LEAF and Wireless Networking

[mdwilson]

Hello all,

I have just recently changed to ADSL with Swiftel and am using a Netcom NB1300 modem. A friend is setting up one of my old P1 233's as a LEAF gateway\firewall box. I know nothing about Linux as yet but am looking forward to getting into it.

Unfortunately i have one significant problem - i cannot get a phone line into my computer room and the nearest socket is ~10m away - i have and still do dragged a 10m phone cable across the lounge room to plug in my modem. Telstra are stuffing me arround an Austel approved electrician doesnt reckon he can get a line where i want it.

Therefore i am thinking about plugging the ADSL modem straight into the current socket then into an 11Mbit wireless access point. The LEAF box would therefore need another WAP oir a PCI wireless network card. Looking on the LEAF FAQ i can't find any direct references to this sort of thing although it does say wireless networking is supported. Finding Linux drivers for the wireless network cards sounds klike it might be a challenge.

Has anyone used a Wireless PCI card or WAP straight into the LEAF box like this? If so what brand\model card or Access point did they use and what drivers were needed?

Thanks for any advice

Mark Wilson

[dec]

Originally posted by mdwilson
Hello all,

I have just recently changed to ADSL with Swiftel and am using a Netcom NB1300 modem. A friend is setting up one of my old P1 233's as a LEAF gateway\firewall box. I know nothing about Linux as yet but am looking forward to getting into it.

Unfortunately i have one significant problem - i cannot get a phone line into my computer room and the nearest socket is ~10m away - i have and still do dragged a 10m phone cable across the lounge room to plug in my modem. Telstra are stuffing me arround an Austel approved electrician doesnt reckon he can get a line where i want it.

Therefore i am thinking about plugging the ADSL modem straight into the current socket then into an 11Mbit wireless access point. The LEAF box would therefore need another WAP oir a PCI wireless network card. Looking on the LEAF FAQ i can't find any direct references to this sort of thing although it does say wireless networking is supported. Finding Linux drivers for the wireless network cards sounds klike it might be a challenge.

Has anyone used a Wireless PCI card or WAP straight into the LEAF box like this? If so what brand\model card or Access point did they use and what drivers were needed?

Thanks for any advice

Mark Wilson


Hi Mark,

A good book to look at is "802.11 Security" (details below), it
tells all about setting up a linux/pc/wireless network securely,
Its expensive for its size so I'd recommend taking a pen and
paper down to your local bookshop and scribbling notes from
it. Lots of stuff in there that I wouldnt have thought of, but
glad I found it in the book.

There's probably heaps of documents on the web for doing
similar stuff also.. If you get stuck use your favorite search
enging.


Title: 802.11 Security
ISBN: 0596002904 208pp paperback
Publisher: OREILLY Published: Dec 2002
Author: Bruce Potter, Bob Fleck


Dec.

[oshan]

You should be able to get the patched orinoco working under LEAF, I personally would be pretty hesitant in relying on the securty in the AP to protect your DSL connection. I run a 486/sx25 with 8MB compaq flash for OS with a version of linux i put together for this purpose, a few trinix packages and just compiling all things i wanted against that small glibc, cat think of the name of it right now.

but the standard sourceforge pcmcia-cs package should let you compile the module he need for most of the cards out there now. patych them with the oriniocco patch if you need to do some packet sniffing, just stay away from the texus instruments ones. no drivers yet sadly.


any Q's just POST or give me a email.


regs

OL

[tli]

btw, an extra phone socket will only cost $70 from any good electrician.

[mdwilson]

Thanks all for the replies.

I will have a look at that book - I've been trying to work it all out using the LEAF sourceforge site, the Shorewall site and a Linux book i got from Angus and Robertson but its a bit disjointed - thanks for the post Dec.

Although it doesnt cost much to get an electrician to put the extra socket in the problem was 2 of them and telstra had told me it couldnt be done. Fortunately one of my (austel- approved) mates was a bit more determined and we managed to get a cable in last weekend - albeit into the cupboard roof! I am now a happy camper. Still got to get that linux box gateway / firewall up though.

Thanks again

Mark