[Discuss] Use Linux laptop as wifi router? Is that even the right solution?

[David Kramer]

Like what?  Which Linux-based non-computer devices have you bought that
have ssh access as shipped without hacking?

On 12/31/2014 02:28 AM, John Abreau wrote:
> It has no option to ssh into a command line? That seems odd; pretty
> much every embedded device I've ever owned was based on Linux and had
> an option to enable ssh. 
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 2:11 AM, David Kramer <david at thekramers.net
> <mailto:david at thekramers.net>> wrote:
>
>     Authenticating from my Linux laptop through my browser works
>     flawlessly;
>     the problem is connecting the Roku device to the wifi, since it
>     doesn't
>     have a web browser, and it certainly doesn't have a command line.
>
>     On 12/31/2014 01:48 AM, John Abreau wrote:
>     > Another option would be to figure out how to fake the browser
>     > authentication with curl or wget, so you can script it. I did this a
>     > few months ago for a phpbb forum.
>     >
>     > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 1:16 AM, David Kramer
>     <david at thekramers.net <mailto:david at thekramers.net>
>     > <mailto:david at thekramers.net <mailto:david at thekramers.net>>> wrote:
>     >
>     >     I recently became the proud owner of a Roku 3 box.  Very
>     happy with it
>     >     minus one or two small details.  For grins, I brought it
>     with me on
>     >     vacation, and immediately ran into the problem that the
>     hotel wifi
>     >     requires an authentication page be filled out, which the
>     Roku can't do
>     >     since it doesn't have a browser.
>     >
>     >     Googling around on my laptop for a while, I've seen the
>     following
>     >     solutions for this problem, some of which involve doing
>     things with my
>     >     Linux laptop (Kubuntu 13.10 currently):
>     >
>     >     1) Change my laptop's MAC address temporarily to that of the
>     Roku,
>     >     authenticate, then try to connect with the Roku.  Sounds
>     reasonable,
>     >     except that it didn't work.  Not sure if I didn't change the mac
>     >     address
>     >     right.  Might have to retry this, as it's the option that
>     doesn't
>     >     require more hardware.  I found conflicting instructions on
>     how to do
>     >     this on the command line, and every single page that talks about
>     >     Network
>     >     Manager shows different options, since it changes so much and is
>     >     different betweek KDE and Gnome, etc.
>     >
>     >     2) Add a USB WiFi stick onto my laptop and set it up as a
>     >     router/repeater/whatever: I already have one, so nothing to
>     buy but I
>     >     would have to bring it with me.  Don't have it right now so
>     I couldn't
>     >     try it out, but here too I found lots of incomplete or unclear
>     >     info.  If
>     >     there's a straightforward way to do this, please let me
>     know.  If
>     >     I need
>     >     to upgrade to the latest Kubuntu I'll do that.
>     >
>     >     3) Pick up a travel router and use it to NAT.  I see differing
>     >     information on whether the hotel network will see one MAC
>     address or
>     >     each device's MAC address. This option really only works if
>     the hotel
>     >     has wired internet (the hotel I stay at the most does).  But
>     >     apparently
>     >     you have to run it in a specific mode that not all support,
>     but I
>     >     couldn't find a consistent name for that mode, other than
>     "Bridged
>     >     isn't
>     >     what you want".  Some pages mentioned that some units can go
>     "wifi to
>     >     wifi" with half the bandwidth.  I'll have to find that
>     link.  Maybe it
>     >     does sending and receiving on different channels or
>     something like
>     >     that.  I would be OK with spending money on this if need be,
>     and I
>     >     knew
>     >     it would work.  I also have a WRT54G I'm not using that I could
>     >     test it
>     >     out with before buying something smaller.
>     >
>     >     Did I miss any options?
>     >
>     >     Does anyone have recent info on how to do any of these?
>     >
>     >     Thanks in advance.
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
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>     >
>     >
>     > --
>     > John Abreau / Executive Director, Boston Linux & Unix
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