Baslinux mailing list

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

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006, James Miller wrote:

> On Wed, Dec 06, 2006 at 11:28:33PM +0000, sindi keesan wrote:
> > 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.

> Think of the WRT54G as a miniature Linux computer dedicated to routing and 
> NAT'ing. As long as
> the WRT54G is powered on, it's doing it's routing/NAT'ing job. Doesn't matter 
> what other
> computers on the LAN are powered on or not. Again, I presume it could perform 
> such a function,
> but I have no personal expereince with it.

This gadget would not require leaving on a computer with a wireless card 
in it in order to go online with the other computers via broadband?

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

We just got two WPC11 ver 3 (to check out, for sale cheap) with the 
related transmitter, a Lucent inside a case, plugged into a small 
greenboard which has a USB port on it (USB wireless modem), and one Cisco 
card (nothing with it).

> Good luck. Wireless NIC's are still a generally sought-after item, so 
> not many are being unloaded. Especially PCMCIA ones. Then, the chances

There are lots of PCMCIA ones floating around.  We have two WPC11 ver 4 
from friends (with the transmitters).  No PCI cards.  The other ones the 
neighbor has are cardbus or need ndiswrapper or both.

> that any still-working unloaded ones are going to work with Linux are 
> 50-50 at best. Wireless support under Linux, though continuing to 
> improve, is still quite spotty. Look for an old Orinoco bronze card,
The lucent  USB/pcmcia model should work.

> since they're well supported, even back into the 2.2.x kernel series, I 
> believe. They don't do encryption and only promise 2mbps speeds, but it

That is much faster than the connection, which might hit 500K/sec at best.

> should work for picking up a nearby signal for distributing into your 
> LAN. Even that speed is going to be a heck of alot faster than dialup.
>
> James