HaLowLink2 unstable Layer 2 WDS Bridge setup with OpenWrt (randomly drops/freezes)

Hardware
1

Hi everyone,

I am setting up an industrial IoT connection using two Morse Micro HaLowLink2 devices.

My Setup:

  • Master (AP): Connected via Ethernet to a Revolution Pi (RevPi Connect 5).

  • Client (Station): Connected via Ethernet to an Advantech ADAM-6024-D I/O module (transmitting sensor data).

  • Goal: A fully transparent Layer 2 Bridge where the RevPi can poll the ADAM module directly via Modbus TCP (same subnet).

  • Frequency: EU Band (868 MHz), using 1 or 2 MHz channel bandwidth. 2.4 GHz radios are disabled on both units.

The Problem:

I am struggling immensely with connection stability. Sometimes the connection works after some trouble shooting, but the next morning the HaLow LED on the Client is completely off and the connection is gone.

I have tried configuring this both manually and via the Setup Wizard (by selecting “Wi-Fi HaLow devices will get an IP on your existing router’s network” to force a bridge).

I suspect the issue is related to how the OpenWrt Layer 2 Bridge is handling DHCP/ARP or 4-address frame forwarding.

My Questions:

  1. What is the recommended way to configure a pure, transparent WDS Layer 2 bridge between two HaLowLink2 devices where both DHCP and routing are completely handled by an external upstream router?

  2. Do I need to explicitly set Mode: Access Point (WDS) on the Master and Mode: Client (WDS) on the Client in the wireless configuration, or does the built-in wizard handle 4-address frames differently?

  3. Are there known lease/timeout issues in the Morse Micro OpenWrt build that cause the HaLow client radio to go completely down/inactive after a period of inactivity?

Any advice, configurations, or standard step-by-step guides for a bulletproof transparent bridge would be highly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

2

Hi @Belacqua

Apologies for the late reply here! I didn’t hit send on my reply!

I’ve removed the “bold” font applied to your entire message as it was jarring to read.

The wizard option you have used is the correct approach.

When it does work, is that when using the wizard? If so, 4 address is configured correctly.

No, there are no known issues that would cause the radio to go down after a period of inactivity. But please make sure your HaLowLink2 software is up to date.

After a crash, can you collect logs from Help → Support, it would help us identify what might be going on.