managing multiple wireless SSIDs (summary discussion)

[Jesse Guardiani]

Atsushi Onoe wrote:

>> The questions I'd like to discuss
>> ---------------------------------
>> So here are the questions that come to mind after digesting the
>> above information:
>> 
>> 1.) Which category is preferable?
>> 
>>     Currently, I think the event based solutions are the most
>>     _practical_ on FreeBSD, but are they the "correct" long term
>>     solution?
> 
> It is pretty difficult to have a generic solution for all users.
> 
> Windows do background scan periodically, and sometimes switch to
> another SSID.  It is OK for WWW and Mail client, but it is difficult
> to use ssh login.

I guess that makes sense. If you switch SSIDs, then probably the network
topology will change also (as opposed to just switching to another AP
within an SSID).

When you put it that way, the rcng stuff or wiconf look most
appropriate to me.

Does anyone else have any comments along these lines?


> For long time connection, sticking only single SSID even without radio
> for a while, should be preferable feature unless Mobile IP is much
> more popular.

What do you mean by "Mobile IP"?


>  But I know there are many users who only want to use
> www and e-mail.
> 
>> 2.) What is the future of the `wicontrol` command? I've noticed
>>     that `wicontrol -L` only works if the wi interface is
>>     configured with an empty SSID:
>> 
>>     ifconfig wi0 ssid '' wepmode off
> 
> I guess wicontrol just scans configured SSID.  To scan the APs
> of 'hidden' SSID, wicontrol -L requires SSID configured.
> 
>>     Are there plans to make a more general interface for things
>>     like SSID enumeration?
>> 
>>     Does wicontrol -L work for the ath driver? Or just wi?
> 
> Obviously, wicontrol is designed for wi, and it uses wi specific
> interface.  But since there are no other utilities, net80211
> wlan framework provides a compatible interface for wicontrol.
> So wicontrol -L should work for ath (and awi).
> The same condition applies for wiconfig -D on NetBSD, JFYI.

OK. So is wicontrol going to be around for a while then? I know most
of it's features are being deprecated in favor of ifconfig based
features. Will `wicontrol -L` eventually become an ifconfig option?

Thanks!

-- 
Jesse Guardiani, Systems Administrator
WingNET Internet Services,
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