Topic: e-Smith & Wireless

[Jason]

Hi All,

I'd like to build a small, e-smith based router with an onboard NIC as the internet facing interfact, and an ASOUND 4-port PCI 'router' card, and a Belkin 802.11g wireless NIC. I'm a linux newbie, and having some trouble finding drivers for the belkin, and am not sure any of this is possible. Can anyone tell me if I'm crazy trying this?

Thanks,

Jason

[Bill Talcott]

From what I've read, you can use a Linksys WET-11 or equivalent as a wireless bridge. It won't act as an accesspoint because it's "dumb", but it will convert wired to wireless if you have it hooked to something that can already handle the routing stuff. It's only 802.11b, but it should be a whole lot easier to get working. Just set the server up with two regular NICs and plug the WET-11 into the internal one.

I have no firsthand experience with this, but this is what I've come to understand in my research on it. Linksys advertises on their website that you can use one at each end to replace a cable run between two computers. I would think it would work the same way with a wireless card at one end instead... Since it doesn't have the routing stuff built-in, most average users wouldn't be able to use it as a PnP device to share an internet connection though.

[Michael Smith]

Looks as though that Asound "router" NIC replicates many of the functions of the SME server itself, or at least tries to when installed in a Windows PC (that "Gateway" software by Sygate).  Sounds as though it'd pretty much be a big pain to get the wireless NIC working also ... why not just hang an access point off the Asound, assuming you can get it to work & be recognized by the SME machine?

Personally, though it's a few more boxes, I've had excellent results with SME as gateway/router attached to a switch with an access point also attached.  If I were doing it again, I'd get a switch with a wireless AP built in.

Is this the Asound product to which you're referring?

http://www.asound.net/Asound%20Web/Neworking%20Product/Asound%204%20Port%20Router%20Card.htm

[Jason]

Thanks for the responses.

Michael - yes, that looks like the card. $20 on ebay. I realize I could do an access point, but I'm trying to minimize space usage, wires, etc. I was thinking this card, a Belkin 54g card, and a big HD inside a nice, small Dell Optiplex 110 case would be a sweet little router. I know I could do it with W2K but I'm nervous about having MS technologies touching the internet directly. I started thinking about this idea as I currently run a Toshiba Magnia SG10 as a router - which doesn't allow the wireless adapter, and could use more disk space as a backup server. The SG20 does have a slot for a wireless adapter.

I appreciate the input and any additional advice you can offer.

Jason

[Tim]

I run a Wireless ISP, I use the SME server for e-mail and DNS. I have an Orinoco access point attached to a switch. I know that some of the pcmcia cards can be used in systems with a PCI adapter. You may want to check out STAROS. This is a linux system designed to be router and can have more than one wireless radio installed to act as an AP. You may find the drivers you are looking for to incorporate into SME.

[Michael Smith]

If your SME install didn't recognize the Asound card & all its interfaces, you could always do a casemod & mount a switch or hub inside ...  like so:

http://www.vhforums.net/upload/showthread.php?s=a59c5283ec305e806a6de38c9aea203b&threadid=920&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

[Vic Tam]

Hi,

I was looking at that switch card on ebay too.

Please let us know if that card is compatible to e-smith or not.

Vic

[Geeze]

compgeeks.com had these cards a while back, couldn't find any information on them to find out what chipset they used, so that I could determine if there were any type of Linux drivers for this card. Being as how the Asound site says that it supports windows and also comes with the Gateway Software by Sygate (30 Day-Trial) for router function, I think that this card is just actually a Nic (possibly could be based on a Realtek chip) with an Integrated Hub or Switch, since the Sygate software appears to provide the Firewall and Router functions. I had thought about buying one to put in my e-smith box to replace the hub that I currently have, but again I couldn't find any real information on this card and didn't feal adventureous enough to try one.

Leon

[Vic Tam]

yeah, I was thinking to try this card to replace the hub/switch.

If it work on e-smith, it would be so good ......... integrated and no extra power plug need.........

however, I saw a "no brand" PCI hub card in my local store say that it support redhat ..... this one is more expensive.

But if it work on Redhat, it work on e-smith, isn't it?

[Vic Tam]

I bought a PCI 4-Port Switch card today.

It work perfectly under e-smith, e-smith just see it as a RealTek NIC.

I just love it.

[Geeze]

what card did you finially get and where did you purchase from?

[Jason]

I bought an Asound card on ebay For $29 delivered.

[Geeze]

does the asound card work with SME? what is is recognized as?

[Jason]

Yes - it detects as a Tulip. Good luck!