Wireless access points: consumer, commercial, or DIY?

[Sam Leffler]

Doug Poland wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm a long-time FreeBSD user (servers, desktops, laptops) and have lately
> become disillusioned with the quality of consumer WAPs.  In my home I
> typically run 2 FreeBSD 7.x laptops, a Windows-based laptop, an iMac, and an
> iPhone.  My current WAP is a Linksys WAP54G and is a little over a year
> old.  As this device ages, it frequently locks up and drops connections.
> This is evident on all the wireless devices I use.  Prior to this WAP, I had
> another WAP54G and it exhibited the same behavior, which is why I replaced
> it.  Prior to that WAP, I had a DLink that had issues.
>
> When I connect on a FreeBSD laptop, I'm typically connecting to my fast
> desktop running XDMCP.  In this environment, I'm particularly sensitive to
> dropouts and connection issues between my WAP and mobile device.
>
> My current WAP54G is getting so unreliable that I cannot run remote X and be
> productive, so I'm in the market to replace the Linksys WAP54G.  I'm not
> pleased with the experience's I've had at the consumer level.  I'm not
> well-informed about products on the commercial level, other than Cisco WAPs
> are $500+.  I've toyed with the idea of using an old PIII and turning it
> into a WAP, or going with something like a Soekris net5501 and building my
> own.
>
> I want reliable wireless in my home.  So what do I need to do, to get it?
> I'm not convinced there's a low-cost solution.  If I have to go up to
> commercial quality and spend near $500, I could build my own Soekris
> net5501-based WAP and use FreeBSD 7.x. for $100 less.
>
> What are your thoughts, experiences, and/or recommendations?
>
>   

Stick to a commercial product if at all possible.  In the wireless world 
you usually get what you pay for--cheapo residential devices will not 
make you happy.  I've had reasonable luck with this device:

http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=385

and with Apple products.  I use this stuff purely as an AP (e.g. no 
routing, dhcp, dns, nat, etc.) except for my TimeCapsule which services 
backups.

Some folks speak glowingly of OpenWRT (linux-based wireless distro) but 
I have no personal experience.

    Sam