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Ruler2112 · 07-15-2003, 02:01 PM

As you may or may not know, I've been researching a wireless network. In order to understand what I'm trying to do, you'll need to know something more about the layout of our network.

We have a standard 100 megabit ethernet network in place currently. We have grown enough to have run out of IP addresses on it and the people who installed it are slow in the extreme. In order to overcome this, I installed RedHat 9 on a box, popped in a second NIC, and configured IP Masquerading. Everything's great- the computers hooked up the hub can access everything on the network at large.

Now I want to do the same exact thing, only with a wireless. (Really for only a single roaming device.) I was thinking of simply getting a wireless networking card, popping it into the linux box, re-configuring the firewall and IP Masqer settings, and we'd be good to go. No such luck.

We have a lot of cordless phones in use here, plus it's a very busy area, meaning lots of cell phones as well. Because of what I've read about interference, and the added speed, I decided that an 802.11a wireless network would be the way to go. Good luck trying to find a wireless NIC that runs 802.11a that supports Linux.

I thought out of the 'box' just now and was wondering if my perception is correct. I was under the impression that access points are just that- something to pick up the signal from another AP and extend the range. I saw a graphic on Cisco that got me thinking. I went over to NewEgg and checked- sure enough, APs have an ethernet jack on them!

Is my thinking correct in that all I would have to do is plug an 802.11a AP into the hub that's hooked up to the linux box (or even a different NIC if I want to keep the firewall rules simple) and the roaming device would have access to all the resources of the wired network, just as if it were another wired PC? (All that comes down to a yes/no answer...

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meese · 07-15-2003, 02:11 PM

Yes.

DVNT1 · 07-15-2003, 02:21 PM

just so you have a 2nd opinion...

Yes

Ruler2112 · 07-15-2003, 02:30 PM

Thanks guys. (Can you believe that I've been searching for 802.11a cards that work in linux for about a week now? The solution was simpler than the problem!)

Ruler2112 · 07-15-2003, 02:52 PM

One other thing I just thought of. If I hook it up to a separate NIC instead of the hub, do I need a cross-over cable or a standard one? (I'm thinking crossover...)

meese · 07-15-2003, 03:19 PM

I'm not sure.

DVNT1?

DVNT1 · 07-15-2003, 03:40 PM

Based on the Belkin APs, a crossover would be required.

Siliconjunkie · 07-15-2003, 03:48 PM

My Linksys needs a crossover to connect straight to a PC.

Rather than adding another NIC I would just plug the AP into the exsisting network. Unless you are wanting to go all out with firewalling off the wireless segment.

Ruler2112 · 07-15-2003, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Siliconjunkie
Rather than adding another NIC I would just plug the AP into the exsisting network. Unless you are wanting to go all out with firewalling off the wireless segment.

*Exactly* the reason I went with the extra NIC. We have some confidential financial information that's on the network, so I want to make it as secure as possible. I've configured the firewall to only accept traffic from specific IPs on that NIC rather than a range. I read (somewhere) that one can restrict the specific devices the AP will talk to via entering their MAC addresses - I'm planning on figuring this out if I can too. (And after everything is set up as secure as I can make it, I'm going to get an extra wireless NIC and try to hack my own system.

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I ordered the SMC 802.11a wireless AP listed at http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...82E16833129110 I'm guessing that if it works like I think it should, I'll probably need a crossover like the Belkin ones. (No biggie, but good to know since they have a bunch at the other store and I'll be there tomorrow. MUCH easier getting it myself than trying to talk one of the girls out there through getting the right one.

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Again, thanks for the help guys.