Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[Lucio De Re]

On Thu, Apr 11, 2002 at 09:04:13AM -0500, plan9@itic.ca wrote:
>
> 2 years ago, I have been working on the Bluetooth 1.0b specifications and the only issue was the ability to get the right hardware components. I took a look at the recent linux open source implementations of the L2CAP and others BT stacks : that would be something to explore too...
>
I understand that 802.11 is easily eavesdropped on, but I don't find
that as much of a showstopper as trying to track the alphabet soup of
proprietary and otherwise alternatives.  I'm just thinking along the
lines of an RF equivalent of Cisoc's PIX, if such a thing makes any
sense.

Once the hardware has been tamed the Plan 9 way, its usefulness is
increased manifold.  And it's cheap, even by South African standards.

++L

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[plan9]

Wait,

2 years ago, I have been working on the Bluetooth 1.0b specifications and the only issue was the ability to get the right hardware components. I took a look at the recent linux open source implementations of the L2CAP and others BT stacks : that would be something to explore too...


"Lucio De Re" <lucio@proxima.alt.za> a crit dans le message news:<20020411114749.F12505@cackle.proxima.alt.za>...
> On Wed, Apr 10, 2002 at 12:26:30PM -0700, skipt@real.com wrote:
> > 
> > I don't see the usefulness.  It seems to me getting a Plan9/cpu running
> > with a wireless NIC would do the same thing. In this case you can run
> > ppp over /dev/eia and get a better interconnect with the PC device too
> > (rather than clunky terminal emulator business).
> > 
> At $150 retail, it could be a very handy auth server, say.  Nevermind
> access point with access control rules.
> 
> Hm, I really ought to explore this myself.
> 
> ++L

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[Matthew C Weigel]

<9fans@cse.psu.edu> wrote:

>As a very good software example, www.lineo.com developped SecureEdge =
>FireWall : Motorola 5307, microLinux, 2 eth, 8MB, 4MB flash, extremely =
>small port of Linux firewalling apps.

If you want 'easy' more than 'interesting,' Soekris makes a cute little
x86 embedded system.  486, up to 64M RAM, 3 network interfaces, one
mini-PCI and one regular PCI slot, CF slot that can boot, and a serial
port console.

One reseller of the thing even sells it with an Orinico mini-PCI card
and an external antenna.

http://www.soekris.com
http://www.embsd.org (they sell the Orinoco card; I'm not sure how easy
it is to get the mini-PCI version of the card otherwise).

It wouldn't provide much challenge in terms of porting Plan 9 to it
(except getting Plan 9 to use a serial console?), but it could provide
all the things being discussed.
--
 Matthew Weigel
 Research Systems Programmer
 mcweigel+@cs.cmu.edu

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[bwc]

> PIX functionnalities is another story : it as a proprietary and well tested IP stack.
> The PIX ios is a little bit <> from Cisco routers,
> anyway the problem is that Plan9 filtering has to be developped.

Just a word to keep things straight, the PIX didn't use anything from IOS;
it was a product before Cisco bought Network Translation.  It really doesn't
have much of an IP stack.  It really is a layer 2 thingy that `knows' about
the other layers.

The cli only looked like IOS, because that's what Cisco said they wanted.
I should have balked at that--it was a lot easier to use before.

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[plan9]

You'r right,

The hardware platform is essential.
FYI, the minibrick that Bell Labs developped WAS about USD 50.

PIX functionnalities is another story : it as a proprietary and well tested IP stack. The PIX ios is a little bit <> from Cisco routers, anyway the problem is that Plan9 filtering has to be developped.

As a very good software example, www.lineo.com developped SecureEdge FireWall : Motorola 5307, microLinux, 2 eth, 8MB, 4MB flash, extremely small port of Linux firewalling apps. I don't say that it should be copyed, but it sounds good having a look at it. I have the CD sources if anyone cares.

"Lucio De Re" <lucio@proxima.alt.za> a crit dans le message news:<20020411154410.B14879@cackle.proxima.alt.za>...
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2002 at 09:04:13AM -0500, plan9@itic.ca wrote:
> > 
> > 2 years ago, I have been working on the Bluetooth 1.0b specifications and the only issue was the ability to get the right hardware components. I took a look at the recent linux open source implementations of the L2CAP and others BT stacks : that would be something to explore too...
> > 
> I understand that 802.11 is easily eavesdropped on, but I don't find
> that as much of a showstopper as trying to track the alphabet soup of
> proprietary and otherwise alternatives.  I'm just thinking along the
> lines of an RF equivalent of Cisoc's PIX, if such a thing makes any
> sense.
> 
> Once the hardware has been tamed the Plan 9 way, its usefulness is
> increased manifold.  And it's cheap, even by South African standards.
> 
> ++L

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[Lucio De Re]

On Wed, Apr 10, 2002 at 12:26:30PM -0700, skipt@real.com wrote:
>
> I don't see the usefulness.  It seems to me getting a Plan9/cpu running
> with a wireless NIC would do the same thing. In this case you can run
> ppp over /dev/eia and get a better interconnect with the PC device too
> (rather than clunky terminal emulator business).
>
At $150 retail, it could be a very handy auth server, say.  Nevermind
access point with access control rules.

Hm, I really ought to explore this myself.

++L

Re: [9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[skipt]

I don't see the usefulness.  It seems to me getting a Plan9/cpu running
with a wireless NIC would do the same thing. In this case you can run
ppp over /dev/eia and get a better interconnect with the PC device too
(rather than clunky terminal emulator business).

At 07:54 PM 4/10/2002 +0200, Lucio De Re wrote:
>and it does look like an interesting challenge for a Plan 9 (or
>Inferno) appliance.  Any takers?  I'm financially crippled, so I'll

[9fans] 802.11 Access Points

[Lucio De Re]

A friend suggested looking at

	http://opensource.instant802.com/

and it does look like an interesting challenge for a Plan 9 (or
Inferno) appliance.  Any takers?  I'm financially crippled, so I'll
pass.

++L