Use WiFi as an Ethernet bridge to the Internet?

Then you want the left WRT54GL configured as a wireless router, and wireless network adapters (e.g., WMP54G, WPC54G, WUSB54G, WUSB54GC) for each computer.

Linksys' current PCI adapters are reported to use Broadcom chips without Linux support and USB adapters require additional Linux drivers for networking over USB.

Does an "Ethernet bridge", such as Linksys' WET54G, fill the same role as the products you listed above? I'm willing to go to some reasonable, additional expense to avoid things like NDISWRAPPER, MadWiFi. and even CDCEther.

I've spent well over forty hours over the last two weeks trying to understand WiFi. I broke down today and bought a not-too-technical book to help me understand. I believe now I could use two WRT54GLs to do what I want, perhaps with third-party firmware, but that it's a project I should put off until I have a working setup that I understand well.

Thanks for the follow-up, John.

Jules Dubois hath wroth:

Yeah, that will work. The WRT54GL can run a variety of Linux based replacement firmware. I like DD-WRT. That will take care of the WRT54GL attached to the cable modem. So far, it's a fairly typical installation.

However, you're apparently using the 2nd WRT54GL as a client adapter. That will work because DD-WRT and other firmware support the client mode. You can also setup the 2nd WRT54GL as a WDS bridge and get exactly the same effect, with the added benifit of being able to wirelessly connect to both routers.

However, this seems a bit overly complex for such a simple installation. Just get a compatible 802.11g client radio for the PC and be done with it. Lots of possible devices:

There is no requirement that the client radios be from the same manufacturer or use the same chipset. Incidentally, the WRT54GL has a Broadcom chipset.

Nothing wrong with NDISwrapper except that some cards report garbage for signal strength and S/N ratio readings.

An ethernet bridge, as you describe it, will work as a client adapter. What you have to watch out is how many MAC addresses the bridge will pass. The WET54G will handle more than one (32 ?) so you can attach more than one computer to it. However, there are quite a few similar products (i.e. game adapters) that only do one. The data sheets are useless for identifying this feature. I tried to make some sense of the term "bridge" in the FAQ:

You must be desperate. I never read the docs until after I've created an insurmountable problem.

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

I've come to really like the Apple Airport Express for this and many other applications. It deserves to get much more attention. Well engineered, easy to setup and use, universal power, small and compact (for on the go as well as at home), both Windows and Mac, with Ethernet, USB, and audio ports, and with support for WPA as well as WEP, it can act as wireless:

• Router

• Access point

• Ethernet client bridge

• Range extender

• Airtunes audio client for home theater system (driven by iTunes)

• Printer server (USB)

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

I've come to really like the Apple Airport Express for this and many other applications. It deserves to get much more attention. Well engineered, easy to setup and use, universal power, small and compact (for on the go as well as at home), both Windows and Mac, with Ethernet, USB, and audio ports, and with support for WPA as well as WEP, it can act as wireless:

• Router

• Access point

• Ethernet client bridge

• Range extender

• Airtunes audio client for home theater system (driven by iTunes)

• Printer server (USB)

I really like them too, though I still deploy Linksys W{RT,AP}54G devices for most of my clients. The streaming audio feature can't be beat!

A WWWeb GUI would be a nice addition, and they are fairly pricey, but once set up and running I've never had a prolem with them!

After some additional research, I agree.

It seems this isn't the normal use for a WRT54G. I just like the idea because the box runs Linux.

Is "client mode" one of the key phrases I should be looking for?

Presumably you mean with another client adapter?

That's what they tell me at the stores where I've asked. The most knowledgeable tech told me not try try it until I know more.

I'll look at these again. Do you have recommendation?

I'd rather have something for which the manufacturer provides direct Linux support or an Ethernet-attached device where support is more or less universal. One of the other reasons I didn't want NDIS wrapper is my assumption that it was not supported under AMD64 Linux; I find, however, that it is already installed on my system with the stock Ubuntu kernel.

My newsreader breaks the quote above but Ilook at the page again in a few minutes.

I'd prefer it if you'd call me paranoid instead. I'd like things to work the first time, but I feel I need to understand the details in case I have to troubleshoot problems or call the cable company. I don't trust them.

(For example, I bought the cable modem this weekend but it reports that it can't "acquire" a data-communication frequency on the cable line. The first phone tech I talked to was a script monkey who asked me questions like "What version of Windows do you have?", even after I explained the symptoms in great detail. The second phone tech was a real tech who knew better and ComCast is sending someone tomorrow.)

I swing both ways: plug it in to try it or RTFM until I've memorized it.

Yes. However, there are other terms that are used. "client bridge", "wireless bridge", "CPE", and "client adapter" are some.

No. WDS is quite different from an "ordinary" wireless client adapter. It allows the "WDS bridge" box (2nd WRT54GL) to simultaneously act as an access point and a wireless bridge. The bridge part supplies the wireless connection to the main WRT54GL. The access point part allows wireless connections by other wireless clients such as laptops to the 2nd WRT54GL. You can also directly connect an ethernet cable to the 2nd WRT54GL and the 2nd WRT54G will act very much like a client adapter. Unlike some client adapters (i.e. game adapters), you're not limited to connecting just one computer to the 2nd WRT54GL.

I agree. Do some reading.

No. I get into trouble making recommendations and then discovering that there's some part of the puzzle that's incompatible or missing. I also have limited experience with Linux devices. I'll pass.

None of the manufacturers (that I know about) will directly support Linux customers. If you call with a Linux question, they will usually say that you should try it under Windoze to check the hardware, and lots of luck with the Linux part. Besides, you get much better support from the Linux user community than from the manufacturer.

This is what I find with ComCast. Fortunately, I was able to translate "ipconfig" talk into "dhclient" talk.

I see. From your remark about dd-wrt, I find

Wireless Bridging is used to connect two LAN segments via a wireless link. The two segments will be in the same subnet and looks like two ethernet switches connected by a cable, to all computers on the subnet. Since the computers are on the same subnet, broadcasts will reach all machines allowing DHCP clients in one segment to get their addresses from a DHCP server in a different segment.

and a simple configuration guide at

Thanks to the "Linux community", and of course you and John, I find something I can understand and which I think I can do. It also gives me considerable leeway for any changes I might want to make in the future.

The real problem with support is that they don't get their hands dirty. Most support organizations devote some time to training and possibly some hands on experience, but there's nothing more instructive than dealing with the problems first hand (i.e. Learn By Destroying). You don't get that reading about the problems in a knowledgbase or watching a demonstration. You gotta climb the towers, setup the hot spots, deal with interference, battle with competitors, and deal with compatibility issues between different vendors.

Also, my guess is about 80% of the calls to support are basic setup and configuration questions. Another 10% are perhaps known bugs and workarounds. The remaining 10% tend to be more technical stuff that support simply cannot answer[1]. Sometimes, there's a 2nd level of support that does have a clue, but generally not for consumer products. As of about 2 years ago, one vendor (name withheld) claimed that less than 1% of the calls and email to support involved Linux. At such a low incidence rate, it's not worth supporting.

[1] My favorite casual question to support is "what is the current shipping firmware/software/driver version for your product". They usually don't know or can't find it. Anything with a number in it is considered "technical".