Re: [WinMac] Windows 2000 as a WaveLAN Base Station

Subject: Re: [WinMac] Windows 2000 as a WaveLAN Base Station
From: Darryl Lee (lee[at]darryl.com)
Date: Wed Apr 03 2002 - 13:18:57 EST

The problem with using Windows 2000 (or Linux, or any non-AirPort supporting
Mac) is that your wireless network will have to be in Peer-to-Peer mode.

802.11b has two modes of operation: Infrastructure, which uses a Base
Station (Access Point)/Client model; and Peer-to-Peer or Ad-Hoc, where every
computer can see every other computer.

Generally speaking, Infrastructure is preferred, as the Base Station takes
care of things like properly broadcasting its Network Name, etc. Also,
encryption on Peer-to-Peer networks isn't always well-supported.

The 802.11b spec doesn't really allow you to create a true Base Station
using a PC and a normal WaveLAN card (in what's called AP Host mode). The
AirPort Base Station software (which runs on a Mac) has a "hack" to the
802.11b protocol that allows it to become an 802.11b Base Station and run in
Infrastructure mode.

You *can* use Peer-to-Peer the way you're talking, but when you'll run into
more compatibility problems if people have different brands of cards, etc.
(I tried using such a network - http://www.live.com/danastreet/ - and they
do have more problems than you really want to deal with.)

Hrm, actually, it seems as though there's been some Open Source efforts to
create true Base Stations (http://opensource.instant802.com/,
http://people.ssh.com/jkm/Prism2/)

But at any rate, with just Win2K and a card, you may have some problems.

--Darryl

----- Original Message -----
From: "Antony N. Lord" <antonylord[at]mac.com>
To: <winmac@iffy.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:50 PM
Subject: [WinMac] Windows 2000 as a WaveLAN Base Station

> Details :
>
> * Getting ready to offer wireless access to Mac laptop users (no PC
laptops)
> * System is currently mixed PC / Mac network
> * Shares cable modem via Macintosh with IPNetRouter
> * Have spare WaveLAN cards (and a PCMCIA -> PCI adaptor)
>
> Now the PCMCIA -> PCI adaptor card isn't supported under any Mac OS
> (although I have contacted IOXperts to see if they have considered
> adding support for it) so it looks like if I want to make a base
> station (with the available gear) its going to have to be done on a
> Win2000 box.
>
> * Am I going to "lose" any Macintosh specific services doing this?
> * Is there going to be a hassle with having essentially 2 gateways?
>
> All tips / references / pointers appreciated!
>
> Cheers, Antony.
>
> --
> ==================================================================
> = = =
> = Antony N. Lord = http://antonylord.com =
> = antonylord@mac.com = Perth, Western Australia =
> = = =
> ==================================================================
>
>
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