Mailing List os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com Archived Message #3589

From:	Lewis G Rosenthal <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>	Full Headers Undecoded message
Sender:	os2-wireless_users-owner <os2-wireless_users-owner@2rosenthals.com>
Subject:	[OS2Wireless] OS/2 based Router/AP
Date:	Wed, 27 Oct 2004 22:53:35 -0400
To:	os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com

On 10/27/2004 06:01 am, John Poltorak thus wrote : In the UK, all broadband runs over PPPoA, so I would have any protocol support. But even more important there are no ADSL NICs with OS/2 drivers, so the whole project is a non-starter. Some such NICs do have Linux drivers available, but whether they could be ported to OS/2 is a different matter. PPPoA? PPP over ATM? Wow, that's a new one on me. Here in the States, I've never seen such an animal. Here, xDSL typically comes as a bridge which connects to the phone line. The bridge then connects to either a NIC in a workstation (bad idea, usually; particularly if the workstation is running Wintendo and no firewall...) or to a broadband router. It was this piece of the puzzle I thought you were looking to solve, not bundle all into one box: bridge, router, firewall, NAT, AP. Surely, the biggest stumbling block I can see here (besides getting a driver to put the 802.11a/b/g hardware into AP mode) is the complete lack of an ADSL NIC driver. Porting from Linux is exactly the daunting task we've discussed with regard to Wi-Fi drivers. It seems that the alternative - a wrapper for a Win32 driver, already written by the manufacturer - might be the better way to go insofar as the Wi-Fi driver(s) is/are concerned, but here, I doubt that would be an option. Are there, indeed, Win32 drivers for ADSL NICs? I've never seen one. Concerning the access point, you would need a PCI (or even ISA ?) PCMCIA adapter card for a desktop PC with required drivers (direct drivers or socket drivers for the PCMCIA part of the adapter card). To my knowledge this will be rather difficult, but there may still be an existing solution available out there. I didn't think it would be difficult to configure a PCI/PCMCIA adapter... Several of these socket-in-a-slot devices are available and do indeed work with OS/2. However, as has been pointed out, it would probably be cheaper to get a PCI card with OS/2 driver support (there are a few; Artem, D-Link, LinkSys). Cost isn't the issue here - it's simply a pet project of mine. Hehehe... I said in my Wi-Fi classes that this stuff is like the return of vaccuum tubes. I haven't thought of so much fun with a soldering iron in years!! Are there any wireless cards which can be used with external antennas? As Mark mentioned, the IBM is one of several. There is a variant of the Cisco 340/350 which take external antennas, too. That said, a PCI card would come with an antenna on it (usually diversity), and the ability to install an external antenna with a more standardized connector. -- Lewis ------------------------------------------------------------ Lewis G Rosenthal, CNA Rosenthal & Rosenthal Accountants / Network Consultants New York / Northern Virginia www.2rosenthals.com Team OS/2 / NetWare Users International www.novell.com ------------------------------------------------------------ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to steward@2rosenthals.com with the command "unsubscribe os2-wireless_users" in the body (omit the quotes). For help with other commands, send a message to steward@2rosenthals.com with the command "help" in the body (omit the quotes). This list is hosted by Rosenthal & Rosenthal P.O. Box 281, Deer Park, NY 11729-0281. Non- electronic communications related to content contained in these messages should be directed to the above address. (CAN-SPAM Act of 2003) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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