Networking Linux and XP

[Karl Auer]

On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 00:32 -0400, Yanni Enya wrote:

> I have both an XP and ubuntu Linux desktop.  I would like to network
> them using a wireless system.  I have been told that it is difficult
> to find drivers for the Linux side and I should therefore hardwire the
> router to the Linux box and use a USB adapter for the XP side. 
> I would prefer to do the opposite.  ie attach the router to the XP and
> have the Linux box as a satellite. What hardware would you recommend
> to have the Compaq XP as connected to the router and as adapter for
> the Dell Linux box 

Um, this seems a strange approach. Normally your router has a small
switch built in, or you use a small external switch (better), then
connect the router and the two PCs to the switch.

In a wireless scenario your router has a built in access point or you
use an external access point (better) and both PCs associate with the
access point.

This is definitely what you should try first; go for other
configurations only as a last resort, unless you really *want* one wired
and one wireless connection.

Once you can ping each machine from the other and reach the Internet
from both machines, then and only then should you start setting up stuff
like Samba.

It's not particularly difficult to get drivers for Linux; Linux supports
most cards out of the box. It's a bit fiddlier if you have to go the
NDIS wrapper route, but still not that difficult. In any case,
networking stuff costs so little these days, if the card you have isn't
satisfactory just go out and buy something else.

Regards, K.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)                   +61-2-64957160 (h)
http://www.biplane.com.au/~kauer/                  +61-428-957160 (mob)