[Techtalk] USB wireless as an AP?

[Carla Schroder]

On Tuesday 29 April 2008 12:14:44 pm Elwing wrote:
> Chix,
> 
> I haven't ever tried using a USB wireless device under Linux, but I'm  
> looking to create a separate wireless network off of my firewall  
> (Debian w/IPtables), and "overcome" some of the rather poor design  
> decisions of my current AP (Belkin).
> 
> What I'm not sure of is if I can even find a good 802.11g (n whatever)  
> USB wireless device that works under Linux, will I be able to  
> configure the firewall to act as an AP?
> 

Linux makes a dandy full-featured wireless access point, which the smart 
owners of the Linux Networking Cookbook know. :) In fact I've been rolling my 
own WAPS for years, because the commercial ones are overpriced under-featured 
suckpits. You need a WIC that supports all wireless modes, not just the 
client modes, and as far as I know that is only Atheros-based interfaces. I'm 
not up on USB WICs, so you're on your own there. So the short story is, find 
the right WIC and you can build yourself a good stout WAP that outperforms 
most commercial models.

Another option is to flash your Belkin with DD-WRT or OpenWRT, which are both 
open source firmware replacements for Linksys, Belkin, and other 
consumer-level broadband routers/WAPs. The hardware in these little boxes is 
generally OK; it's the software that they should be ashamed to let other 
people see. Both sites have tables of supported devices.

Carla
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Carla Schroder
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