[Wolves] wifi

[Andy Wootton]

David Morley wrote:

>>Yes, IPCop does support WLANs (on the Blue interface) see
>><http://www.ipcop.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=IPCop140BlueVpnHowto>
>>
>>- --
>>Ron Wellsted
>>    
>>
>Is Ipcop similar to smoothwall then, in that it runs on a separate box
>acting as a router and a firewall?
>  
>
Yes, IPcop was a project forked from Smoothwall. It seems to have 
progressed faster than Smoothwall.

>Also this was just theoretical as I had the sudden understanding of
>what and how a router workedish and what dhcp did etc.
>  
>
The terminology is half the problem. A router is just a box with two or 
more interfaces that applies some intelligent decisions about whether to 
move  packets between them. Strictly, the protocol on both sides should 
be the same. If the protocol on different interfaces is different then 
it is a gateway because it has to do protocol conversion too. The 2 
terms are horribly misused these days. A 'wireless router' might be an 
ADSL modem, gateway, firewall, router and DHCP server in one box..

You can buy Wireless Access Points (WAPs) to add into an existing 
Ethernet (about £40.) They seem to be an Ethernet/Wirless gateway and 
some control software. If you only have two wireless nodes they can talk 
to each other without a WAP. Whether a Linux box can be a WAP depends on 
whether you can get your hands on the 'control software'. I don't know 
but I did see a discussion suggesting free software was in development a 
few months ago. I'll leave the Googling to you. Let us all know what you 
find.

>But I saw the cost benefit more for people running a smoothwall box/
>ipcop box.  A good wireless router is about £80 if you need a pcmcia
>card too then more.  You can however pick a pci wireless card for
>15-20 quid same for a pcmcia card, so for half the cost of the router
>you have a full wireless system.
>
Ebuyer are selling 3Com USB 2 wireless 'sticks' for £15. I've got one of 
these and a Netgear WAP for my daughter on order.

Woo