[CentOS] Which external WiFi device for laptop running CentOS5.3?

Fri Jun 19 21:46:29 UTC 2009
S.Tindall <tindall.satwth at brandxmail.com>

On Fri, 2009-06-19 at 17:06 -0400, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> Julian Thomas wrote:
> >
> > Why not look at a small access point that plugs into the RJ45 and uses USB for power?  DLink DWL-G730AP or 
> > other equivalent.
> 
> If it really is an AP, it won't do the job, as an AP cannot be a client 
> to another AP. 802.11 DOES have the concept of a wireless backbone, 
> called WDS (wireless distribution system), but it is not yet defined 
> (Work In Progress: 802.11s, I am a contributor to the security 
> features). So each vendor has its own WDS implementation (MIT's OnePC 
> implements part of draft 1 of 802.11s).
> 
> Of course there are devices out there that are referred to as wireless 
> bridges (Linksys WRT54g is one) that act as a client and bridges an 
> ethernet as a single client to the AP. Note that a wireless bridge is 
> NOT an AP. Of course there are probably devices out there that can be 
> configured either way....
> 
> Note, I work on the 802.11 standards and know them well, but I don't 
> know of all the flavors of implementations out in the wild.


At least when running the Tomato Firmware, the Linksys WRT54GL (L =
linux) and WRT54G versions 4 and earlier (also linux-based) run WDS as
hosts/clients very effectively. I run several GLs as access points
across my lan with 0-2 more as WDS clients as needed.

As a side note, Tomato Firmware allows you to adjust transmitter power
up to 6 times the normal level and that has let me go through some very
think brick walls to pick up remote network cameras.

I should point out that both the host (access point) and client need to
be WRT54G/L routers for the above scenarios to work. As RM said, WDS is
vendor dependent.


Steve