PCI wifi card + linuxbox *vs.* router

I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my wireless
PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my area. I
have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a router/firewall.
Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and using it
as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a proper
802.11b router?

Thanks for your help,
Mitchua

Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my wireless
> PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my area. I
> have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a router/firewall.
> Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
> http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and using it
> as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a proper
> 802.11b router?

If you can handle the software, then the PCI wifi card (with an external
antenna) may be better, as the firewall can be more configurable and
flexible.
Another thing to note is that the electricity used by a PC can be significant
over a year.
This can easily exceed the cost of an AP over a year or two.

"Ian Stirling" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:EJwSb.134$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my
wireless
> > PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my area.
I
> > have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a router/firewall.
> > Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
> > http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and using
it
> > as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a
proper
> > 802.11b router?
>
> If you can handle the software, then the PCI wifi card (with an external
> antenna) may be better, as the firewall can be more configurable and
> flexible.

Good point.

> Another thing to note is that the electricity used by a PC can be
significant
> over a year.
> This can easily exceed the cost of an AP over a year or two.

It's already on 24/7 guarding my LAN so that's not a big worry.

Thanks for your advice,
Mitchua

Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Ian Stirling" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:EJwSb.134$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> > I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my
> wireless
>> > PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my area.
> I
>> > have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a router/firewall.
>> > Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
>> > http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and using
> it
>> > as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a
> proper
>> > 802.11b router?
>>
>> If you can handle the software, then the PCI wifi card (with an external
>> antenna) may be better, as the firewall can be more configurable and
>> flexible.
>
> Good point.

I should have mentioned that the reason for the external antenna is that
if you just used an antenna plugged into the back of the PCI card, then
it is pretty well shielded to the front of the PC, and will have a horrible
beam pattern, due to the reflection from the back.
>
>> Another thing to note is that the electricity used by a PC can be
> significant
>> over a year.
>> This can easily exceed the cost of an AP over a year or two.
>
> It's already on 24/7 guarding my LAN so that's not a big worry.
>
> Thanks for your advice,
> Mitchua
>
>

"Ian Stirling" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:6TwSb.137$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > "Ian Stirling" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:EJwSb.134$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >> > I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my
> > wireless
> >> > PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my
area.
> > I
> >> > have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a
router/firewall.
> >> > Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
> >> > http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and
using
> > it
> >> > as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a
> > proper
> >> > 802.11b router?
> >>
> >> If you can handle the software, then the PCI wifi card (with an
external
> >> antenna) may be better, as the firewall can be more configurable and
> >> flexible.
> >
> > Good point.
>
> I should have mentioned that the reason for the external antenna is that
> if you just used an antenna plugged into the back of the PCI card, then
> it is pretty well shielded to the front of the PC, and will have a
horrible
> beam pattern, due to the reflection from the back.

So those shitty (looking) cards might be alright after-all. I can't find
the chipset for that card in particular. Whatever card I choose, I'll make
sure that it's Prism2 for Linux compatibility.

> >
> >> Another thing to note is that the electricity used by a PC can be
> > significant
> >> over a year.
> >> This can easily exceed the cost of an AP over a year or two.
> >
> > It's already on 24/7 guarding my LAN so that's not a big worry.
> >
> > Thanks for your advice,
> > Mitchua
> >
> >

Just found a $69.99 802.11g router at my local Future Shop. Screw setting
up PCI cards in linux :-)

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...18&WLBS=fsweb2

--Mitchua

"Mitchua" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:22wSb.28134$(E-Mail Removed) able.rogers.com...
> I want to setup a small wifi network in my apartment to connect my
wireless
> PDA and possibly do some snooping on the other wifi networks in my area.
I
> have a Pentium 233Mhz machine running ClarkConnect as a router/firewall.
> Would I be better off buying a PCI wifi card (like
> http://www.g2000sys.com/specials.html), shoving it in the box, and using
it
> as an AP *OR* would I be better off just spending the money to get a
proper
> 802.11b router?
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Mitchua
>
>

Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Just found a $69.99 802.11g router at my local Future Shop. Screw setting
> up PCI cards in linux :-)
>
> http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...18&WLBS=fsweb2
>

If you'r into linux, it is possible to compile your own programs and
scripts to run on a linksys WRT54G, (and a few other wireless routers).

Ian Stirling wrote:

> Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> Just found a $69.99 802.11g router at my local Future Shop. Screw
>> setting up PCI cards in linux :-)
>>
>>
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...18&WLBS=fsweb2
>>
>
> If you'r into linux, it is possible to compile your own programs and
> scripts to run on a linksys WRT54G, (and a few other wireless
> routers).

I was just going to point that out, but you beat me to it! Dedicated hardware
like this is more reliable than the typical PC. Besides the power consumption,
antenna issues, available ports, etc. -- at some point your computer is going to
crap out, usually from a power supply or a HD, especially in a computer of that
vintage. A Linksys, etc. will be bulletproof. You can load "regular" Linux on
it if you want to run your own stuff:

http://www.batbox.org/wrt54g-linux.html

Matt O.

"Matt O'Toole" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bxZSb.7859$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Ian Stirling wrote:
>
> > Mitchua <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >> Just found a $69.99 802.11g router at my local Future Shop. Screw
> >> setting up PCI cards in linux :-)
> >>
> >>
>
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...18&WLBS=fsweb2
> >>
> >
> > If you'r into linux, it is possible to compile your own programs and
> > scripts to run on a linksys WRT54G, (and a few other wireless
> > routers).
>
> I was just going to point that out, but you beat me to it! Dedicated
hardware
> like this is more reliable than the typical PC. Besides the power
consumption,
> antenna issues, available ports, etc. -- at some point your computer is
going to
> crap out, usually from a power supply or a HD, especially in a computer of
that
> vintage. A Linksys, etc. will be bulletproof. You can load "regular"
Linux on
> it if you want to run your own stuff:
>
> http://www.batbox.org/wrt54g-linux.html
>
> Matt O.
>
>

Yah, I decided to buy a Microsoft MN-700 802.11g because it was on sale.
I'm actually getting much better speeds downloading/uploading than with the
old linuxbox router I was using and the NAT is better.

I googled but couldn't find any way to run linux on it. I'm sure MS would
love that :-)

Thanks for the advice.
--Mitchua