wireless (was Re: [plug] Linux thin clients)

[Matt Kemner]

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003, quoth Craig Ringer:

> What really interests me about the Soekris board is the ability to add a
> /mini-PCI/ wireless card. They don't have a built-in antenna, but rather
> their own small antenna connector ... so I could put a good antenna
> somewhere, without having to worry too much about where the firewall
> was. Maybe there are PCI cards with that, too, though.

Yeah, most PCI wireless cards have antenna connectors.
Decent PCMCIA cards do as well.

I'm using an old Unisys thin-client box (P75 based) as my wireless "Access
Point".  It only has a single ethernet port on-board, and has 1xPCI/1xISA
slot that can't be used simultaneously[0] which I have an ISA -> 2xPCMCIA
bridge plugged into with a PCMCIA wireless card in HostAP[1] mode, leaving
room for a PCMCIA ethernet card if required.

If you're going to relocate the antenna a large distance (2m or more) from
the wireless card, make sure you use suitable low-loss (at microwave
frequencies) coax.

Both www.wafreenet.org and www.e3.com.au have an abundance of information
about wireless, and the wireless at innaloo.net mailing list can occasionally
be helpful too.

Regards,

 - Matt

[0] at least not without some serious modification to the cards and/or box
[1] hostap.epitest.fi