[LARTC] filtering in layer 2 [but is not a bridge]

[Grant Taylor]

On 01/11/07 06:01, Zoilo Gomez wrote:
> Isn't an AP just a bridge with a wireless interface?

In a sense, yes.  However the 802.11 wireless side of the bridge is a 
very complex physical layer, (IMHO) more so than 802.3 ethernet.

Host AP is probably listening to requests at the physical tranceiver 
level.  If the Host AP is operating in an AP mode (wouldn't it be?) it 
will have to be involved in passing the traffic from one 802.11 client 
to another.  This is really a form of bridging on the physical layer, 
not layer 2 in the kernel.  Thus EB / IP Tables will not help here.

I have not (yet) personally worked with Host AP, though I plan to.  As 
such, I'm not sure if it includes functionality to filter the traffic 
that it sees.

I wonder if it would be a possibility to (theoretically) move / extend 
the functionality of Host AP such that each associated wireless client 
would (logically / theoretically) appear as a separate interface to a 
custom bridge that could then be presented / controlled via EBTables. 
However, this is quite likely exceeding the 802.11 specification in such 
a way that it would really no longer be 802.11.

Something to keep in mind is that in Infrastructure wireless mode, one 
wireless client has to talk to the AP and have the AP talk to another 
wireless client on it's behalf.  I believe this is the ""bridging that 
the OP is referring to.  Note, I use the term bridging loosely here.

On a side note, how well do you like Host AP?



Grant. . . .