Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 11:28:42 -0500 From: Brian Reichert <reichert@numachi.com> To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: which Wifi cards can be used for a WAP? Message-ID: <20050402162842.GU44514@numachi.com> In-Reply-To: <20050402065052.GT44514@numachi.com> References: <20050402065052.GT44514@numachi.com>
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On Sat, Apr 02, 2005 at 01:50:52AM -0500, Brian Reichert wrote: > I'm looking at the impressive list of wireless network cards supported > by FreeBSD here: > > http://www.freebsd.org/releases/5.3R/hardware-i386.html#WLAN > > But, I have the specific interest of building an 802.11g WAP. I > seem to recall lore that not all Wifi cards could be used this way > (something about needing to be able to run in ad-hoc mode, or some > such.) The ath(4) manpage speaks of a 'hostap' mode, but the manpage confuses me. First, it says: The driver may also be configured to operate in hostap mode. In this mode a host may function as an access point (base station). Then: Access points are different than operating in IBSS mode. They operate in BSS mode. So, I'm confused, which mode does a WAP need to be in, 'BSS' or 'hostap'? Quickie research on this 'hostap' mode (which I'd never heard of until I began this research) seems to be what I need, but the verbiage in the ath(4) manpage is throwing me... Anyway, a survey of the manpages for various WiFi drivers supporting 'hostap' mode seems to sum up as such: wi(4) Cards based on the Intersil PRISM chips, but I don't think any of them support 802.11g. at(4) I guess everything listed here, with a URL to an up-to-date list: <http://customerproducts.atheros.com/customerproducts>; In case anyone's following the same rabbit trail I am, on that search page, if I select: WLAN Product: PCI I get a huge list of PCI cards, and which 802.11 bands they support. (The search page won't let me exclude those cards that don't support 802.11g, but that subset it tiny.) That narrows my search, at this time, to 17 PCI cards supporting 802.11g. I'm currently assuming that anything on this list is indeed supported by FreeBSD's ath(4) driver. Please feel free to disabuse me of that notion... -- Brian Reichert <reichert@numachi.com> 55 Crystal Ave. #286 Daytime number: (603) 434-6842 Derry NH 03038-1725 USA BSD admin/developer at large
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