Need Router Nic With Master Mode

[Radau]

As the title says, very soon here I'm going to be turning an older computer I have into a router, but I need a decent wireless card with a good range that can be used as an access point.

Does anyone have some they would like to recommend? I've been digging around but very few actually release the estimated ranges. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! B)

EDIT: I should add, this is a home project just to replace my crappy netgear with a horrible firewall, so the budget is low. I had plans of installing Untangle or a few other distributions to test them out, I basically need something with about the same range, if not better broadcasting as my Netgear WNR-1000V2 had, although I suppose a a Bridge could be an option down the road.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Radau

[redhook]

You'd be better off just buying an AP and plugging it into the network. The router will handle the rest. I'm partial to Ruckus but that's because I like enterprise grade gear.

[Radau]

Did Darren ever do that video a long time ago, how he made the router with the Mini-ITX board, but with the wireless portion of it? I don't remember seeing that one ever.

I think I'd rather kill two birds with one stone, I currently only have one NIC on the box, so if I can get a way to broadcast wirelessly, that would be a better route than getting a hardlined NIC AND an access point, like I said in the above edit, the range doesn't have to be GREAT, just average, or preferably a bit above average. ;)

Edited April 26, 2012 by Radau

[Sitwon]

Ubiquiti Networks makes some solid ISP-grade wireless gear. From antennas and router boards to Atheros-powered adapters. I recommend looking for the SR71 line of adapters.

If they seem a little too pricey, this one can do AP mode as well: http://hakshop.myshopify.com/products/black-usb-wifi-adapter-with-5dbi-antenna-realtek-8187l-chipset

Edited April 26, 2012 by Sitwon

[Radau]

Really? I thought it couldn't and that's why the Homemade WiFi router episode was postponed, or was that a different adapter?

[misfitsman805]

This one can do AP mode as well: http://hakshop.myshopify.com/products/black-usb-wifi-adapter-with-5dbi-antenna-realtek-8187l-chipset

How do you setup AP mode on this Wlan nic? Do you need certain Linux drivers for it to work in AP mode?

[Radau]

Still waiting on the reply to misfits question, I thought I heard before that the ALFA couldn't be set as an AP.

[redhook]

Still waiting on the reply to misfits question, I thought I heard before that the ALFA couldn't be set as an AP.

It cannot be setup as an AP under Linux. Although you can use it as an AP in Windows 7.

http://exploit.co.il/hacking/windows-7-fake-access-point-alfa-awus036h/

[Radau]

That's great and all, however I was planning on using this for a router running Smoothwall or Untangle, and I'll assume it wont work as an AP in that, so does anyone have suggestions for one that would work? Thanks!

[redhook]

That's great and all, however I was planning on using this for a router running Smoothwall or Untangle, and I'll assume it wont work as an AP in that, so does anyone have suggestions for one that would work? Thanks!

Like I said before, plug a standalone AP into the machine once you get it setup. You could even use a home wireless router for this if you disable DHCP on it(pretty much making it a switch/bridge). This has the added advantage of you being able to mount it in the optimal spot for reception, just run ethernet back to the router.

[Radau]

Yes I considered that but I'd like something with more power, mounting the router I have at the highest spot in the house doesn't get too much distance, 3 rooms over I get 2 bars, and there isn't an option to run a cable into here. Keep in mind this is a gaming PC I am on so I need the lowest latency possible. The router has to be in the office room as that is where my servers run and I don't have the budget to go off and buy 10 cards for them to run wireless. Is there no such card that even exists?

[Radau]

I really need a reply here soon, I'm probably gonna order a few things on amazon and I'd like to just bundle it all and ship it out if possible.

[01000010]

Any atheros chipset that supports the atk9 drivers can be put into master mode. It just really depends on the kernel having native support for it.

tl-link 722n and 822n will work for you and they are usb. Alfa makes a card that uses the same atheros 9271 chipset and should also work but i have yet to buy this and test it.

here is a page that will assist with chipset that support it.

they call master mode or ap mode

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers

Edited May 1, 2012 by leapole

[Radau]

Okay awesome, nice and low cost too! Thanks! I'll order it with a few school books ;)

[Gex]

I did the same thing along time ago and trust me after a while you will make a plan to run a cable, my advice is just figure out a way to run a cable, even if it is a big job, you will be glad you did it in the end, I am.

[Radau]

Yeah I plan on doing it later when I relocate to another room directly underneath that room, but for now this will suffice. Plus, everyone else pretty much needs wireless in my house for their laptops, and for $14 how can you say no? :P

[Gex]

Yeah I plan on doing it later when I relocate to another room directly underneath that room, but for now this will suffice. Plus, everyone else pretty much needs wireless in my house for their laptops, and for $14 how can you say no? :P

Yeah I see your point!

[Radau]

Just wanted to give a big thanks to leapole. I was able to get Untangle running in a VM under Ubuntu, where Ubuntu uses hostapd (no dhcp) and bridges to eth0 (also the LAN port) and it works GREAT. Much larger signal than I had with my old WNR1000v2 and the speedtest downstairs is no longer completely screwed over (previously you could only get about 4mbps downstairs on speedtest, and 20mbps upstairs) But now all of that is fixed. So thanks a lot leapole! Now onto deciding what to do with my poweredge ;)

[oxley]

I'm using a Alfa AWUS036NH with hostap and a eeepc running IPFire, all running fine, as well as my 3G dongle, once I worked out the usbtty and the init string, thank the maker for being old enough to remember the days of terminals and dial up modems.

[vdub]

I digg the WRT54G routers. With DDWRT running they work great. I have a 3 bedroom house on a half acre and can hit my wireless from anywhere on the property. In fact my galaxy note can get a signal from down the road. They actually are great routers.

[Radau]

Just a little update if anyone wanted pics. Using Ubuntu for hostapd with a bridge to eth0 (and br0 instead of eth0 in Virtualbox). PfSense as my router distribution running Snort and a few other things like the active virus scanner. CPU usage and memory usage are fairly low at all times so I'm happy with that. The specs of the Optiplex GX280 Slim are: Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, 2 GB DDR2, 320 GB hard drive (don't judge, it came with it and it was free anyways!), Intel 1000mbps Integrated NIC, a Startech Low profile PCI Card, and the W722n previously recommended. In all, I figured why bother trying to get my ath9k_htc drivers in pfsense or untangle, if I could just virtualize it, been wanting to play with virtualization on a level like this anyways. In all, it was a GREAT replacement for my Netgear WNR1000v2, eliminating most, if not all stuttering in games (on Wireless too).

With the Monitor plugged in (I usually just leave it standalone with network interfaces plugged in only as the bootup is automated).

The TP-Link W722N in Master mode, WPA2 of course, maybe RADIUS in the future B)

Anyway, just wanted to give a big thanks to all of those that helped me get this set up, it was a GREAT learning experience and I had some fun with it too. If anyone else is planning on doing something like this and needs some help, the parts I purchased/used are listed above and I'm usually good about responding to replies. Either way, thanks everyone!