[Coco] Wireless CoCo?

[David Hazelton]

John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
> On Wed, 2004-09-22 at 21:31, David Hazelton wrote:
> 
>>John~
>>
>>	As I was trying to use my Linux box (mandrake 9.2) to bridge between my 
>>Wireless network and my Ethernet.  I came across a problem,  It would 
>>not bridge,  I looked into this deeper, since it should work.  It is a 
>>known problem with some Wireless chipsets....I just happen to have one 
>>of those.   Also I was using a USB to 802.11b for the wireless side and 
>>I found out it was even more common bridging problems with USB controllers.
>>
> 
> 
> So which chipsets to avoid and which to look for? Are you saying that
> Linux cannot bridge between your WLAN card and the ethernet?
> 
> I can see why a chipset could be broken such that it would not be able
> to bridge between two wireless lans or act as an AP (that is, it could
> not enter "master mode"). However, I believe bridging between Ethernet
> and a wireless LAN isn't a function of the chipset but the operating
> system. Linux in this case is the router. As long as you have IP
> Forwarding enabled in your kernel, you should be able to bridge packets
> between ethernet and your wireless lan, or serial and wireless lan.
> 
> http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-wap.html
> 
> Would be interesting though to know which cards/chipsets to avoid in
> building an AP.
> 
> -- John.
> 
> 

It was more bridging than routing, Routing would most likely work no 
matter what since you are forwarding IP (a little higher up on the stack 
than bridging) and the "router" deals with both networks.  What seems to 
be a problem was bridging the interfaces.  If I remember correctly some 
low cost NIC cards and most Wireless will not let you masquerade the MAC 
address in the packet, which is what needs to be done on a bridge.

Not knowing bluetooth or any other wireless protocol, I'm not sure one 
would use a gateway or a router.  Once I tried using KA9Q using SLIP to 
connect it to my W98 box for FTPing files.  I would connect it to my 
Linux box and use it like a terminal server....but KA9Q is an 
Application not a system stack.....Still waiting for Microware/Radsys to 
Public domain the ISP package :)

~David Hazelton