Wireless Access Point Computer

[gamehead200]

I know this is possible because I saw it on TechTV...

I have a Linksys 802.11b PCI card for one of my spare computers. I would like to make this into a wireless access point. I have the wired NIC in there as well as the wireless NIC. Now, what Linux distro can I use (preferably running off a CD or something and that's small) to make this computer an access point?

[likuidkewl]

I know there is a good article on doing it with FreeBSD, and also another good article on how to dual boot BSD and Windows. Hold on I'll find them real quick.

//EDIT#//

Configuring a FreeBSD Access Point for your Wireless Network

http://www.samag.com/documents/s=7121/sam0205a/sam0205a.htm

Dual booting issues

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.a...=32084&seqNum=4

Edited April 24, 2004 by likuidkewl

[gamehead200]

Dunno, but I have a WMP11 card from Linksys, and some people say it won't work properly with Linux... But maybe FreeBSD might do!

I'll check this out tomorrow, but no dual-booting on this PC!

Edit: Just checked the FreeBSD website, and it looks like it doesn't support my wireless card... Where can I find the driver?

[likuidkewl]

http://www2.us.freebsd.org/releases/5.2.1R...386.html#AEN815

Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE 802.11b wireless network adapters and workalikes using the Lucent Hermes, Intersil PRISM-II, Intersil PRISM-2.5, Intersil Prism-3, and Symbol Spectrum24 chipsets ( wi(4) driver)

It should be one of these chipsets if not, I know there is no support in *Nix period for the broadcom chipset version.

[zivan56]

It really depends on what revision you have. If you have a PRISM based WMP11, then it should work in hostap (true access point mode) with no problems. However, it may require a hacked firmware so that the hardware itself can automatically send beacon frames out. This is all in Linux btw. However, if you have another chip in there, you can always use ad-hoc mode.

[gamehead200]

Is it possible to set up an access point through Windows instead?

I tried using m0n0wall (bootable Linux distro), but then found out it didn't work because my card wasn't compatible...

Hold on a second... FreeBSD supports Cisco cards, and Linksys is owned by Cisco now, so wouldn't they have the same drivers?

[likuidkewl]

Hold on a second... FreeBSD supports Cisco cards, and Linksys is owned by Cisco now, so wouldn't they have the same drivers?

A common misconception, linksys cards do not have any cisco chips in them. All they do is put there name on the box.

[gamehead200]

Hold on a second... FreeBSD supports Cisco cards, and Linksys is owned by Cisco now, so wouldn't they have the same drivers?

A common misconception, linksys cards do not have any cisco chips in them. All they do is put there name on the box.

OK, my WMP11 card is version 4, meaning it switched to another Chipset (not Prism2). Is there any way to set it up as a Host AP in Windows?

It uses the InProComm chipset...