wireless router/firewall on linux?

[hilophilo]

is it possible to make a wireless linux gateway/firewall box?

[root.veg]

Yes. Wireless interfaces act just like normal ethernet interfaces once you've started them up (they're called eth0, eth1 etc just like normal network cards).

I run a gateway box with a wireless card connecting to my ISP (a base station across the road), and a normal wired ethernet card connected to my home LAN. I don't imagine it would be much different using wireless for the home network, although I don't have any experience of setting up base stations.

[hilophilo]

so if a get 2 wireless ethernet cards it be fine? One into my linux machine which is already a wired router and to my labtop be ok?

[root.veg]

Erm, according to the install manual for my Aironet 350 card, you can use wireless cards to create an ad hoc LAN without using base stations. So yeah, I guess you're OK. But you'll need to set up the usual IP-Masq-ing stuff on the box you want to use as your gateway (assuming you've only got the one IP address from your ISP). Haven't tried it myself, though!