Wireless Access Point

gufra · n00b Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

I need some help and suggestions on how to setup the gentoo installation im allready using as a router to make its wireless (builtin) card work as a access point.

I had a linksys AP but it stopd working some time ago, the computer i use as a linux router for my home network to share my 2 internet connections (cable and ADSL) have a builtin wireless card. I have a pretty ok grasp of how iproute and iptables work but im kinda new to wifi except setting up clients. Im looking for some help or pointers to the right direction to where i can find info on how to set this up. Allso if anyone know a good webbased manageing system for it (like one the AP's you buy use) it would be perfect as i used MAC filtering for security on my old AP and would like to continue with that and would be good to have a easy to use interface to use to add them. But any info on how to set it up as a AP would be great.

Paczesiowa · Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:04 pm Post subject:

don't use mac address based security. it's not secure.

don't ask for nice webgui, once I set up my linux access point 2 years ago, I haven't touched it since. whether you want to use passphrases (you can "distribute" them without gui, piece of paper is enough) or certificates (there are many tools for managing certificate authority, perhaps even gui ones), they don't need to interact with your access point setup.

the only tool you need to setup is hostapd. which is easy for some wifi cards/drivers (emerge is enough), painful for others (hunting for patches in experimental kernel git repos) and even impossible for some.

gufra · n00b Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

I normaly use mac adress together with a passphrase. In any case, i have no idea what wifi card it is. I tryd lspci but it only shows the 2 built in network cards using the forcedeth driver. Its a Asus board, nvidia chipset. Ill see if i can get hostapd working and come back later with a result..=)

gufra · n00b Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

Ah, the builtin wifi is connected by USB. Its a Realtek RTL8187 Wireless Adapter.

gufra · n00b Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

WTB drivers that support master mode for RTL8187 and works with kernel 2.26.27..=)

kristoczaj · Apprentice Joined: 18 Apr 2004 Posts: 201 Location: Poland

cwr · Veteran Joined: 17 Dec 2005 Posts: 1969

I've fought this problem for a few years now; it seems that only Intel chips,
generally built in to the motherboard, have drivers which are capable of
master mode. (Those, and some very unavailable Prism chipsets.) Everything
else is going to be available RSN.

I gave up in the end and bought an Asus WL-330gE portable access point,
which works with any host.

Will