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Making your Bubba wireless

A collection of tips on howto tweak your Bubba.
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johannes
Posts: 1470
Joined: 31 Dec 2006, 07:12
Location: Sweden
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Making your Bubba wireless

Post by johannes »

There are two main ways to make Bubba wireless. Both ways have their pros and cons.

Ethernet-WiFi bridge

Image

We have tested using the D-LINK DWL-G700AP, works like a charm. They aren't too expensive either, available in Sweden for something like 50 EUR. Installation is easy, just put it in "repeater" mode, enter your wireless network encryption settings and it's running. No changes at all are required in Bubba's setup.

There used to be smaller devices available, made for laptops without built in WiFi, but they don't seem to be manufactured anymore.

Summary:
+ Fast
+ Easy to install
- Physically large

USB dongle

Image

This is the neatest since the devices are quite small, but the downside is that it occupies your USB host connector. However, if you need to run something else simultaneously, maybe a printer, it's just to place a standard USB hub in between.

Make sure that Linux drivers are available for the USB dongle you select before purchasing. Note that this requires driver installation on Bubba, and Linux knowledge.

Summary:
+ Small
- May be tricky to install
- Occupies the USB connector
- Slow (max ~10 Mbit/s)

Edit: According to this the transfer speed will be something like 5 Mbit/s, including routing. I guess 10 Mbit/s was a bit optimistic.
/Johannes (Excito co-founder a long time ago, but now I'm just Johannes)
niclas
Posts: 16
Joined: 29 Jan 2007, 03:38

Re: Making your Bubba wireless

Post by niclas »

Can you suggest any USB-dongle that have Linux drivers?
niclas
Posts: 16
Joined: 29 Jan 2007, 03:38

Re: Making your Bubba wireless

Post by niclas »

...and how do you install it? Shouldn't the driver be ready before installing Bubba? Or is it built in in the image?
tor
Posts: 703
Joined: 06 Dec 2006, 12:24
Contact:

Post by tor »

Hi Niclas,

Maybe i should start by mentioning that this is nothing we have done any deeper tests of. And this is not very easy to get up and running. Thus we usually recomend using an ethernet/wifi bridge instead.

But to start of you need the kernel modules package installed, http://excito.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=452 for more info.

This package contains the following modules for usb networking, wired and wireless.

./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/rtl8150.ko
./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/rndis_host.ko
./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/plusb.ko
./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/pegasus.ko
./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/kaweth.ko
./lib/modules/2.6.16.16/kernel/drivers/usb/net/gl620a.ko

You now have the somewhat tough task in finding a usb dongle that matches one of those. A good source of information can be http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/.

With those pieces solved it should "only" be a matter of load the correct module, if its not autodetected which it hopefully should be. Install wireless tools, http://packages.debian.org/sarge/wireless-tools Add a valid config as done in ordinary Debian Sarge. Cross your fingers and i hopefully should work.

If anyone has a working setup they would like to share that would be great.

/Tor
Co-founder OpenProducts and Ex Excito Developer
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