID)
3. Enter the password
4. Configure ATAK to use WarDragon's IP for CoT

Client IP Assignment

View connected clients:

# Show DHCP leases
cat /var/lib/NetworkManager/dnsmasq-wlan0.leases

# Or check ARP table
arp -a

Hybrid Mode: Hotspot + Ethernet (Recommended)

This is the primary method shown in the video tutorial. Run hotspot on WiFi while using Ethernet for internet:

# Ensure Ethernet is connected
sudo nmcli connection up "Wired connection 2"

# Then enable hotspot
sudo nmcli connection up "WarDragon-Hotspot"

# Verify both active
nmcli device status

Benefits:

• Field devices connect via hotspot
• WarDragon reaches TAK Server via Ethernet
• NAT automatically routes between interfaces

Advanced: Hotspot + WiFi Client (Same NIC)

It's also possible to use the same internal WiFi NIC to both connect to an existing WiFi network AND provide a hotspot simultaneously. This is more complex:

Requirements:

1. First, create a WiFi client connection via NetworkManager to your existing network
2. In the hotspot tool, select the existing WiFi connection as the internet source
3. The same WiFi NIC will handle both client and AP mode

This method is useful when no Ethernet is available but you have an existing WiFi network to connect to. Refer to the video tutorial for guidance on using the hotspot tool for this configuration.

Hotspot + TAK Configuration

When using hotspot with ATAK:

DragonSync CoT Output

DragonSync's default multicast interface is 0.0.0.0, which sends multicast on ALL active interfaces. DragonSync checks for new active interfaces approximately every 30 seconds, so new connections are automatically picked up.

This default behavior is useful for flexible setups - for example, you can plug an Android device directly into WarDragon's USB port and enable USB Ethernet tethering, and DragonSync will automatically start sending CoT to that interface.

To restrict multicast to a specific interface (like the hotspot only), edit /home/dragon/DragonSync/config.ini:

[SETTINGS]
enable_multicast = true
tak_multicast_addr = 239.2.3.1
tak_multicast_port = 6969
tak_multicast_interface = 192.168.12.1  # Restrict to hotspot interface only

ATAK Configuration

On connected ATAK devices:

1. Go to Settings → Network Preferences
2. Set TAK Server or SA Multicast
3. For multicast: Use 239.2.3.1:6969
4. For direct: Use WarDragon's IP (192.168.12.1)

Security Considerations

Change Default Password

Always change the default hotspot password:

sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  wifi-sec.psk "NewSecurePassword"

Hide SSID (Optional)

For covert operations:

sudo nmcli connection modify "WarDragon-Hotspot" \
  wifi.hidden yes

Clients must manually enter the SSID to connect.

MAC Filtering (Advanced)

For additional security, implement MAC filtering via hostapd or iptables.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Hotspot won't start	Interface busy	Stop other WiFi connections first
Clients can't connect	Wrong password	Verify password, check for special characters
No IP assigned	DHCP not running	Restart NetworkManager
Connected but no internet	NAT not enabled	Check ip_forward and iptables
Weak signal	Low TX power	Check regulatory domain settings

Debug Commands

# Check interface status
nmcli device show wlan0

# View connection details
nmcli connection show "WarDragon-Hotspot"

# Check for errors
journalctl -u NetworkManager -f

# Verify IP forwarding (for NAT)
cat /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

Related Documentation

• Network Configuration
• TAK Integration
• Video Tutorials