How-To Setup WirelessAP in Linux using HostAP driver
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This installation is performed on a desktop pc, with 1 PCI 
slot for the PCI-to-PCMCIA adaptor (more info on the adaptor 
card below), using Redhat 7.3 OS.

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HostAP

  SOURCE
    http://hostap.epitest.fi/ (Jouni Malinen, jkmaline@cc.hut.fi OR jkm@ssh.com)

  MAILING LIST
    http://hostap.epitest.fi/hostap/
    Email to "hostap-subscribe@lists.ssh.com"  to subscribe to mailing list.

  INSTALLATION
  1. Download tarball Prism2-2002-05-19.tar.gz 
    (http://hostap.epitest.fi/releases/Prism2-2002-05-19.tar.gz)

  2. Untar it to any directory you preferred.

  3. Read the "README" file.

  4. Download the tarball for your PCMCIA-CS source, base on your system version.
     To check the system's version:
       rpm -qva | grep pcmcia 
       Result returned >>>  pcmcia-cs-3.1.31-5mdk

     Then goto, 
       http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=2405&release_id=94021

     to download the source tarball based on your pcmcia-cs version. For the above example, 
     download file will be "pcmcia-cs-3.1.31.tar.gz".

  5. Untar the PCMCIA-CS source tarball to any directory you preferred.Run ./Configure 
     on the PCMCIA-CS source, NO NEED TO "make all" NO NEED TO "make install", because 
     you already have it installed in your system in RPM form.

  6. Edit the "Makefile":
     ** Modify the following entries BASE ON YOUR OWN Linux System Settings! **

     a>   KERNEL_PATH=/usr/src/linux-2.4.18-6mdk

     b>   PCMCIA_PATH=/usr/src/pcmcia-cs-3.1.31  #Enter the directory you use in Step 5.

     c>   KERNELRELEASE=2.4.18-6mdk   #Line i added for my own system just before MODPATH
	  MODPATH := /lib/modules/$(KERNELRELEASE)

  7. Now ready to "make pccard" (because i'm installing HostAP for my notebook's pc card use only)
     With no error, proceed to "make install_pccard".

     Sometimes, your system kernel path does not contain ".config" file. you need to goto
     "/usr/src/linux-2.4.18-6mdk" (depends on your system version) and execute "make menuconfig" 
     DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING and Exit from the menu with SAVING the config. This will create a 
     ".config" file into the "KERNEL_PATH" directory that you specified.

  8. Check for error occur when you make install. If there is error, you need to resolve it
     because the error may cause the hostap.o & its config file not properly installed onto 
     your system. Especially if its a "depmod" error, you need to fix it to get the driver 
     to run properly.

  9. With no error encountered, the hostap is now ready to be used. Now you can refer to the 
     "README.prism2" file from the HostAP tarball to understand the Installation and 
     Configuration needed to use the HostAP.

 10. Note that you will need to restart your pcmcia (aka cardmgr) daemon to initiate the HostAP
     configurations.


  USING HostAP

  1. Please read "README.prism2" file from the HostAP tarball to understand the configuration 
     required to use the HostAP driver for your wirelessLAN cards that is Prism2/2.5-based chipset.

  2. If you have been using WLAN-NG stuffs, you need to "hide" your wlan-ng files away.
     Eg. goto "/etc/pcmcia" and mkdir "HIDE-WLAN-NG" and "mv wlan-ng* HIDE-WLAN-NG/."

     After this you will no longer be using WLAN-NG commands and drivers to load
     your wirelessLAN Cards. Just move the WLAN-NG files back to /etc/pcmcia, if you 
     have to use them again at a later stage.

  3. Make sure you have "/etc/pcmcia/hostap.conf", this file identifies the wirelessLAN cards
     based on the description to load the hostap.o driver to activate your Prism2 wLAN pc card.

  4. Insert your wLAN pc card into the notebook pcmcia socket. Use tail or less to view your system 
     log "/var/log/messages" and check if the "HostAP" driver loaded correctly and sends system messages 
     upon detection of the wLAN card inserted. Something like this...

  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: hostap_cs: (c) SSH Communications Security Corp 
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: hostap_cs: index 0x01: Vcc 3.3, irq 3, io 0x0140-0x017f
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: hostap_cs: Registered netdevice wlan0
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: wlan0: NIC: id=0x8003 v1.0.0
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: wlan0: PRI: id=0x15 v0.3.0
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen kernel: wlan0: STA: id=0x1f v0.8.3
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen cardmgr[7442]: executing: './network start wlan0'
  Jun 24 18:58:42 volkswagen /etc/hotplug/net.agent: invoke ifup wlan0


  5. If you get the "similar" messages as above, then the HostAP driver is loaded correctly. And the 
     new network interface "wlan0" is ready to be configure for network use.

  6. If you the system messages showed error loading the HostAP driver, 

     a>   "cardctl ident" and check for the card version and manfid of the card.

     b>   go through "/etc/pcmcia/hostap_cs.conf" to see if your wLAN card is listed
          in the file. if not, you have to add the card version and manfid of your Prism2/2.5
          chipset wLAN card into the file. cardctl eject, physically eject the card, and 
          restart your pcmcia (aka cardmgr) service.

     c>   now repeat by going back to Step 4 (of this section).

  7. Important point to take note of is the "/etc/pcmcia/config" file, at the end of this file
     you will see that it reads in "*.conf" files in "/etc/pcmcia" directory. This is the reason 
     why I advise to move the WLAN-NG files away, else it would use the config based on WLAN-NG 
     files and system will use "prism2_cs" (which is configured in wlan-ng.conf) and NOT
    "hostap_cs" (which is configured in hostap_cs.conf).

  8. Modify "/etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts" to run the wirelessLAN configurations you preferred
     like: SSID, MODE, CHANNEL, etc.

  9. After this, restart the pcmcia service daemon again and insert the wLAN card to activate it 
     to run in HostAP mode. *Keep your fingers crossed* ;-)


Bridge Utilities (aka brctl)

  SOURCE
    Network Bridging utilities at Sourceforge
    http://bridge.sourceforge.net/download.html

  More bridging details please read more on the README.prism2 that comes in the HostAP tarball.


WirelessLAN PC Cards Tested 

  Cards compatible to operate with HostAP:
   * Linksys WPC11 Version 3
   * Senao SL-2011CD and SL-2011CD PLUS
   * Level-One WPC-0100
   * Fulbond Airbond XI-300B
   * SparkLAN WL-311F
  
  Cards NOT compatible to operate with HostAP:
   * Cisco Aironet 340 series



PCMCIA-PCI Adaptor Card Tested
   * PCI adaptor with chipset of Richoh R5C475II.
     Available in Singapore:
      * Senao (from DSC @ Funan Centre)
      * SparkLAN (from some shops in Sim Lim Square)

   Note: The PCI adaptor is said to be interoperable with motherboard of PCI 
         bus v2.2 or higher only. Do check this out!
   

The Tome for Wireless LAN with Linux
   * Jean Tourrilhes' WirelessLAN resources & tools
     http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Wireless.html

  
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Documented based on installation process by Yang-Hwee TAN.
Email: <mx5yh@singnet.com.sg>
Created 02 July 2002. 
Revised 02 September 2002. DRAFT, version: 0.01.