Fon with Jasager working... now what?

[Jason]

In true n00b style, I have some questions...

First, I am detecting all kinds of machines in the Jasager web interface in the logs obtaining IP addresses. Because the Fon is not currently connected to the internet, I assume that is why I rarely see clients physically connected in the client list. Is that normal when there is no internet connection available?

Second, I have been reading several documents regarding setting up Madwifi as an AP repeater- http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/UsersGuideExamples (scroll down to Single Wireless Device AP Repeater). I have not done anything of this sort before, and I would not want to screw up what I have done on the Fon if this is not a possibility. How do you handle the internet situation when you are out and about with the fruity drink?

When you are out, obviously you don't always have physical access to the internet that may be available for free. So would you utilize the wireless in your laptop to connect to the free internet then bridge from the Fon wifi through the Lan port to the laptop ethernet and then ultimately out? That sounds majorly unsecure to me. If the repeater option would work, having the laptop connect to the Fon wifi, using Karma to lure the user in, then porting them through the Fon wifi in a repeater like fashion directly to the free wifi would be ideal. But I have not seen much in the forums or anywhere else on what do to once the Jasager instructions are complete and you are good to go.

One other thing - once I get the internet issue resolved, will the date/timestamp in the log take care of itself upon accessing an NTP server?

Thanks in advance for any info!

[digininja]

Hopefully I'll get all your questions answered here...

Most people are setting up internet connection sharing so they bridge their laptop wired and wireless so that the fon can share it. Not sure why you think that is majorly unsecure, the network stack on the laptop is just forwarding packets and as long as your machine is locked down then nothing should be able to get up to it.

If you want to use the wireless card to do both AP mode and to be a client to another wireless AP then it is possible but you reduce the efficiency of the card as it can only either listen or transmit at one time. Reading the section "Single Wireless Device AP Repeater" which is what we would have, you basically bring up two vaps and then bridge them.

My idea to solve this is to put two fons back to back and have one as the client, one as the AP and join them with the wired network. I haven't tried it but it is an idea.

You should be able to use ntp to set the time on the fon if it has a connection. I run my own ntp server so it doesn't need an internet connection, just a connection back to my laptop/server.