[BLU] Re: Wireless ethernet?

[David Kramer]

On Wed, 8 Aug 2001, Mako Hill wrote:

> > What is the REASON we need access points versus just a computer
> > with a 802.11b card in it?  Security? Config Management?
> > Because it is something else to sell?
> >
> > A friend says he uses his home PC with a card in it and his Linux
> > laptop very nicely.  I want to go wireless, but am trying to figure
> > my 'cheapest' way :)

My server has no free slots.  I have 2 ethernet cards, a SCSI card, a
video card (motherboard predates AGP), sound card...

So I need an external device.  I did not realize that all 802.11b cards
work with all 802.11b "base stations" or "tranceivers" or whatever you
call them.  Is that really the case?

> Yes. I've done this too and it works. Our reasoning was that because we
> didn't have a lot of mostly-outdated laptops sitting around (and didn't want
> to bother maintainig them) it didn't make sense. Buying used semi-decent
> laptops plus a $160 card quickly approaches the $400 it takes to get an
> accesspoint (these prices may be a bit of of date) and these pre-made
> accesspoints are more easily water-proofed, ruggedized, and maintained in
> many cases. They are also usually much smaller.

And you don't have the extra power drain of another computer on all the
time.


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DDDD   David Kramer                           http://thekramers.net
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