Your own wlan access point

[LaTristesse]

I recently read something about the "master mode" https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/MasterMode and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/WirelessAccessPoint. I wonder if it would be possbile to make my dockstar become an access point in order to get better wlan connections with my iphone. Like the new Windows 7 feature calles "virtual wifi" http://www.connectify.me/.

I searched for compatible devices at http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers (you have to choose "AP: Yes" fromt he drop-down menu) but it seems there are only a few usb sticks which support the AP feature.

1. p54usb
2. rt73usb
3. rt2500usb

Are there drivers avaible for this chipsets and would it be possible to make something like this happen?

[DePingus]

I'm sure there's a way (I wouldn't know what that is). BUT...at this point wouldn't it be easier/faster/cheaper to buy a $20 DD-WRT compatible router to do this?

I'm just thinking practically...if you're doing this for fun then forget I said anything!

[LaTristesse]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DePingus', 'i')f you're doing this for fun then forget I said anything!

[pepedog]

I got an ath9k based wirless in my eeebox with Mandriva. Never got AP mode working, but ad-hoc fine.
Think my usb dongle (popcorn hour) has same, will have another crack at it. Be patient.

Dave

[pepedog]

Looks like this dongle is ar9170usb, and this looks promising
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/carl9170
Looks complicated

Dave

[pepedog]

Progress
I compiled a module, then when that didn't work patched in the module to kernel source, had to edit kbuilds, patch stuff and knew it would compile. Got firmware files in right place, rebuilt kernel and installed modules, and rebooted.
modprobe carl9170usb

dmesg tells me this
usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, address 15
usb 1-1.2: new high speed USB device using orion-ehci and address 16
usb 1-1.2: reset high speed USB device using orion-ehci and address 16
usb 1-1.2: firmware date: 2010-05-12
usb 1-1.2: driver FW API: 2010-05-12, Ver:1.0.5.3
ath: EEPROM regdomain: 0x833a
ath: EEPROM indicates we should expect a country code
ath: doing EEPROM country->regdmn map search
ath: country maps to regdmn code: 0x37
ath: Country alpha2 being used: GB
ath: Regpair used: 0x37
phy13: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel'
cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: GB
usb 1-1.2: Atheros AR9170 is registered as 'phy13'
cfg80211: Current regulatory domain intersected:
(start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
(2402000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm)

[root@myplugbox firmware]# iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

eth1 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated
Tx-Power=0 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off

Have to check which driver used, any ideas?

Dave

[LaTristesse]

Bought me a TP-Link TL-WN821N usb wlan-stick and trying to get the driver running first. I downloaded the 3 firmware files from http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/D ... 0#firmware and put them into /lib/firmware/ but I dont know how to get them working.

[pepedog]

You will need to compile some software.
hostapd http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Doc ... on/hostapd
and
iw http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Doc ... Getting_iw

Hostapd is the only way to get access point authentication, and it uses iw to do that.
They compile easy.

Dave

[pepedog]

Is this TP link ar9170 chipset?
I don't think it supports AP mode then, but try it out.
You only need the one part fw, or the 2 parts.
The 2 parts are stock and don't work in ap mode.
Once you installed iw, see if setting mode to ap works, or throws an error.

Dave

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pepedog', 'I')s this TP link ar9170 chipset?