Question dealing with Ubuntu 7.10!

[Carisma]

WEP is useless security. There are free programs you can download that let you crack anyone's WEP in a few hours. It's hardly better than unsecured. I'd get your own wireless access point and plug it into a wired port on his router and set your own security.

Yeah I know but he is a programmer (15+ yrs experience) and he won't listen to me.

I even showed him that I could do it but he didn't care.

 

[MRD]

Yeah, that's where your own AP comes in. He can do what he wants, and you can do what you want.

 

[Carisma]

Yeah, that's where your own AP comes in. He can do what he wants, and you can do what you want.

Yeah I was looking at a access point before Misfit posted that link. LOL

 

[Misfit138]

Yeah I was looking at a access point before Misfit posted that link. LOL

An AP is an AP as far as your OS is concerned. It's cardbus and internal wireless cards that need the linux kernel drivers.

 

[Carisma]

An AP is an AP as far as your OS is concerned. It's cardbus and internal wireless cards that need the linux kernel drivers.

So even with the AP, it is going to look for a wireless connection instead of a wired one???

 

[Misfit138]

So even with the AP, it is going to look for a wireless connection instead of a wired one???

Hmm, we are not understanding each other somewhere here.
An AP, or wireless access point is like a multiported switch that can run off of an existing router, to extend your wireless range beyond your existing wireless router, or to provide wireless access where it is needed/desired.
WEP and WPA are encryption protocols, WPA being many orders of magnitude more secure than WEP.
Wireless cards, wireless lan, cardbus adaptors and so forth are the devices in your PC that communicate with the AP, or wireless router, and that require kernel modules (drivers). As was suggested, before buying one, check to see it is supported with a well maintained driver. Atheros and most Intel chipsets are very well supported with active development.

 

[Carisma]

Hmm, we are not understanding each other somewhere here.
An AP, or wireless access point is like a multiported switch that can run off of an existing router, to extend your wireless range beyond your existing wireless router, or to provide wireless access where it is needed/desired.
WEP and WPA are encryption protocols, WPA being many orders of magnitude more secure than WEP.
Wireless cards, wireless lan, cardbus adaptors and so forth are the devices in your PC that communicate with the AP, or wireless router, and that require kernel modules (drivers). As was suggested, before buying one, check to see it is supported with a well maintained driver. Atheros and most Intel chipsets are very well supported with active development.

Yeah I don't think we are understanding each other because the way I thought it was, was that the wireless access point was basically its own little wireless router receiving its signal from the main router but changing the connection from PCI to ethernet. Is that wrong?

I am checking that site as I type this but all those seem to be pretty old so it is hard to find them still available but I am searching really hard and Amazon is my best friend right now.

 

[Misfit138]

Yeah I don't think we are understanding each other because the way I thought it was, was that the wireless access point was basically its own little wireless router receiving its signal from the main router but changing the connection from PCI to ethernet. Is that wrong?

Yes that's wrong. Let me modify it for you:

"the wireless access point is basically its own little wireless router receiving its signal from the main router but changing the connection from"

ethernet to 802.11a/b/g. Then in order to receive the wireless signal from the AP, a wireless adapter for my PC/laptop is required.
(Unless you don't want to use wireless, in which case, just run your own cat5e cable from his router to your pc.)

 

[seth556]

I've had great luck with ndiswrapper. It just didn't work for me in arch, but it was probably due to me not knowing what I was doing with it. But every other distro but Fedora ndiswrapper has been straight forward.

 

[Carisma]

Yes that's wrong. Let me modify it for you:
ethernet to 802.11a/b/g. Then in order to receive the wireless signal from the AP, a wireless adapter for my PC/laptop is required.
(Unless you don't want to use wireless, in which case, just run your own cat5e cable from his router to your pc.)

Unfortunately I can just run a cat5 from the router in the living room. Wish I could.

Maybe I can try to convince him when he get home later. Thank you for clearing that up with me.

Looking at that Dlink one and how it explains it everywhere I have looked disagrees with everything you said but I will trust you on this.

EDIT: My current wireless card is a Broadcom one which really is a pain in the *** to setup.

 

[MRD]

Ok, I was suggesting you put the AP on your ROUTER. It would act like a wireless router essentially, except you could set your own security. This is because of your roommate preventing you from using WPA.

It would still require a wireless connection.

If you can't get good support for the wireless adapter on your laptop, you can get a USB wireless adapter. That's not the same as an access point. An access point connects wirelessly to the computer's wireless adapter, while the wireless adapter sends out a wireless signal from the computer to a wireless router or access point which connects it to the internet.

 

[Carisma]

Ok, I was suggesting you put the AP on your ROUTER. It would act like a wireless router essentially, except you could set your own security. This is because of your roommate preventing you from using WPA.

It would still require a wireless connection.

If you can't get good support for the wireless adapter on your laptop, you can get a USB wireless adapter. That's not the same as an access point. An access point connects wirelessly to the computer's wireless adapter, while the wireless adapter sends out a wireless signal from the computer to a wireless router or access point which connects it to the internet.

Well this isn't for a laptop. Maybe I should have said that. Sorry.

This is for a desktop if that matters.

 

[grumperfish]

Yeah I already had this and thought it would work so I tried and it didn't work so well. Do know any Linux ones off the top of your head?

I always recommend this one for linux: Trendnet PCI 32 Bus Master. Cheap, detects automatically in Ubuntu 7.04/7.10, PCLinuxOS, and BackTrack2, allows external antennas, and is easy to configure. Also supports WPA out of the box. The default antenna isn't great but paired with a decent-gain antenna (I have it paired with a Hawking 15dbi directional antenna) it works quite well. It has an atheros chipset for those who are curious. No need for ndiswrapper as it uses restricted drivers in Ubuntu.


SMC EZConnect usb adapters will also autodetect in Ubuntu 7.10 but they're not as nice.




I grew to hate ndiswrapper when I was trying to get an older usb/prism adapter to work so I researched several wireless adapters to find one that worked well in XP and linux before settling on the Trendnet (the price was a large factor as well).


And yeah WEP is fairly easy to crack. With a BackTrack2 disc I've been able to get the passwords for nearly every connection in my area after a day's work (more for curiosity than actual use though).

 

[MRD]

Well this isn't for a laptop. Maybe I should have said that. Sorry.

This is for a desktop if that matters.

Ok, why would you use wireless then? Wired is faster and more stable.

Also, if it's a desktop, the wireless adapter is easily changed. With a laptop you are kind of stuck.

 

[Carisma]

I always recommend this one for linux: Trendnet PCI 32 Bus Master. Cheap, detects automatically in Ubuntu 7.04/7.10, PCLinuxOS, and BackTrack2, allows external antennas, and is easy to configure. Also supports WPA out of the box. The default antenna isn't great but paired with a decent-gain antenna (I have it paired with a Hawking 15dbi directional antenna) it works quite well. It has an atheros chipset for those who are curious. No need for ndiswrapper as it uses restricted drivers in Ubuntu.


SMC EZConnect usb adapters will also autodetect in Ubuntu 7.10 but they're not as nice.




I grew to hate ndiswrapper when I was trying to get an older usb/prism adapter to work so I researched several wireless adapters to find one that worked well in XP and linux before settling on the Trendnet (the price was a large factor as well).


And yeah WEP is fairly easy to crack. With a BackTrack2 disc I've been able to get the passwords for nearly every connection in my area after a day's work (more for curiosity than actual use though).

Thank you so much. I will probably order it here in the next few hours. Since it is cheaper than what I was thinking about buying (see below).

Update: I got internet on my Ubuntu system right now (I am posting from it). I used my wireless adapter from my gaming system (Linksys WGA54G) and my system boots up in less than a minute (from pushing the power button to the login page) and then another min for it to go from the login screen to the desktop.

Again guys thank you so much for the help and all the information. I know I will be in contact again.

 

[Carisma]

Ok, why would you use wireless then? Wired is faster and more stable.

Also, if it's a desktop, the wireless adapter is easily changed. With a laptop you are kind of stuck.

Because my dumb roommate used all the ports on the back of the router in the living room so this is all I have. I used to live in a house where every room had 2 hard lines in the walls, it was great.

I know once I move I am going to get hardlines everywhere in my house. I love the speed and ease of troubleshooting (automatically cancel out the internet).

 

[MRD]

Just get a switch and plug it into the back of the router, it'll give you as many more ports as you need. I run a 16 port switch connected to a router. That switch also connects to several other switches around the house to add more ports.

 

[Carisma]

Just get a switch and plug it into the back of the router, it'll give you as many more ports as you need. I run a 16 port switch connected to a router. That switch also connects to several other switches around the house to add more ports.

Yeah I am contemplating that or drilling a hole through the wall and put a cat5 connection there into my room.

 

[Misfit138]

Yeah I am contemplating that or drilling a hole through the wall and put a cat5 connection there into my room.

This is what i suggested above!

 

[MRD]

I have cables running all over my house to switches so I have wired access all over.

I only use wireless for laptops, and I keep them on a separate subnet for security (blue vs green).