Wireless Network Systems Engineer (OpenWRT/RADIUS/PPSK)

About Honest Networks

Honest Networks is dedicated to delivering high-quality and affordable internet service as a catalyst for community growth, fostering learning, creativity, and enjoyment. We are a rapidly expanding, venture-backed internet service provider headquartered in Manhattan. We focus on offering gigabit internet service at transparent and affordable prices, all while providing exceptional customer service. We achieve this goal by employing individuals with high integrity, a strong work ethic, and a passion for continuous learning. If working in a fast-paced, results-oriented, and mission-driven environment excites you, we encourage you to apply and join our team. Learn more at www.honest.net. 

About the Role

We are seeking a highly technical engineer to manage and extend a large-scale wireless authentication and access platform built around OpenWRT, FreeRADIUS/RadiusDesk, PPSK/DPSK authentication, MikroTik, and carrier-grade WiFi infrastructure. This role is focused on the operational, development, and troubleshooting aspects of wireless onboarding, authentication, VLAN assignment, AP management, and custom integrations between wireless vendors and RADIUS systems.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working at layers 2–7, understands WPA/WPA2/WPA3 authentication flows, and can troubleshoot everything from hostapd and RADIUS packets to VLAN propagation and client onboarding failures.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot OpenWRT-based wireless infrastructure
• Configure and manage FreeRADIUS environments
• Support PPSK/DPSK/MPSK wireless authentication systems
• Troubleshoot WPA/WPA2/WPA3 enterprise and PPSK authentication flows
• Debug RADIUS authentication/accounting issues using tools such as tcpdump and Wireshark
• Maintain wireless VLAN assignment and dynamic policy systems
• Work with MikroTik RouterOS and switching infrastructure
• Configure and troubleshoot hostapd, UCI, ubus, and Linux networking
• Build and maintain integrations between wireless controllers and RADIUS systems
• Troubleshoot roaming, DHCP, VLAN tagging, multicast, and client connectivity issues
• Support large-scale WiFi deployments in residential and ISP environments
• Maintain firmware upgrade and configuration automation workflows
• Assist with AP provisioning, telemetry collection, and monitoring systems
• Analyze wireless performance issues including RSSI, CCQ, airtime, retries, and channel utilization
• Develop scripts and automation tooling in Python, Bash, Go, and LUA
• Participate in architecture and scaling discussions for wireless infrastructure

Required Skills

• Strong Linux networking knowledge
• Strong understanding of:
• 802.11 wireless networking
• VLANs
• DHCP
• DNS
• NAT
• Routing
• Firewalling

• Experience with:
• OpenWRT
• FreeRADIUS
• MikroTik RouterOS
• hostapd
• WPA/WPA2/WPA3 authentication
• Experience troubleshooting RADIUS:
• Access-Request / Access-Accept / Reject flows
• Accounting packets
• Vendor-specific attributes (VSAs)
• Comfortable using:
• tcpdump
• Wireshark
• SSH
• Linux CLI
• Understanding of PPSK/DPSK systems and dynamic VLAN assignment
• Experience with scripting or development in:
• Python
• Bash
• Familiarity with SQL databases (MariaDB/MySQL/SQLite)

Preferred Experience

• ISP or carrier WiFi experience
• Experience with:
• Ruckus
• TP-Link Omada
• OpenWRT firmware customization
• Mediatek, Broadcom, and Qualcom-based wireless platforms
• TR-069 / ACS systems
• MQTT-based device communication
• Understanding of EAPOL and WPA handshake internals
• Experience building or maintaining custom RADIUS middleware/shims
• Familiarity with Docker and containerized deployments
• SNMP monitoring and telemetry systems
• Experience scaling WiFi systems across hundreds of thousands of APs

Ideal Candidate

You are someone who:

• Can independently troubleshoot complex WiFi authentication issues
• Understands both networking and software development
• Is comfortable reading packet captures and logs
• Can work without heavy hand-holding
• Enjoys solving difficult infrastructure problems
• Has experience operating production wireless systems at scale
• Example Technologies Used
• OpenWRT
• FreeRADIUS
• MikroTik RouterOS
• Ruckus
• Omada
• hostapd
• Python
• Go
• Linux
• Docker
• MariaDB/MySQL
• MQTT
• SNMP
• Mid-level to Senior preferred.
• Equivalent real-world experience is valued more highly than certifications or formal degrees.

Compensation

The expected annual compensation for this role is $90,000 plus bonus potential. Compensation is dependent on experience and demonstrated capability with wireless/RADIUS systems.

Benefits

• Paid time off (PTO)
• Paid Sick Leave (PSL)
• Medical, vision and dental benefits
• 401k program after 3 months of employment

Honest Networks' Values

Honest is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, socioeconomic status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We offer reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities upon request to facilitate their participation in the hiring process.