Table of Contents
This page has brief notes on the options tested for getting a testbed connected to the internet via wifi. This is typically needed in cases where you don't have a wired connection (e.g. at hackfests/conferences), or the wired connection comes with some troublesome caveats such as a corporate proxy/firewall, which can interfere with OPNFV install etc.
In all cases below, the internet side of the testbed is assumed to be through a wired router/gateway.
Using a Wifi Client Bridge
A device such as the Engenius 4-Port Wireless N300 Media Bridge & Extender ERB300H can be used in client bridge mode, if the wireless network to which you connect will serve all DHCP requests from devices attached to the bridge. You need this feature on the wifi access point because at least two addresses need to be allocated - for the bridge device, and for the WAN interface of the gateway to which the testbed is connected.
This method has been tested successfully with mobile phone hotspots:
- Connect the WAN interface of the testbed gateway to the laptop via ethernet.
- Activate a mobile phone hotspot.
- From the bridge device UI, set the device to client bridge mode and select the wifi network SSID of the hotspot.
- Set the gateway WAN interface to DHCP mode and if needed, renew the DHCP lease.
Using Windows XP internet connection sharing
This procedure may also work in later versions of Windows:
- Connect the WAN interface of the testbed gateway to the laptop via ethernet.
- Connect the laptop to a wifi network.
- Select the wireless network connection (Control Panel / Network Connections).
- Select Properties / Advanced / "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection".
- Select "Local Area Connection" as the "Home networking connection" and click OK etc.
- From the command prompt, get the LAN connection IP address via "ipconfig".
- Set the gateway WAN interface to Static mode, and
- the IP address to a value from the subnet of the laptop LAN IP
- the same subnet as the laptop LAN IP
- the gateway to the value of the laptop LAN IP
- DNS servers to something you trust, e.g. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
Using a Linux laptop with bridged networking
Theoretically it should be possible to configure Linux to support bridged networking with the WAN side being a wlan interface, and the bridged network being an ethernet interface. However all tests for this have so far been unsuccessful. Any concrete suggestions on how to get this working are welcome here.
