Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006, James Miller wrote:

> On Wed, Dec 06, 2006 at 10:12:37PM +0000, sindi keesan wrote:
> > Our neighbor is using just a wireless network card to pick up a wireless
> > signal with no need for this gadget.  He has a big collection of pcmcia
> > linksys cards that probably work only in Windows (unless you jump through
> > hoops imitating Windows in linux).

> Look at it this way. Your neighbor already had a working wired network 
> card, right? But he went out and bought a special wireless networking 
> card to replace it, or something like that.

He got a free wireless PCI card.  His computer is open most of the time 
anyway.  His wired card is connected to the other computer.

> Had he done what I'm suggesting, he wouldn't have had to open his 
> computer and take out one card to replace it with another. He would
He has two network cards in there now.

> simply have bought the travel router, put one end of an ethernet cable 
> into it and the other end into his computer's wired NIC, flipped the 
> switch on the travel router to client mode, plugged in the travel 
> router, and he'd be able to pick up the wireless signal and get his 
> computer on the wireless network. Furthermore, if he wanted to travel

But then no wired connection between his two computers unless he added 
another wired card.

> somewhere and had an older laptop with a working wired NIC, he could
He has no laptops except a broken one we gave him.

> unplug the travel router from his home computer, take the travel router 
> along with him, and, by plugging it into the ethernet port on his 
> laptop, be able to get on wireless networks with the laptop while 
> travelling. The travel router is alot more versatile than your 
> traditional wireless card. If prices for this gizmo and a PCI network 
> card were the same (wireless PCI cards can often be gotten cheaper), I'd

I have seen them at ebay for about $5, I think.
If we had to travel we could use Windows on the laptop.

> always choose the travel router over the internal PCI card. It does have 
> the down-side of having extra wires and its own separate power plug, but 
> in general its greater flexibility outweighs those in my view.
>
> Here's a pic: 
> http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/9/0,1425,i=94013,00.jpg

Sounds good if you plan to travel with a laptop, but overkill for us.

> > I think we have two version 4 cards of something that worked with linux up
> > to version 3.

> The thing I described next is not a card. It's a full-size wired + 
> wireless router. Separate piece of hardware like the travel router, and 
> can be used similarly.

You are describing two different gadgets?

> > What does this gadget look like?  Does it pick up a signal and then let
> > you plug in several wired-network computers into it?


> Looks something like this: 
> http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00007KDVI.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V40411728_.jpg

> Since it has both wired and wireless routers integrated into it, and 
> since the Linux code that runs it has been extensively tweaked, there 
> are likely ways to make it act as a client that distributes the wireless 
> signal it picks up out the 4 rj45 jacks on the back of the router. I

That sounds helpful.  So it picks up a wireless signal and distributes it 
to four computers.  Does one always need to be on for the others to get 
the signal?  I should read more about this.

> don't know from personal experience, but I don't see why, in principle, 
> it couldn't do this.

Will take a look some time when not in BL1 and shell account / pine.

> > We would prefer not to spend money on this experiment so will try to
> > network with Win98 and our two pcmcia wireless cards first.

> I thought you said you were considering buying a wireless PCI adaptor 
> (you said "I suppose I could pay money for a PCI wireless card."). I was 
> just saying that you should consider spending that money on a more 
> flexible wireless device like the travel router I described.

First we will try to get a free linux-compatible PCMCIA wireless card.

We have several free hubs already.  We don't normally travel with a 
computer (by bike).  Just want to pick up the neighbor's signal and 
distribute it around via wire.

Sorry if I am confused, have not done wireless or routers before.

> James
>
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keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org