[CS-FSLUG] Setting up a Wireless Network

[listmail at rotundus.com]

Quoting "Timothy R. Butler" <tbutler at uninetsolutions.com>:

> 	1.) I have an existing wired router switch (4-port Linksys) and I'd
> like to keep it on the network to go along with a new Linksys wireless
> 802.11g router (which also has a 4-port switch thus allowing me to have
> more wired connections). So here's what I need to do: I need to link
> the old router to the new router, I guess by running a cable from the
> old router's "uplink port" (which doubles as the first port of the
> switch normally) to the new router's WAN/Internet port, and then -- if
> I understand correctly -- switch the new router to "Dynamic Routing"
> from "Gateway" so that it knows there is another router in town. Does
> this sound like it should work? Would I be better off to rid myself of
> the wired router and buy a plain old switch to accompany the new router
> if I need more than 4-ports?

Well, the new routers WAN/Internet port may only be 10 megabits (not unheard
of).  You might be best off linking it directly with the other 4 port switch
(although you'll lose a port that way).

Plain old switches often aren't too expensive.  I have an SMC 8 port 100 megabit
switch that I picked up for about $30 Canadian last summer, and basically the
only time that's its currently being used is for LAN parties.

> 	2.) If I need to get a few GNU/Linux boxen going on this network, are
> Linksys cards any good for GNU/Linux networks? Other recommendations?
> Particularly, I need one for a desktop, preferably a USB/external one
> so that I can position the antenna in a better location, and one for a
> notebook (cardbus).

You may have success with Linksys, but I have no intentions of ever buying a
Linksys network card for a Linux box again.  The first one I bought listed
Linux support on the box, but the drivers were horribly bug-ridden hacks of an
existing kernel driver (and I gave up attempting to get it working nicely after
about a week or two of trying).

Secondly, some years later I decided to try a Linksys 802.11B card, and someone
had told me that it worked under Linux.  I got the card, and when I took it out
of the box, I found that - although it was listed as the same model - it had a
completely different and unsupported chipset.

I think that the current line of Linksys wireless cards remains unsupported in
Linux, although I'm not 100% sure.

I also have a Linksys wireless router, and the thing tends to hang every couple
of days or so.  It's the next item on my list of things to replace.

> 	Secondary objective: to stick with Linksys products if possible --
> I've had a lot of success with them in the past, and I'd prefer to
> stick to one networking company if possible.

My personal favourite manufacturer of home network equipment is SMC - fairly
cheap, reliable, and I've never had a problem with Linux support.

David