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WiFi on the Vault
Overview
Protectli has offered a wireless kit that is compatible with all of the Vaults, FW1 through FW6 models. The kit includes the internal coax cables and WiFi antennas. The WiFi module, (WAP01K) is an mPCIe physical form factor module, but uses USB as the communications channel. It supports 802.11b/g/n specifications in the 2.4GHz band. It is compatible with FreeBSD based Operating System (OS), pfSense® CE, OPNsense, Windows 10, Ubuntu and other Debian Linux distributions. However, due to limited support for WiFi in general in the FreeBSD based systems, and only support for WiFi standards 802.11b/g/n Protectli recommends the WAP01K for WiFi connectivity, but not as a busy WiFi Access Point.
More information for the WAP01K can be found on the product page at this link: WAP01K
mPCIe WiFi Module
The FW2B, and FW6 series WiFi slots on the Vault support PCIe communications as well as USB communications, so they can accept some of the newer WiFi modules that support 802.11ac and utilize PCIe communications. Protectli offers an updated 802.11ac WiFi module, WM-PCIE-001 that operates in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. It supports 802.11ac/a/b/g/n, Dual Band, MU-MIMO, and other features. As noted above, support is dependent on the OS installed. Windows, Ubuntu/Debian and OpenWrt have excellent support for 802.11ac. However, FreeBSD based OS, OPNsense and pfSense® CE still lack basic support.
More information for the WM-PCIE-001 can be found on the product page at this link: WM-PCIE-001
Vault Pro (VP) WiFi
The WiFi slot for the VP Series is an M.2 2230 form factor module with PCIe communication. As such it can support the newer 802.11ac modules that operate in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Protectli now offers the WM-M2-001, M.2 2230 WiFi module for the VP Series. It supports 802.11ac, Dual Band, MU-MIMO, and other features. As noted above, support is dependent on the OS installed. Windows, Ubuntu/Debian and OpenWrt have excellent support for 802.11ac. However, FreeBSD based OS, OPNsense and pfSense® CE still lack basic support.
More information for the WM-M2-001 can be found on the product page at this link: WM-M2-001
WiFi Compatibility
| Module SKU | WAP01K | WM-PCIE-001 | WM-M2-001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Half Height mPCIe | Half Height mPCIe | M.2 2230 |
| Communication | USB | PCIe | PCIe |
| WiFi Standards | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11/ac/a/b/g/n | 802.11/ac/a/b/g/n |
| RF Band(s) | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz |
| Chipset | Ralink RT3070 | Qualcom Atheros QCA6174A-5 | Qualcom Atheros QCA6174A-5 |
| Bluetooth | N/A | V5.0, V4.2, V4.1, V4.0 LE, V3.0+HS, V2.1+EDR | V5.0, V4.2, V4.1, V4.0 LE, V3.0+HS, V2.1+EDR |
| Max Theoretical Data Rate | 54 Mbps | 867 Mbps | 867 Mbps |
| MU-MIMO | N/A | 2T2R | 2T2R |
| Vault Compatibility | FW1, FW2, FW4A, FW2B, FW4B, FW6A-E | FW2B (AMI BIOS only), FW6A-E | V Series, VP2410, VP2420, VP4600, VP6600 |
WiFi Module OS Compatibility
| OS Compatibility | WAP01K | WM-PCIE-001 | WM-M2-001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPNsense | Yes | No | No |
| pfSense | Yes | No | No |
| Ubuntu | Yes | FW2B(AMI), FW6 Series | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | FW6 Series | Yes |
| OpenWrt | Yes | FW2B(AMI), FW6 Series | Yes |
| Linux / Debian | Yes | FW2B(AMI), FW6 Series | Yes |
Firmware Fix
Common issues seen to confirm the script is required for the WM-M2-001 or WM-PCIE-001 WiFi Kit, include;
- No Wi-Fi signal in OS settings on Linux including Ubuntu 22.04
- Note: Ubuntu 24.04 does not require a Firmware Fix
- WiFi signal not shown on other devices.
- Only Bluetooth shown in settings on Linux.
Firmware File/Install Script for Ubuntu: wifi-fix-standalone-0.3.1.tar
Depending on your OS, your firmware may require a downgrade. Ensure you have root privileges prior to attempting to downgrade the firmware.
Transfer the file to your OS via USB or download it directly from our site. If you are on Ubuntu, you can run the script in the file following the instructions below. Otherwise, refer to the "Other Linux Systems" section
- Unzip the file to a known location such as your desktop.
- Open the folders until you locate the file named: wifi-firmware-downgrade.sh
- Right click on any open space and select Open in Terminal.
- Run: sudo chmod +x wifi-firmware-downgrade.sh to give you permission to run the script
- Run the above script to downgrade the firmware.
- Command: sudo ./wifi-firmware-downgrade.sh
- Once completed, Done will display in the terminal and the WiFi should work as expected.
Other Linux Systems
If you are using another Linux based OS and the WiFi connection is not available: you can move all files in the vendor folder of the wifi-fix-standalone file above to your OS firmware folder. If you are using OpenWRT, make sure to install the ath10k-firmware-qca6174 and kmod-ath10k package at System>Software before you transfer the files.
The files to move include:
- board-2.bin
- checksums
- firmware-6.bin
- notice_ath10k_firmware-6.txt
Copy to the Linux OS location below or similar;
/lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA6174/hw3/
Once all files have been moved, conduct a reboot and you are all set.