[TriLUG] Wireless Router Recommendations

Cristóbal Palmer cmp at cmpalmer.org
Wed Nov 19 10:23:44 EST 2008


Just wanted to echo Joe and add a few details.

On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 7:17 AM, Joseph Mack NA3T <jmack at wm7d.net> wrote:
>
> I have the router and wap as separate boxes.

If you have the money or the spare hardware to do it this way, you can
get something much more powerful and flexible. I would recommend using
a spare or cast-off desktop with a couple of extra PCI NICs and the CD
version of pfsense (http://www.pfsense.com/) as the router. You could
then run more than one WRT-based AP.

Alternatively you could get something small and fanless to act as your
router. Where I used to live I did this with a Soekris Net4501.
Soekris has a Net4801 bundle on their website that would more than
meet your needs for $278.00:

https://www.soekris.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=87

Note that if you get that you'll also have to get a CF card & power
supply separately. Again, the only product of theirs i have used is
the net4501. If that sounded expensive to you, stop and remember that
a Cisco-branded (not Linksys with Cisco in small print) will run you
>$300, while I can get a Linksys WRT54GL for about $60 from newegg.

> I'm happy with the early series WRT54GS, which I get off
> e-bay. I'm running WRT, but there are other linux distros
> for the same machine that people on this list like.

If you're doing the cheap machine + a couple of WRTs, then it doesn't
matter terribly much what model WRT you get, but if you're _just_
getting a WRT then get yourself a WRT54GL so that you can have more
options in terms of what firmware to use. I'm a fan of tomato
(http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato) but you could also use ddwrt or
openwrt. I _do_ recommend using an alternative firmware since it (for
some of them) gives you ssh access and other functionality beyond the
default firmware.

> I would have at least two waps, so that you can bring one
> down for service, and maintain connectivity. I have them on
> UPSs as they lock up occassionally if you don't

Clean Power-ness is next to godliness.

Good luck!

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
"Small acts of humanity amid the chaos of inhumanity provide hope. But
small acts are insufficient."
    -- Paul Rusesabagina


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