[MLB-WIRELESS] station-router OS

[Joris]

Hi,


I've been testing the "WebWorld Warehouse station router", it was mentioned
a while ago on the list.

KEYWORDS: Cool, very cool. Only worth it in special cases. Meight use it if
given for free.


The mean reason to test, is that it advertises with hermes-chipset AP mode
functionality on standard pc hardware.
It indeed has, and it indeed works.

At the website (www.station-router.com) you can download a bootable
install-cd image. Don't go for the Embedded version, it's only reachable by
serial interface. Get the desktop, router or server trial.


The install is smooth on modern machines, older ones refuse to work due IRQ
problems. One of the disadvantages of running a closed down system is that
you cannot pass bootparameters, I'd love to try pci=biosirq.

Indeed, as you meight have deducted from the previous sentence, the entire
system is linux-based. (they indeed developped a linux agere_cs hostap
driver).
The distribution is so closed down however, I've been unable to look at the
disk.

The installation itself is a no-brainer. Just point to the disk you want it
to install, it wipes all partitions, and copies/unpacks a system image. Done
in less than two minutes.
I leave the hardware compatibility list to the website.


StarOS seems to be made with the functionality of a beefed-up AP in mind, it
contains all basic AP functionaly , as quite a lot of services, depending on
the version, even a caching proxy server. See http://www.station-router.com/specs.php

The system can function in infrastructure-client and IBSS/adhoc client mode
(what's the point, you can't do anything else with the machine?), as an
access point, and as a "StarLink protocol" bridge.
This last one is described as "StarLink is a unique set of protocols to allow
for longer distance PtP shots, as well as higher throughput (sometimes up to 
50% higher) on local PtP links.". Intresting, sounds a lot like the linksys
building-to-building protocol?
StarBOOST is described as a packet accelerator, it seems like a
compressed-link function.
This is nowhere near a complete description, explore for yourself if you
like.

I'm worried about the security implications of running this thing. There is
absolutely no way to verify the absence of backdoors or 'hidden' accounts.


The software package is commercialware, the trial version runs for 24 hours
only.
The GPL violation detector is making funny noises here, someone should
investigate.
Prices vary between 30 and 60USD.


Is it worth it?
It contains a lot of 
If you require the beefed-up functionality or the special modi built in
perhaps.
But if you just want a cheap AP, you're not on the right place.
A spare pc (>= pII), a pcmcia craddle, a pcmcia card and a licence meight
very well outweight a cheap 'hardware'-AP.



-- 
  Greetings
  Joris
  joris at linux.be  UIN: 25569167
  PGP is currently out-of-use

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