802.11 Security

Setting Up a Linux Access Point

Firmware devices are not the only machines that can serve as an access point. There is an 802.11 access point driver for Linux called HostAP. HostAP provides all of the standard access point functionality but you have the added benefit of a general-purpose operating system to allow you to create unique network architectures and security policies.

HostAP is designed to run on wireless cards that use Intersil’s Prism chipset Version 2, 2.5, or 3. Cards based on this chipset include the D-Link DWL650, Netgear MA401, Compaq WL100, and the Linksys WMP11. Intersil, to date, is the only vendor to have released their radio specification to open source developers. It is possible that the HostAP driver will be ported to run on other chipsets in the future, so check the HostAP web site (http://hostap.epitest.fi) for equipment requirements. Most wireless cards on the market today do not specify the chipset used to drive the card. Check your vendor’s web site or online lists of cards and their chipsets such as http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/Prism2Card.

Installation of HostAP

In order to install HostAP, you will need a custom-built Linux 2.4 kernel and the kernel source code available. See Section 5.2.1 for information on compiling your own kernel. If you are using the pcmcia-cs package, you will need its source code. You will also need to download the latest HostAP source code from http://hostap.epitest.fi.

Read the instructions that come with the ...