CentOS - Sep 2016 - Recommendation about an usb wireless adapter to use it as HostAP

Hi all,

 I would like to install/test CentOS 7.X as a hostap for my home. I am thinking
to use an Alfa (http://www.alfa.com.tw) usb wireless adapter or TP-Link. BUt
there is not much information in Alfa's or TP-Link's web sites about
which of them can run as a HostAP. If I can find any adapter that supports ac
with a throughput of 150 Mbps/300Mbps, it would be great.

 Any recommendation? Maybe AWUS036ACH and TP-TLW722N can supports this
functionality, but I am not sure ...

 Thanks.
-- 
Greetings,
C. L. Martinez

On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 3:40 AM, C. L. Martinez <carlopmart at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>  I would like to install/test CentOS 7.X as a hostap for my home. I am
thinking to use an Alfa (http://www.alfa.com.tw) usb wireless adapter or
TP-Link.
>BUt there is not much information in Alfa's or TP-Link's web sites
about which of them can run as a HostAP.
I would suggest use openWRT -- it is designed for WiFi and the foot
print is small (around 60MB).  It has a lot of additional packages
(captive portal, WAN load balancing etc.) that you can install as per
your needs.   I have used it on a Raspberry PI  with USB WiFi dongles
(Realtek chip set).  You can conceivably run it as a virtual appliance
with USB pass through to the h/w.

On Alpha's web site one of the slide show images show openWRT along
with their USB WiFi adapter.
I would suggest contact Alpha's Tech support to get specific model
number and driver (chip set) it uses.  Also visit openWRT web site
and/or mailing list.

-- Arun Khan

On Sat, September 10, 2016 12:12 pm, Arun Khan wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 3:40 AM, C. L. Martinez <carlopmart at
gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>>  I would like to install/test CentOS 7.X as a hostap for my home. I am
>> thinking to use an Alfa (http://www.alfa.com.tw) usb wireless adapter
>> or TP-Link.
>>BUt there is not much information in Alfa's or TP-Link's web
sites about
>> which of them can run as a HostAP.
>
> I would suggest use openWRT
Alternative to consider would be pfsense (based on FreeBsd):

https://www.pfsense.org/

Works excellent for me (I have a few of them around).

Valeri

-- it is designed for WiFi and the foot
> print is small (around 60MB).  It has a lot of additional packages
> (captive portal, WAN load balancing etc.) that you can install as per
> your needs.   I have used it on a Raspberry PI  with USB WiFi dongles
> (Realtek chip set).  You can conceivably run it as a virtual appliance
> with USB pass through to the h/w.
>
> On Alpha's web site one of the slide show images show openWRT along
> with their USB WiFi adapter.
> I would suggest contact Alpha's Tech support to get specific model
> number and driver (chip set) it uses.  Also visit openWRT web site
> and/or mailing list.
>
> -- Arun Khan
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Valeri Galtsev
Sr System Administrator
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics
University of Chicago
Phone: 773-702-4247
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Sat 10.Sep'16 at 10:12:26 -0700, Arun Khan wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 3:40 AM, C. L. Martinez <carlopmart at
gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> >  I would like to install/test CentOS 7.X as a hostap for my home. I am
thinking to use an Alfa (http://www.alfa.com.tw) usb wireless adapter or
TP-Link.
> >BUt there is not much information in Alfa's or TP-Link's web
sites about which of them can run as a HostAP.
> 
> I would suggest use openWRT -- it is designed for WiFi and the foot
> print is small (around 60MB).  It has a lot of additional packages
> (captive portal, WAN load balancing etc.) that you can install as per
> your needs.   I have used it on a Raspberry PI  with USB WiFi dongles
> (Realtek chip set).  You can conceivably run it as a virtual appliance
> with USB pass through to the h/w.
> 
> On Alpha's web site one of the slide show images show openWRT along
> with their USB WiFi adapter.
> I would suggest contact Alpha's Tech support to get specific model
> number and driver (chip set) it uses.  Also visit openWRT web site
> and/or mailing list.
> 
Many thanks fro your inputs, but I can't use a real wifi router. I need this
usb adapter to connect two smartphones and a raspberry pi for my day to day job.
The idea is to share laptop Internet's connection with these devices.


-- 
Greetings,
C. L. Martinez