Andrew Pollock wrote:
> I'm looking for a wireless ethernet solution for my home network.
Seems a little off-topic for this list, but what the hey. You may want
to look for a wireless users group near you, there are some in .au.
> I've got:
>
> 1 Linux box with two ethernet interfaces as my DSL gateway.
> 1 Windoze PC
> 1 Laptop (Windoze/Debian)
>
> I currently have the Linux gateway connected to hub and the Windoze PC and
> laptop go into the hub.
>
> Ideally, I'm after something like a "wireless hub" where I can eliminate the
> ethernet connection between the Linux box and the hub, still use a cable from
> the hub to the Windoze PC and use a wireless card in the laptop so I can take
> it
> anywhere in the house. Failing that I guess it's wireless cards for
> everything,
> but then if someone visits with a PC/laptop, they can't plug in...
Your "wireless hub" is what is called an "access point". These can be
had for $150 (US dollars) and up. I've heard good things about the
linksys access points. It's really a lot more complex than a hub, think
more like a bridge. This would result in a network like this:
--- = wire
... = radio
windows poolside laptop
| .
| .
hub ------------ access point ............. linux box ---- dsl
| .
| .
friend's box .
guy in a van on the street
Please notice that this allows the guy in the van to snoop on anything the
windows box or your laptop or friend do on the internet, unless you encrypt the
wireless link. 802.11 includes a broken encryption scheme called WEP that it
would be very foolish to rely on. If it matters to you you might want to set up
an encrypted tunnel.
This would require you also buy a pcmcia adapter for your linux box,
since all the networking gear comes pretty much as pcmcia cards. I
believe that the access points don't come with a pcmcia card either, so
you'll need three in all. Gear list then comes down to (you may find
slightly better prices):
$150+ 1 access point
$75 1 pcmcia to ISA or pcmcia to PCI bridge
$210 3 pcmcia cards
$435 total
Here is an alternative:
windows laptop
| .
| .
hub ------------- linux box ---- dsl
| .
| .
friend's box .
guy in a van on the street
Here you keep the wired link between the linux box and the hub to the
windows box, and do not use an access point, instead using Ah-Hoc
networking mode between your linux box and the laptop. This requires
only 2 pcmcia cards, so the gear is:
$75 1 pcmcia to ISA or pcmcia to PCI bridge
$140 2 pcmcia cards
$215 total
Downsides are slightly harder setup, and the introduction of you linux
box as a point of failure between the lapop and everything else on your
network. Upsides are being able to access the net from everything but
the laptop without feer of snoopers, the price tag, and not having to
deal with a proprietary access pont.
> What's available that is supported by Linux? Can you mix and match 802.11(b)
> gear and expect it to cooperate? Are there any good sites for general
> reference?
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Tools.html has
exhaustive detail. The wavelan/orinoco/whatever they're calling it this
week cards work well and are the most popular, but there are several
other choices as well. They all interoperate decently, Jean's site knows
better than I.
--
see shy jo
