Wireless network, Ubuntu 8.10.

[Nils Kassube]

Johnny Rosenberg wrote:
> I have a wired Internet connection and it works like it should. I
> don't get the 100 Mb/s, but it's fast enough and I don't complain.
>
> We have three computers. One laptop (the one I use right now) with
> Ubuntu 8.10, one desktop PC, also with Ubuntu 8.10 and finally one
> Eee PC 900 with Mandriva Linux Free 2009.1.
>
> Every one of the computers have wireless network cards and now I
> thought it would be nice if at least the two laptops (Ubuntu 8.10 and
> Mandriva Linux Free 2009.1) could share folders and files, but I
> really don't know where to start. I don't have a router or anything
> and I don't want to connect the wireless stuff to the Internet since
> I already have the Internet through the wired stuff.

Without a wireless router your options are a bit limited. You could use 
ad-hoc mode but AFAIK you can't use that mode with WPA / WPA2, so your 
network would be more or less unsecured. Another option would be to make 
one of the PCs your wireless access point but not every WLAN card can 
operate in that mode. Then you would install the package hostapd on the 
machine which can operate as AP and let it work as master for your 
wireless network and let the other PC(s) connect to that machine. But be 
warned, this isn't easy. If you want something easy, use a router.

Making the wireless connection between the PCs is only the first step 
though. The second step is to enable file sharing in some way. That 
could be done with NFS, SSHFS, SAMBA, maybe others. My favourite is NFS.


Nils