Hardware

http://www.webhallen.com/prod.php?id=63614

I see the chipset (or whatever it is) listed in FreeBSD 6.3 compatibility list for i386, so guess that makes it likely it will work?

I know nothing about wireless, so dont know if this card is all I'll need for my ALIX 2c1, or might it be the card comes without an antenna and I need to buy that extra or something? How does it usually work?

Also, is it really easy to enable/disable the interface?
Will probably not need it most of the time, and  would feel better (and maybe draw less power too) if I just disable it then.....or is that impossible as long as there are firewall/NAT-rules for it?

Many thanks

Ouch, a friend of mine, that doesn't have any clue either, said he wasn't sure all wireless NIC's could act as access points, having multiple clients access the web through them.

Does anyone know if that is true?
Can I use this card, if compatible and possible to disable when not needed, as a AP, or is it possible it just works as a client and cant act AP for a few clients?

Thanks again

Ok, maybe wireless mini-pci inside an ALIX isn't such a good idea?
It seems all cards come without antenna, without specifying what type of antenna should be used.
Also, even if you're lucky finding what antenna to use, its impossible to tell what kind of performance (talking signal strength here) you'd get. Maybe I wont even be able to use the AP from the other room.
Who knows, no reviews for anything like this, of course since you can't even find info on what setups fit and not.

So, maybe its better to take the bulkier more expensive way, buy a external AP that you can read reviews on, and plug in to the OPT1. Surely not as fun, will need one more powercable, some more power, take more space, waste the extra LAN-port......

Hi Seb74 (mr talkstohimself) 

I'm not sure if this card uses the atheros chipset or not. which from what I know is needed.

When I bought the alix, I choosed this one.

(http://applianceshop.eu/shop/images/cm9-shop.jpg)
http://applianceshop.eu/shop/product_info.php?cPath=15&products_id=68&osCsid=8725a4ad19ce664bc5a104caf9c0f1ab

It uses a Pigtail antenna (SMA reverse, 2.4 GHz, RoHS compliant)

And it works like a charm.  no problems yet with the range.

Thanks for the answer

I'd like to buy from within Sweden...if something goes wrong or so.
Also I think that card doesn't support WPA2...hmm....

Oh well, I got confirmed from a FreeBSD-forum that this very very cheap mini-pci card will very likely work with Hostap-mode, so apparently its an issue for FreeBSD users too. Its got WPA2 also.

Gigabyte GN-WI01GS
http://www.webhallen.com/prod.php?id=63614


I dont know shit about antennas and compatibility, and cant find any help, but I will then take a chanse and buy this antenna for it since it seems to come with some extra adapter.

D-Link Antenna 5dBi 2.4GHz Indoor
http://www.webhallen.com/prod.php?id=52718
Says:
"RP-SMA-contact
 RP-SMA to RP-TNC-adapter"

I guess RP-SMA might be short for something like "Reverse Polarity SMA" or so, and then it should be the same as yours, and probably most other antennas too, so nothing special bout these mini-pci's then

OUCH !!!

Just heard, maybe not true though, that cards that handle WPA/WPA2 in the specifications, DONT do this when acting as an AP.
That way, using M0n0wall as an AP is kind of pointless, unless you like your neighbours to use your line for free...

I definitly wont buy any card for this until I've got some more info regarding this.

A while ago, one could simply say that any Atheros-based card would work with m0n0wall. It's not that simple anymore because the latest Atheros chips are not supported by FreeBSD 6.3 yet; the Wistron CM9 should work fine though (unless they changed chips in the latest revision). The ath(4) man page lists AR5210, AR5211, and AR5212 as supported; AR5213/AR5416/AR5418 may work as well.

In any case, if an Atheros-based card works at all with FreeBSD, then you don't have to worry about whether it supports AP mode or WPA/WPA2 - they all do.

Well, this gigabyte card is much cheaper (half the price or so) and also easier available in Sweden.
Its supposed to be supported in FreeBSD under the ral(4) driver, supporting WPA2.

But not totally sure it works with WPA 2 when in hostap-mode....seems some card can only use WPA2 when they are clients or so to speak.

I'm glad I stopped by to read the m0n0 wall forum today!

I've been using an ALIX 2C2 with that Wistron CM9 card with Pfsense for some time. Unfortunately the Wi-Fi is pretty much broken. Essentially large transfers just hang and bizarrely can be unstuck by sending a succession of pings to the box from a client.

I've tried pretty much everything, torn my hair out trying to diagnose exactly what causes it to no avail.

If you reckon m0n0wall works with that nicely then I've nothing to lose in giving it a shot. The 1.3-something beta right?

I've finally got all the pieces and installed the very cheap Gigabyte GN-WI01GS mini-pci NIC, with some no-name 5dbi reverse SMA antenna with a small pigtail cable/converter...very hard to find that converter for the tiny mini-pci contacts but finally found a store in Sweden selling one.

It all seems to work, I can set it as AP (hostap) and set it to use WPA2....now I only need someone with a wireless client to come by to see if it really works or just looks like its working