can you make a linux box equivalent to a Linksys WRT54G?

[Kaido]

I have a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router. Is it possible to make the same thing on a computer, using linux and a wireless card? Basically turn a PC into a wireless router. Been doing some googling on packages for this but I haven't had too much luck yet.

 

[n0cmonkey]

I've done it with OpenBSD, it's easy and everything is available in the base install. I'd assume it can be done with Linux too.

 

[BlueWeasel]

I'm not an expert with wireless, but how many concurrent wireless connections could you have if you did it this way? Just one, right?

 

[Concillian]

Well, the best way to do it would probably be to make it with wired cards (one for the Modem, one for the switch) then plug an access point into one of the ports of the switch.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
I'm not an expert with wireless, but how many concurrent wireless connections could you have if you did it this way? Just one, right?

As many as the bandwidth can handle. You setup the wireless card in the firewall box to act just like a wireless access point. It's not ad-hoc or anything, it looks just like a linksys or whatever would to a Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or BSD wireless client.

It's the only way to get wirelss security.

 

[Kaido]

Can you get WPA/WPA2 security on a homegrown box like this?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Can you get WPA/WPA2 security on a homegrown box like this?

You probably can with Linux. There are better technologies out there that work with OpenBSD.

 

[Drakkon]

http://leaf.sourceforge.net/

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Kaido
Can you get WPA/WPA2 security on a homegrown box like this?

You probably can with Linux. There are better technologies out there that work with OpenBSD.

What are they, just out of curiosity? Are they only useable when both the access point and client are running openbsd? (assuming other os'es haven't adopted openbsd's work)

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Kaido
Can you get WPA/WPA2 security on a homegrown box like this?

You probably can with Linux. There are better technologies out there that work with OpenBSD.

What are they, just out of curiosity? Are they only useable when both the access point and client are running openbsd? (assuming other os'es haven't adopted openbsd's work)

Most modern OSes have an IPSEC client available.

There is also authpf, which can modify firewall rules after a user authenticates to SSH. This way you can block all access to the internet, and everything on the intranet except for SSH access on the WAP. When the user SSHes in, you open up the few resources he needs.

 

[Kaido]

Hmm. Soekris boards are starting to look pretty good. They can run BSD and have lots of nice features. I think I want to do a web proxy, though, so maybe a PC would be a better choice.

 

[sourceninja]

IPCop and M0n0wall can do it.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
IPCop and M0n0wall can do it.

Yeah, m0n0wall looks awesome, I was looking at it yesterday along with Soekris equipment. Amazing what you can do on such limited hardware...