From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Aug 28 07:20:50 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ED474106566B for ; Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:20:50 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (agora.rdrop.com [IPv6:2607:f678:1010::34]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CC2A48FC0C for ; Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:20:50 +0000 (UTC) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (66@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.7) with ESMTP id p7S7KnVL027053 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT); Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:20:50 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.9/Submit) with UUCP id p7S7KnTH027052; Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:20:49 -0700 (PDT) Received: from fbsd81 ([192.168.200.81]) by pluto.rain.com (4.1/SMI-4.1-pluto-M2060407) id AA10668; Sun, 28 Aug 11 00:13:17 PDT Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:13:14 -0700 From: perryh@pluto.rain.com To: paulbeard@gmail.com Message-Id: <4e5a4cfa.EAAZ/6z2DtnIPYA/%perryh@pluto.rain.com> References: <51754C95-3688-4B33-BD98-7DED5F28DC0E@gmail.com> <4E59BA7F.305@cyberleo.net> <11161811-16AA-4678-97C2-3D2D9C9D327B@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <11161811-16AA-4678-97C2-3D2D9C9D327B@gmail.com> User-Agent: nail 11.25 7/29/05 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: bridged wireless access point in FreeBSD 8.2p2 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:20:51 -0000 Paul Beard wrote: > After some more head scratching, it sounds like what I want is a > bridge. Reading if_bridge(4), the first example looks a lot like > what I am trying to do. > ... > Did I misread this? Does sending packets between two physical > interfaces require a bridge? It requires either a bridge or a router. Which one you need depends on your and your ISP's setups. One thing to check is your "terms of service" (or whatever your ISP calls it). Unless you're paying commercial rates, they most likely limit you to a single IP address, in which case you _have_ to have a router* -- and almost certainly NAT -- somewhere between your LAN and the ISP. A bridge connects two (or more) segments of a single subnet: from an IP-addressing standpoint it's not much different from a hub or a switch. BTW, for your own protection, you also need a firewall. Home gateways like the WRT54G are usually set up to provide NAT, routing, and firewalling. * unless you have only one IP-addressed device on your LAN, in which case it can just go ahead and use the one IP address.