Topic: sme 6.0 gateway without a wired NIC?

[james]

I am planning on using an SME 6.0 machine in server and gateway mode, but my internet connection comes from a WAP (wireless access point) next door, and I have 5 workstations with wireless cards running windows xp to go into my LAN. I do not have the option of using a wired NIC in this case.

How do I set this up correctly, do I have to have 2 WAP's? One for external interface and 1 for internal? Or is there some way I can use one WAP? Has anyone done this before?

[exodus]

Hi,
I have never set it up wirelessly but it seems that you will need 2 wireless gateways.

Set your server to connect to the 1 next door on the extrenal port

set the server to do DNS.  Set the other access poit to a static ip that works with the internal ip from the access point. connect a wire from internal port to one of the ports (not WAN) on the wireless box.

Set up the internal router to the best security you can, only certin mac addresses plus wep.  Now when you connect with your other boxes they will get an ip from your server through the wireless link.

I really think you should be running real wires though inside, but hey, I just finished reinstalling after being rooted on my server.

[james]

Hi, thanks for the info. My plan is therefore;

1 WAP to connect to internet though a wired nic.
1 WAP to serve the LAN through a wired nic.

I know nothing of the mechanics of radio waves, but will I get reduced coverage due to the fact I will have 2 WAP's runnning in the same area on different subnets?

[Anonymous]

Anyway you can get the server in between the internet connection and the Access point? Internet on the external and AP-lan on the internal.

[james]

no i cannot get my server between the internet connection and the access point. this is because someone is allowng me to use their access point from next door and I am going to use the server for my network.

[brianr]

You should configure the "local" LAN WAP to use a different channel to the channel used by the WAP to which you connect for the internet.

Remember only channels 1, 6 and 13 do not interfere with each other.

[webster]

Remember only channels 1, 6 and 13 do not interfere with each other.

correct to a point BUT...

Just as a side note and to break the laws of science...
Not sure if it will be of any interest to anyone but I work for a company and for the last 7 years we've been running a wireless WAN. We supply internet  to 60+ clients using 9 wireless units on different channels 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,12 from 1 location (on 1 mast) and we are spanning well over 40 KM with our longest direct link at 20km in a direct line without repeaters (30++KM with a repeater station) so you can use overlapping channels side by side but ONLY if you know the tricks of the trade

On another note we are changing away from this gear to 5.8ghz but thats another story  

[james]

ok I will set one WAP to channel 1, and the other WAP to channel 6. Thanks for the tip brian.

webster, what are these "tricks of the trade" you speak of then? Do you have any tips for me?

[Anonymous]

Ditch the external AP and set the server up as server only.

If you want your clients to be able to access both the server and the next doors internet connection then you would set your new AP up as a client (infrastructure mode)off the internet AP and everything would be on the same channel, SSID etc.

Before anyone shouts Security - its gone anyway on the lan side regardless.

Tricks of the trade are things like adjusting antenna polarity - paying carefull attention to overlapping cells in a multi site installation - using directional antennas etc. Nothing that would help in your situation - except maybe for avoiding the microwave at dinner time

Duncan

[james]

Ah that sounds like a better plan. So if I have it as server only, will my users be able to use the SME server as a gateway to next doors internet? The reason I want the gateway is so that I can use dansguardian etc.

So let me get this straight so far I have..

(1) sme server with 1 wireless access point (WAP)
(2) install as server only
(3) set WAP to be on same subnet as nex-doors WAP for connection
(4) set my workstations wireless NICs to be on same subnet with SME server as gateway?

please help I have to set this up in the morning for a client!

[Anonymous]

Yes and no.

It will work if you set their browsers up to use the server as a proxy server and connect to whichever port Dansguardian uses. However there is nothing to stop them from disabling that if they know how.

To absolutly force them to use the server it would have to be in server gateway mode with 2 nics/APs etc.

Duncan

[Anonymous]

You would probably want to follow this thread as well.

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=21017.0

Duncan

[Anonymous]

Here's how I would do it. You will need 2 APs. Configure one as a client in repeater or bridge mode. This will bridge with your existing AP in the other building. Plug this AP into the WAN card on the SME server. Then, configure another AP and plug it into the LAN card. Remember to make sure that the AP that is in repeater mode has the same name of the AP in the other room. The AP that is plugged into the LAN port should have a DIFFERENT name then the other ones. Hope this helps.

[james]

ok thanks for all your input, I have decided to go with 2 AP's, one in repeater mode.

Thanks everyone your help is much appreciated.