Using router with openwrt + other architecture support.

[notPrivate-care]

Hey!
I have 2 questions:

1. I have used this tool on archlinux x86 chip (intel and amd), but will this tool run on arm or riscv (i know you can run it on raspberry pi, but any arm chip is fine)? I am not a programmer, so these might be a silly question, but I don't know the answer to it. (also other bsd/linux distros?)

2. I have TP-Link Archer C20 router with Openwrt Linux kernel version 5.15.167 and uses MediaTek MT7628AN architecture (mt76x8). It has 2 antennas for 2.4 and one for 5. So I should be able to use it for hcxdumptool right? I have a realtek rt2800usb adapter, but the router must be much better for this task right? both wireless attack/sniff and range?

Thank you!

[ZerBea]

hcxdumptool/hcxlabtool is independent of the processor architecture. As long as you use one of the Linux kernels as mentioned here. Other operating systems than Linux are not supported.
If the Linux kernel driver support monitor mode and full packet injection (e.g. Broadcom does not support monitor mode), hcxdumptool/hcxlabtool will work as expected.
Please note that actual WiFi hardware need an actual Linux kernel.

OpenWRT should be fine. To compile hcxdumptool you need some additional packages:
gcc
make
libpcap

If you want to compile latest git head, "git" must be installed too.

I don't know if MT7628A supports monitor mode and packet injection, but "iw" should show this information.

[notPrivate-care]

Can't I just install hcxtools on my laptop -> connect router through ethernet cable and use it just as I would use a USB adapter? Why do I need hcxtools on my router?

Thank you!

Edit: impossible to install gcc on my router as it is 40Mib and my router has a total of 1.75Mib disc space 1.42 MiB free.
iw list shows monitor as supported mode :)

[ZerBea]

There is no need to install hcxtools on the router. Conversion from pcapng to hc22000 can be done on every Linux system.

If it is not possible to install the development environment (gcc, make) on the router, you can cross compile hcxdumptool via openwrt toolchain on the Arch Linux.

Unfortunately 1.47 mb free space is too less to do it.

You can`t use the router as USB wifi device.

[notPrivate-care]

There is no need to install hcxtools on the router. Conversion from pcapng to hc22000 can be done on every Linux system.

If it is not possible to install the development environment (gcc, make) on the router, you can cross compile hcxdumptool via openwrt toolchain on the Arch Linux.

Unfortunately 1.47 mb free space is too less to do it.

You can`t use the router as USB wifi device.

Ohh, thats sad. But if I have root access to openwrt router, why cant I use it as any other adapter? Why cant archlinux dictate what the router should do, if I have full root permissions on both the devices? adapter has wireless chipset and antenna, so does my router.

[ZerBea]

OpenWRT does not support this.
It is mandatory that hcxdumptool is running on that device, the WiFi adapter is connected to.
In other words:
running hcxdumptool on Arch is possible if the WiFi adapter is connected directly to the Arch machine
running hcxdumptool on the OpenWRT router is also possible

but running hcxdumptool on the Arch machine to control the router is not possible