Broadcast on a tinycore set as Access Point

[gpulido]

Hello,
I'm trying to use a tinycore installation as an access point to generate its own wifi network (I'm using this: http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,16181.msg95867.html fot creating the AP)
I have it up and I can connect to the network that is created by the tinycore with any wifi device.
My problem is that I'm trying to generate a broadcast through a socket using the 255.255.255.255, and the message is not "broadcasted" (it is not received on all devices on the network listening to the broadcast socket / port)
Probably this is any basic networking knowledge that I don't know, but do I need anything else on the tinycore Access Point to make it send broadcast over the network it is creating?

My idea is to be able to generate a mesh of devices connected through wifi to the AP and avoid to use an external router / switch to do that job.

 I would appreciate If anyone can point me on the right direction.

Thank you
Gabriel

[gpulido]

Hello again,

After more test, It seems that the problem is that the 255.255.255.255 is not "reachable", however the ap broadcast ip configured on hostapd 192.168.42.255 is working!

What do I need to configure to be able to use the 255.255.255.255 address?

Thank you

[Paul_123]

Hello again,

After more test, It seems that the problem is that the 255.255.255.255 is not "reachable", however the ap broadcast ip configured on hostapd 192.168.42.255 is working!

What do I need to configure to be able to use the 255.255.255.255 address?

Thank you

Who are you trying to broadcast to?   what are you trying to broadcast.....and who is listening.   A broadcast message will only be received if the client knows to listen for it.

If your ap is configured on the 192.168.42.x subnet, then the appropriate broadcast address is 192.168.42.255.

[gpulido]

Hello,
I'm creating a mesh of devices over the same network, some of the communication is made using broadcast to the network. The devices listen for those broadcast.

When I connect them to a "standard" router, I can broadcast to 255.255.255.255 even if the router is exposing a broadcast address of 192.168.1.255.
I'm trying to replicate the same behavior with the access point I have configured on one of the raspis to get ride of the router.

The idea is that the software doesn't need to know the network on which is running and just broadcast / listen to the 255.255.255.255

[tinypoodle]

The picture of what you're trying to do is very unclear without providing specific details like network topology, routing, drivers, interface types/wireless modes of all devices/interfaces involved.

[Paul_123]

255.255.255.255 while valid, just is dropped by too many devices.      Can you use 192.168.255.255 or 192.255.255.255?   Will that capture all of the possible ranges.   Otherwise it should be pretty easy for the device sending the broadcast to know it's own IP address and then build the appropriate broadcast address.