[gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant]

My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
room to the other.

There may not be anything like that.  I just thought I'd ask.

- Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Robert Bridge]

You mean a long ethernet cable?

On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 11:19 PM, Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
> only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
> room to the other.
>
> There may not be anything like that.  I just thought I'd ask.
>
> - Grant
>
>

Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Mon, 31 May 2010 15:19:40 -0700, Grant wrote:

> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
> only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
> room to the other.

You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet across
the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because SWMBO would
go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the living room.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million
typewriters will eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare.
Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

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[gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-05-31, Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk> wrote:
> On Mon, 31 May 2010 15:19:40 -0700, Grant wrote:
>
>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
[...]

> You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet across
> the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because SWMBO would
> go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the living room.

Do those not count as "non-Gentoo decision-making devices"?

-- 
Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant]

>>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>>> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
>>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
> [...]
>
>> You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet across
>> the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because SWMBO would
>> go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the living room.
>
> Do those not count as "non-Gentoo decision-making devices"?

When I said I didn't like to use non-Gentoo decision-making devices, I
was just trying to let everyone in on my mentality.  It would be
ideal, but of course it means building and maintaining another Gentoo
system and I always seem to be short on time as it is.

- Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Tue, 1 Jun 2010 00:15:20 +0000 (UTC), Grant Edwards wrote:

> > You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet
> > across the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because
> > SWMBO would go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the
> > living room.  
> 
> Do those not count as "non-Gentoo decision-making devices"?

No, because they do not make decisions. They are no more intelligent than
an ethernet hub.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Women live longer than men because they have so many clothes that they
wouldn't be caught dead in.

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[gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-06-01, Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk> wrote:
> On Tue, 1 Jun 2010 00:15:20 +0000 (UTC), Grant Edwards wrote:
>
>> > You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet
>> > across the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because
>> > SWMBO would go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the
>> > living room.  
>> 
>> Do those not count as "non-Gentoo decision-making devices"?
>
> No, because they do not make decisions.

OK.

> They are no more intelligent than an ethernet hub.

I doubt that.

I would think they're at least as smart as a modem or an Ethernet
switch.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! Is this going to
                                  at               involve RAW human ecstasy?
                              gmail.com            

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Tue, 1 Jun 2010 14:21:26 +0000 (UTC), Grant Edwards wrote:

> > They are no more intelligent than an ethernet hub.  
> 
> I doubt that.
> 
> I would think they're at least as smart as a modem or an Ethernet
> switch.

They are certainly not as smart as a switch as they make no packet
routing decisions, a modem is closer to the mark, but there's certainly
no decision making involved.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

"It compiled? The first screen came up? Ship it!" -- Bill Gates

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Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant]

>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
>> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
>> only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
>> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
>> room to the other.
>
> You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet across
> the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because SWMBO would
> go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through the living room.

I thought about that, and it would be perfect except that I'm really
into audio and I don't want to increase the interference in my
apartment's electricity.

- Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Peter Humphrey]

On Tuesday 01 June 2010 00:49:25 Neil Bothwick wrote:

> You could use a pair of powerline adaptors to route the ethernet
> across the mains wiring. I use them for my MythTV front end, because
> SWMBO would go apeshit if I tried running ethernet cables through
> the living room.

You should see the loudspeaker and satellite cables running around mine! 
I never did find a neat way to route them.

-- 
Rgds
Peter.

[gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-05-31, Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
> only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
> room to the other.

Usually that's called a "cable".  ;)

Many wireless bridges have a "virtual cable" mode point-to-point
bridging mode that will let you pair them together so that they won't
talk to anything else and are just transparent layer 2 bridges.  I've
got some DLink bridges that have a mode like that.  You just set them
up next to each other and powered them both up while holding a button
down, and they'd find each other and pair-up.

Many OTS WAPs also have a point-to-point bridge mode as well.

Unfortunately all of the WAPs and bridges that I know of are
"non-Gentoo" devices, so they don't meet your stated requiremnt of
having to run Gentoo.  If you really want something that runs Gentoo,
then I don't see any way around building the two bridge units
yourself.

-- 
Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant]

>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>> desktop attaches to my TV.  I'm using a small wireless router to send
>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
>> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
>> only firewall/router duties.  Am I overlooking another option?  I want
>> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
>> room to the other.
>
> Usually that's called a "cable".  ;)
>
> Many wireless bridges have a "virtual cable" mode point-to-point
> bridging mode that will let you pair them together so that they won't
> talk to anything else and are just transparent layer 2 bridges.  I've
> got some DLink bridges that have a mode like that.  You just set them
> up next to each other and powered them both up while holding a button
> down, and they'd find each other and pair-up.

I hadn't heard of a wireless bridge before.  That sounds about right.
DD-WRT running as a wireless bridge wouldn't be so bad right?

- Grant

[gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-06-01, Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>>> desktop attaches to my TV. ?I'm using a small wireless router to send
>>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
>>> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
>>> only firewall/router duties. ?Am I overlooking another option? ?I want
>>> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
>>> room to the other.
>>
>> Usually that's called a "cable". ?;)
>>
>> Many wireless bridges have a "virtual cable" mode point-to-point
>> bridging mode that will let you pair them together so that they won't
>> talk to anything else and are just transparent layer 2 bridges. ?I've
>> got some DLink bridges that have a mode like that. ?You just set them
>> up next to each other and powered them both up while holding a button
>> down, and they'd find each other and pair-up.
>
> I hadn't heard of a wireless bridge before.  That sounds about right.
> DD-WRT running as a wireless bridge wouldn't be so bad right?

I don't have any experience with DD-WRT.  I use OpenWrt, but have
only used it in "normal" bridges and WAPs.

By a "normal" bridge, I mean one that's running in infrastructure mode
talking to a WAP using the normal WEP and WAP authentication (the WAP
also happened to be running OpenWrt).

For a simple point-to-point link you may want to try ad-hoc mode
instead of infrastrucure mode.

-- 
Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant]

>>>> My cable internet outlet is across the room from my TV, and my Gentoo
>>>> desktop attaches to my TV. ?I'm using a small wireless router to send
>>>> the signal from the cable modem to my Gentoo system across the room.
>>>> I don't like using a non-Gentoo decision-making device in my network,
>>>> but I also don't want to build and maintain another Gentoo system for
>>>> only firewall/router duties. ?Am I overlooking another option? ?I want
>>>> a "dumb" device to move the ethernet connection from one side of the
>>>> room to the other.
>>>
>>> Usually that's called a "cable". ?;)
>>>
>>> Many wireless bridges have a "virtual cable" mode point-to-point
>>> bridging mode that will let you pair them together so that they won't
>>> talk to anything else and are just transparent layer 2 bridges. ?I've
>>> got some DLink bridges that have a mode like that. ?You just set them
>>> up next to each other and powered them both up while holding a button
>>> down, and they'd find each other and pair-up.
>>
>> I hadn't heard of a wireless bridge before.  That sounds about right.
>> DD-WRT running as a wireless bridge wouldn't be so bad right?
>
> I don't have any experience with DD-WRT.  I use OpenWrt, but have
> only used it in "normal" bridges and WAPs.

Sorry to be getting even more OT, but why did you choose OpenWRT over
DD-WRT?  I didn't know there was more than one choice available.

- Grant


> By a "normal" bridge, I mean one that's running in infrastructure mode
> talking to a WAP using the normal WEP and WAP authentication (the WAP
> also happened to be running OpenWrt).
>
> For a simple point-to-point link you may want to try ad-hoc mode
> instead of infrastrucure mode.

[gentoo-user] Re: {OT} "dumb" ethernet mover

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-06-01, Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:

>> I don't have any experience with DD-WRT. ?I use OpenWrt, but have
>> only used it in "normal" bridges and WAPs.
>
> Sorry to be getting even more OT, but why did you choose OpenWRT over
> DD-WRT?  I didn't know there was more than one choice available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wireless_router_firmware_projects

When I made the choice it was for several reasons:

 * OpenWrt supported a lot more platforms than DD-Wrt.

 * OpenWrt is open-source where DD-Wrt isn't.

 * DD-Wrt is a closed project with a developer that isn't interested
   in working with outsiders, while OpenWrt is much more
   community-oriented and works with other groups of developers like
   XWrt.

www.openwrt.org
www.xwrt.org

-- 
Grant