[geeks] Cheap wireless APs

[Lionel Peterson]

On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 8:06 AM, Sevan / Venture37 <venture37 at gmail.com> wrote:
> why don't you just put a wireless card in the box that's going to run
> Open/NetBSD or Linux & set it to run in hostap mode, invest the money you
> saved from not buying a AP into a better antenna.
> On OpenBSD the Ralink chipset cards are well supported.

I believe the point of the OP was to simplify, your suggestion is
easily as complex as the situation the OP wanted to avoid, getting a
router/AP, then working through the settings to disable/avoid the
DHCP/router/etc. functionality.

A wireless AP can use trivial amounts of power, machines that are
typically "surplus" aren't also low-power.

I use an old Motorola AP (WA840G) (it's 5 years old):

$14.95 + (.95 on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/MOTOROLA-WA840G-WIRELESS-ACCESS-POINT-802.11g_W0QQitemZ170329630516QQcmdZViewItem

Motorola product datasheet:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/WA840g/downloads/WA840G_Data_Sheet.pdf

This AP uses minimal power, .5 Amps at 12V DC, much less than any
"conventional" PC I am aware of.

-- 
Lionel Peterson
lionel4287 at gmail.com