Station/Router Mode

[Keith Tucker]

Hello All,

This is a bit long.

I have a 3com 2450 running linuxap (the latest version) and I have a few
questions concerning something I am wanting to do. If these seem like
stupid questions, please forgive. I did look around on the mail list
but could not find anything that made things clear.

First my setup:

A home network connected to the Internet via a Cisco DSL modem/router.
Cisco internal IP 192.168.0.1
On my home network I have a W2K box acting as a DNS server IP
192.168.0.100 DHCP is working fine
Various Linux and W2K boxes connected to my switch all with IPs of
192.168.0.x
A linksys WAP11 in AP mode. IP 192.168.0.250
A couple of laptops that use the WLAN 192.168.0.68 and 69


What I am trying to do:

I have a guest house that is located some distance from my house that
gets MARGINAL (at best) wlan connection.

I want to put a wlan connection in this house that talkes to my WAP11
and connect this to a hub and let the guests connect their computer to
the hub, thus giving them an IP address from DHCP and letting them
connect to the internet or whatever.
I know that I can do this with bridging, but I want to leave my WAP11 in
AP mode so that other machines can commect to it within it's range.
I am under the impression that linuxap in Station/Router mode can
connect to an AP as a station (client) and act as sort of a bridge or
router providing connectivity through the eth0 port.

I have linuxap on the 3com setup as follows

Running is Station/Router mode
wlan0 port 192.168.0.3 static
eth0 port 192.168.0.4 static

On the network config screen all of the misc settings are blank. I am
not sure how to set these up.

telnetd is working OK
dhcpd is disabled (I would like to pull IPs from my W2K server)
WLAN settings are set to my ssid and my key and channel ok. WLAN seems
to work OK, but I am not sure what the WDS entry means.

My Delima:

I can telnet or serial connect to the linuxap box and with the ethernet
cabel disconnected, ping everything on the network, so WLAN is working
OK.
I connect the linuxap box to a hub and then a computer setup to grab
dhcp info to another port on the hub but it does not get an IP from my
W2K box. I can statically assign an IP to the computer and it will not
even ping the linuxap eth0 port. I know the hub is working and all
connect lights are good. I even turned the linuxap dhcpd server on and
it assigned an IP and other info but the computer still could not see
the network.

With all this said and done, I feel that I 1.) am trying to do
something that can't be done or 2.) I have a routing issue in the
linuxap box and need some help setting this up.

Any and all help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Keith Tucker
***@kiamichi.net

[Bruno Lopes F. Cabral]

Hello there

Post by Keith Tucker
I know that I can do this with bridging, but I want to leave my WAP11 in
AP mode so that other machines can commect to it within it's range.
I am under the impression that linuxap in Station/Router mode can
connect to an AP as a station (client) and act as sort of a bridge or
router providing connectivity through the eth0 port.

if you have a pair of 2450's, you can do what you're trying with
WDS (Wireless Distribution System -- it is a way on which APs can
talk to each other while in Master mode)

if I recall correctly, you cannot bridge the 2450 LAN in client
mode to another AP. there was an "arp something" client that would
enable you to do so but I didn't test it (google for parprouted
and you'll problably find it)

hope this helps
!3runo

[Keith Tucker]

Post by Bruno Lopes F. Cabral
Hello there

Post by Keith Tucker
I know that I can do this with bridging, but I want to leave my WAP11 in
AP mode so that other machines can commect to it within it's range.
I am under the impression that linuxap in Station/Router mode can
connect to an AP as a station (client) and act as sort of a bridge or
router providing connectivity through the eth0 port.

if you have a pair of 2450's, you can do what you're trying with
WDS (Wireless Distribution System -- it is a way on which APs can
talk to each other while in Master mode)
if I recall correctly, you cannot bridge the 2450 LAN in client
mode to another AP. there was an "arp something" client that would
enable you to do so but I didn't test it (google for parprouted
and you'll problably find it)
hope this helps
!3runo
_______________________________________________
LinuxAP-dev mailing list
http://linuxAP.ksmith.com/mailman/listinfo/linuxap-dev

Bruno and all,

Yeah, I think I'll go with trying to find another WL11000 device and try the
WDS route. I assume that I could even go with a Soekris type board or any
other x86 board that is simular for the other end (i.e. 3com 2450 on one end
and whatever on the other) as long as they were both running linuxap with WDS
enabled? I ask this because I do not know if I can find another WL11000 type
device. Actually, I am really just trying to find a good reason to fork over
the money for a Soekris. ;). Anyway, thanks for the advice. I do not know
alot about setting up WDS so if anyone knows of any good links on this
please, let me know. Off to Google. Later.

Keith Tucker

[Bruno Lopes F. Cabral]

Hi there

Post by Keith Tucker
Yeah, I think I'll go with trying to find another WL11000
device and try the WDS route.

:-)

Post by Keith Tucker
I assume that I could even go with a Soekris type board or any
other x86 board that is simular for the other end (i.e. 3com 2450 on one end
and whatever on the other) as long as they were both running linuxap with WDS
enabled?

yeap!

Post by Keith Tucker
I ask this because I do not know if I can find another WL11000 type
device.

try http://shop.store.yahoo.com/saveateaglestore/usrobus80wir.html
or ebay ;-)

Post by Keith Tucker
Actually, I am really just trying to find a good reason to fork over
the money for a Soekris. ;). Anyway, thanks for the advice. I do not know
alot about setting up WDS so if anyone knows of any good links on this
please, let me know. Off to Google. Later.

I wrote in september 2002 a quick-howto on WDS, you can search for
it at http://opensource.instant802.com on-line list archives (openap-dev)

Cheers
!3runo
from Brazil

[Eerin Rosenström]

Post by Bruno Lopes F. Cabral

Post by Keith Tucker
I assume that I could even go with a Soekris type board or any
other x86 board that is simular for the other end (i.e. 3com 2450 on one end
and whatever on the other) as long as they were both running linuxap with WDS
enabled?

Some commercial AP can do DWS also. Check your AP manual, website, google
etc. If you find more information.

You need new enough hostap driver and atleast v1.5
prism2,2.5,3 wirelesscard firmware.
Openap-ct have needed firmwares, but it lacks some other features...

Combine your own version it is not big job. Or do permanet firmware
update.

Somebody really need to do tftp based update script in linuxap *1.

Post by Bruno Lopes F. Cabral
yeap!

Post by Keith Tucker
I ask this because I do not know if I can find another WL11000 type
device.

try http://shop.store.yahoo.com/saveateaglestore/usrobus80wir.html
or ebay ;-)

You can use old laptop, pc-bareborne with boot cd or floppy based linuxAP.
It depends where you want put it.

Post by Bruno Lopes F. Cabral

Post by Keith Tucker
Actually, I am really just trying to find a good reason to fork over
the money for a Soekris. ;). Anyway, thanks for the advice. I do not know
alot about setting up WDS so if anyone knows of any good links on this
please, let me know. Off to Google. Later.

I wrote in september 2002 a quick-howto on WDS, you can search for
it at http://opensource.instant802.com on-line list archives (openap-dev)

There is enough WDS information with hostap driver README file:

http://hostap.epitest.fi/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/hostap/README?rev=HEAD&content-type=text/plain



*1. initscrip which try all firmwares and save it in flash or do permanent
update.

first AP start in client mode and download first firmware, go single
user, try firmware update if success it saves firmware name in
rw-block go up, else go up in client mode try next firmware...
If suitable firmware not found it saves rw-block
"no-suitable-firmware" info.

It consumes only one firmware vs openap-ct three.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

**** Eerin Rosenström ****
** Servinmaijantie 12 F 77 **
** 02150 Espoo **
** p. [phone] **
**** p.+358 40 5205030 ****

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

[Bruno Lopes F. Cabral]

Hello there

Post by Eerin Rosenström

Post by Bruno Lopes F. Cabral
I wrote in september 2002 a quick-howto on WDS, you can search for
it at http://opensource.instant802.com on-line list archives (openap-dev)

http://hostap.epitest.fi/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/*checkout*/hostap/README?rev=HEAD&content-type=text/plain

just for clarification, the doc I wrote was headed for opensta/linuxap.
it is a HOWTO and not a "WHY" TO ;-)

also, remember that WDS done with hostap have (or had, last time I checked)
some interconection problems with commercial WDS APs

Cheers
!3runo
from Brazil