Node name: 69th and Woodstock
Live Date: It's live!
Sponsor: Exocet Industries
Contact: BradZimmerman * node172@exocet.ca

Equipment Donated

Software Installed

Network Topology

Installers / Organizers

Maintenance and System Log

Notes

Notes on my setup, from Start to Finish

The Hardware

Your total cost shouldn't really exceed: $150 laptop, $90 Senao NIC, $20 Xircom NIC, $20 antenna[1], $100 Cisco switch + $20 ethernet[2] + $25 LMR-400[3] + $20 pigtail[3] = $380-500. Spending about $400 gets you a kickass setup. Spending $500 gets you covering many blocks of your neighborhood.

[1] $20-80, depending on what you get. Could be more or less. You can always make a Cantenna for less than $5. [2] Ethernet cable can be had either cheaply or freely, if you ask on the list or maybe visit FreeGeek in SE Portland. [3] These items aren't necessary, depending on what sort of antenna you get. These items ARE necessary for a fancy (powerful) setup, though.

I personally picked up the laptop for $50 through my place of work - they were selling off old equipment. The switch was in lieu of payment at a job a few years ago. I have an extra, if anyone is interested. I'll sell it for $80. Since I started out with the RE05U from Hyperlinktech, I didn't need extra cable, pigtail, etc. That little antenna is good enough to get into the houses that "touch" yours. I found the Ethernet cable for free. The Xircom NIC came with the laptop. So my total "cost" was about $250. I couldn't go out and buy a commercially-made AP that would be as configurable or as far-reaching as my setup for $250, so I count myself ahead of the game.

The Software

The Misc But Important stuff

The End Goal

My goal was, first and foremost, to provide wireless access to my house. Secondly, that it be secured (locked down) as much as possible without making it cumbersome to use or effectively useless. Lastly, that the world be able to use the wireless to surf and not completely root my boxes at the drop of a hat. I'm altruistic but not naive.

The Process

Setup of the laptop - Installing Debian Linux

Setup of the laptop - Minor Security Stuff

Setup of the laptop - Upgrading and Patching the Kernel

Setup of the laptop - Installing HostAP drivers and using iwconfig

Setup of the laptop - DHCP

Setup of the laptop - The Firewall

Setup of the Cisco Catalyst 1900

Setup of your (my) network

Setup of NoCatAuth


[CategoryDocumentation]

Node172 (last edited 2007-11-23 18:02:56 by localhost)