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Network Settings - Wireless Card Configuration

[edit] Overview

ClarkConnect includes support for wireless network cards.

[edit] Installation

If you did not select this module to be included during the installation process, you must first install the module.

[edit] Configuration

[edit] Supported Hardware

Many wireless network cards work out of the box in Linux (see Links section below). However, we only officially support the following:

• PCI: Netgear 11Mbps 802.11b Wireless PCI Card (MA311)
• ISA-to-PCMCIA bridge: All models
• PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge: Buffalo Tech WLI-PCI-OP
• PCMCIA: Orinoco Silver and Gold 802.11b PCMCIA

	Warning!

From the Orinoco site: "For PCs with an ISA slot, the ORiNOCO ISA adapter is strongly advised." In other words, only purchase the PCI card if your system is PCI-only.

[edit] PCMCIA Settings

If you use a PCMCIA (laptop) card, you may need to change some of the settings.

[edit] PCIC Driver

There are a few different types of hardware drivers (PCIC drivers) available for PCMCIA. Consult your hardware's user guide or online support to determine your settings. For the Orinico PCMCIA cards, use i82365

[edit] PCIC Options and Core Options

Some PCMCIA hardware drivers require special options. In most cases, you can leave the PCIC Options and Core Options blank. Consult your hardware's user guide or online support if the system is unable to detect your card. For the Orinoco PCMCIA cards, you may need to use i365_base=0x3e2 for PCIC Options (leave Core Options blank).

[edit] Network Settings

The network configuration for a wireless card is done just like any other network card. However, the following extra wireless-only options are required.

[edit] ESSID

The ESSID is a nickname to give your wireless network. In the screenshot, the name Woburn Wireless is used. When configuring other wireless devices on your network, make sure you use the same ESSID.

[edit] Mode

The wireless card can run in a number of different modes. The most common are Ad-Hoc and Master/Access Point. From the list of officially supported wireless cards, only Ad-Hoc mode is supported. For un-official wireless cards, you may be able to run the card in other modes.

[edit] Secret Key

The Secret Key is used to encrypt your network traffic. The Orinoco Silver card requires a 5-character (40-bit) key prefixed with 's:' - e.g. s:abcde. This must match the settings for other wireless devices on your network.

[edit] MAC Address Filtering

For added security, you can allow only certain network MAC addresses on your wireless network.

[edit] Links

• Seattle Wireless
• Linux Wireless LAN Howto
• WLAN Adapter Chipset Directory