From: "Bob" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 13:44:54 -0700
To: "OS/2 Wireless Users Mailing List" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-2546320@2rosenthals.com>
References: <list-2546320@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: Re: [OS2Wireless] Hotel problem with Asus wl-330ge
MIME-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <auto-000002546822@2rosenthals.com>

** Reply to message from "Dave Saville" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com> on
Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:20:35 +0100 (BST)

> I *may* have got this cracked. Small recap.
> 
> I have a WL-330g this has a "clone MAC address" mode when running as an
> adapter. It has no problems with hotel type systems etc.  But it
> *can't* do WPA correctly, it won't take a key longer than 8 characters
> and in the unlikely event of a connection it soon drops it.
> 
> So I bought a WL-330ge which *can* do WPA correctly. Unfortunately the
> clowns at Asus have dropped the clone feature - even though their own
> manual for the product says it is required in some situations. The
> first response from Asus was it was not supported and the second
> response, after I pointed out the manual page, err what second
> response..........................
> 
> So I tried OpenWRT on it. This loaded with no problem - But the *next*
> problem being how to configure the darn thing. :-) There was a clone
> feature, but on the WAN side for when it was being used as a router to
> something that checked MAC addresses. And of course the Asus does not
> *have* a WAN connection - just the single RJ45. 

I used DD-WRT on a Linksys router.


> After a day of messing about and apparently bricking the thing at one
> point I gave up. Overnight I had a brainwave. If I could persuade it
> that the WAN side was the WIFI then it would run as a router and I
> could use any old private address I wanted on the LAN as it would go
> through NAT. Pats self on back. Could I figure out how to do it? Could
> I heck. Searched all over the wiki to no avail and finally asked in
> their forums. Back came a fairly quick response to look under "routed
> client" Now why did I not think of that? :-)

The DD-WRT web site has good documentation but you need to know the terminology
to find things easily.  I used the "client mode" feature of DD-WRT.


> Well it works. The network the WIFI connects to only sees the MAC of
> the Asus as everything from the LAN side is NATed. I am 99 percent sure
> it will fix the hotel problem and as a bonus if I happen to have a
> switch with me I can run as much as I like over the "single" hotel
> connection :-)

The reason I wanted to do the same thing was because both my wife and I travel
with our own laptops and I do not like paying twice for an internet connection
at some hotels.  Using a router instead of an access point allows me to connect
both computers at the same time without also carrying a hub or switch.

-- 
Robert Blair