** 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.
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