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Musenki's Linux-Based AP Ships To Beta Customers

Posted by timothy on from the small-cute-wireless dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes: "Austin, TX based Musenki ('musenki' means 'small wireless gadget' in Japanese) is poised to ship beta units of its first product -- the M-1 wireless access point that uses Linux. Pretty cool device that has open architecture and can be modified to accomodate growing 802.11 standards. Says they could have not have done it without open source community."

119 comments

  1. Can it be? by CmdrTaco+(editor) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can it be? Is this company really attributing some of its success to the open source community? While this is not like a company like Intel or HP saying they couldn't have done something without the help of the open source community, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Once we get the proper recognition, we will be on our way to attaining mainstream popularity.

    1. Re:Can it be? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Or maybe they are just taking advantage of the fact that linux is free. I doubt that if linux cost them as much another system they would of used it. And how will this make linux mainstream? It won't. "Whoa linux is powering my access point? I must use that to use a wanna be word processor and browser!"

    2. Re:Can it be? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Users who systematically abuse the weaknesses in the system, including human weaknesses, are karma whores, and deserve to be moderated as such, otherwise they gain an unfair advantage from their abuse.

    3. Re:Can it be? by stripes · · Score: 2
      And how will this make linux mainstream? It won't.

      Well it might make it mainstream in the embedded market, which would at least give it more developers and drivers for odd things. It will help a but, but only indirectly.

  2. Oh my lord! by jskarzin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A company that openly admits they needed the open source community.. wow! Makes me smirk now to look at companies like LINDOWS, which are smothering and flaming the community-- hiding the source and ignoring them. Even slapping them in the face. Thanks, Musenki. You are a role model company.

    --
    I like karma. Feed me.
  3. Spelt wrong in title by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Informative

    Spelt Musenski in title, rather than Musenki (I thought fo a arf a mo an old bud named Musenski (or was it Musinski, Bull Moose anyway) was in the biz.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  4. Curious by Burgundy+Advocate · · Score: 2, Informative

    Does anyone know if they've included any extra security packages?

    Seeing how WEP is basically an open door, I see no reason not to have ipchains installed and operational by default.

    The software is there. Anyone know if they are using it? If not, it seems a bit a complete open door to these guys...

    --
    Dragging people kicking and screaming into reality since 1996.
    1. Re:Curious by Cajal · · Score: 1

      With a 200 or 333 MHz PowerPC chip, the AP has more than enough CPU power to be an IPSec gateway. You could use that, coupled with FreeRADIUS or NoCatAuth for user authentication.

      Voila - a complete wireless solution in a box, all based on open-source software.

  5. gotta love file... save... by mesach · · Score: 1

    so if someone tells me where I can host it quickly and easily then everyone will be able to see it after it gets /.'ed

    --
    moo.
  6. Boo by NiftyNews · · Score: 2

    The M-1? Well, they certainly aren't planning on creative naming schemes!

    --
    ------
    Today's Top Deals
    1. Re:Boo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't wait for the advertisements for version 16.

  7. A test of support by peripatetic_bum · · Score: 2, Informative

    I dont know about you, but I think I am going to try to get my hands on one of there, (ie, but one).

    I am going to watch this closely becuase I think here we have a real test to see what happens when linux has a product that people can buy and cant simply download.

    If they do well, I think we should use them as a example of how things really are going to go for linux.

    Thanks for reading

    --

    Sigs are dangerous coy things

  8. Cool!!! by littlerubberfeet · · Score: 1

    Wireless access, attributed to the nerds. I would like to know more of the details about the final product, but this is neat. It would be really nice if I could use this with a mac......But Linux is good enough. I would like to know what they embedded. The kernal? or other stuff too?

    --
    Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
  9. Languages by Macblaster · · Score: 3, Funny
    ('musenki' means 'small wireless gadget' in Japanese)


    Excellent example of why the Japanese language kicks ass - they have a single word that means small wireless gadget. If only english was that cool...

    1. Re:Languages by base2op · · Score: 1

      Cellphone, or in the proper context perhaps just cell? Hey that's shorter than musenki too. : )

    2. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Except that this isn't the right translation. I breakdown like this:

      musen: without lines or wireless/radio
      ki: generic for any type of tool (generally mechanical or electronic)

      you get musenki or wireless device. I don't know why they said small
      since it isn't even implied.

      --wyn

    3. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, musenki literally means "machine without wires": mu = "none", sen = "wire/line", ki = "machine". As far as cellphone goes, the Japanese word is keitai: at least for me, much nicer to say that cell or cellphone, but I'm a language bigot :)

    4. Re:Languages by LinuxInDallas · · Score: 1

      Well, probably because the word "gadget" brings to mind a small device. Now of course it sounds like the Japanese translation does not need the word gadget, but if you use it as part of the translation then I can see how someone would think small was part of it.

    5. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, except keitai means 'carryable'. They just call keitai denwa (carryable telephone) that for short, just as people here sometimes shorten cellphone to 'cell'.

    6. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      never heard the word "doodad" ? =P

    7. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~thoureau/japanese.h tml

      'nuff said

    8. Re:Languages by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 2

      Last fall, the parliamentary election results for the entire country were printed on just 1/3 of the front page of the newspaper.

      They could do this because each of some 30-odd political parties could be represented with just a single character.

      Now that's efficient.

      --

      "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

    9. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually Musenki does not mean "Small Wireless Gadget". It just translates as Wireless Machine. Mu=Without Sen=Wire/Line Ki=machine. But it is often fun how, because of the Kanji (chinese characters), you can create long descriptive names with them. It seems like German is pretty good for merging a whole bunch of seperate words into one. An example I recently read is

      Sommermitternachtwaldeinsamkeit

      now *that* is cool...

    10. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Acctually it is implied, its common knowledge, the Japanese have small tools.

    11. Re:Languages by Anonymous+Squonk · · Score: 1

      Alas, musenki only means "wireless device" in Japanese. If you wanted to say "handheld wireless device" you could say keitai musenki, but then you'd be confusing all the poor saps who think that a keitai must be a phone (the long form for a portable phone is keitai denwa, but it's become so ubiquitous that if you say keitai alone, it's assumed that you mean a phone)

    12. Re:Languages by HardFocus · · Score: 1

      Excellent example of why the Japanese language kicks ass - they have a single word that means small wireless gadget. If only english was that cool...

      Actually, musenki only means "wireless device" without any reference -- explicit or implied -- to "small".

      mu = not

      sen = wire[ed]

      ki = device/machine

      --

    13. Re:Languages by Thekim · · Score: 1

      Actually English could do the same thing as your German example a long time ago. But it has since been so influenced by romance languages that it has lost it's ability to hook words to each other without prepositions or spaces.
      Swedish (my mother tounge) works just as German in that we can frely hook words together and form new words, this is done practically all the time. But when the same is done in English you have to add spaces or "of", and this is now influencing Swedish to the extent that many Swedes don't know how to properly write their own language! But we'll just have to live with it, languages have to evolve.

      If I remember my German correctly your word would be translated like this: Loneliness in the woods in the middle of a summer night.
      In Swedish this would be: Sommarmidnattsskogsensamhet.

    14. Re:Languages by barzok · · Score: 2

      We could use the symbols for the parties in the US, but most don't know what they mean.

    15. Re:Languages by mooman · · Score: 1

      Yeah, like what the hell is a "GOP" anyway? Maybe it's japanese for "elephant" or something... I often see the two in close proximity...

      --
      In the Portland, Ore area and like card games? Check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portlandgames/
    16. Re:Languages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      well, German can do the same thing:

      Drahtlosegeraetchen

      (I'm not a native speaker, pardon any mistakes bitte).

  10. Don't catagorize this as hardware. by danny256 · · Score: 0, Troll

    I disabled linux stories for a reason and then I see something like this. What is the point of allowing to customize our homepages if you categorize things incorrectly like this. Please call this a "linux" topic next time so i don't have to see it.

    1. Re:Don't catagorize this as hardware. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, looks like a hardware device to me. Sorry if it was polluted with mention of Linux. Think you'll live?

  11. Price seems high... by Bogatyr · · Score: 2, Informative

    The features seem good, but...
    "Quantity one pricing for the M-1 (including 802.11b NIC, antenna, power supply, etc) will be $300, and the M-3 (similarly configured) will be $500, with quantity discounts available.
    Beta units of the M-1 will go out on Monday, April 15th. Beta shipments of the M-3 are planned by the beginning of May. General availability of both should be by the end of June."
    $300 or $500. And people complain Apple Airport Base Stations are overpriced at $300 MSRP, $270 or less (for quantity one pricing). The Musenski seems to be very cool, but with Linksys 802.11b access points at, what, $170 being touted as reasons to not but Airports, I can only hope they aren't priced higher than the market will bear.

    1. Re:Price seems high... by NetJunkie · · Score: 4, Informative

      Good access points cost a lot. Sure, you can get a Linksys for $150, but a Cisco AP is still $500. They have features a "plain" AP doesn't have. In the case of Cisco, better security and good key management.

    2. Re:Price seems high... by Bogatyr · · Score: 1

      Ok, I can accept that argument (and also apologize for misspelling "musenki": my excuse was I didn't have the article open, and used the title of the slashdot story for reference). So how does the feature set of the proposed $500 M-3 compare to a $500 Cisco AP? I'm curious.

    3. Re:Price seems high... by ediron2 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Um, I'll admit that Cisco sells you better drivers, better utilities, etc., and I'll even bend anyone's ear about my own Linksys problems, but it still has to be said really loud, if you got modded up for that remark:

      'Better (802.11b) security' is an oxymoron.

      Hell, I had to make a 4-homed firewall at my home just to give me peace of mind while running wireless: Ext/Int/DMZ/WLAN. All because of design-by-committee screwups on the security. Bruce Schneier says "Good encryption isn't easy" and recommends LOTS of public scrutiny on any encryption algorithms. As happens way too often, the protocol's designer's wrongly chose otherwise.

    4. Re:Price seems high... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      well, its all on the website, but...

      333MHz PowerPC 603 (G2) CPU .vs Cisco's 75MHz 860 (G1)

      2 x 10/100 Ethernet .vs Cisco's 1 x 10/100

      2 x miniPCI slot (one with 802.11b radio @ $500) .vs Cisco's PCMCIA architecture

      1 x PCI slot (not present on Cisco)

      up to 512MB of SDRAM (SO-DIMM) (ships with 32MB @ $500)

      8-32MB of flash (again, ships with 8MB)

      full linux (can you ssh to a Cisco AP? Run NoCatAuth on it?)

      on-board smart card, keeps the grommets out of your ssh keys, snmp community strings, etc.

      etc.

    5. Re:Price seems high... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Thing is, the Musenki APs are basically full linux boxes... min I think is 8MB flash 32MB RAM... runs PPCBoot and a standardish powerpc-linux kernel. So your AP can also be your firewall and NAT box and etc etc etc...

    6. Re:Price seems high... by Animats · · Score: 2

      But this new product includes an interface to a billing system. That's the big new feature.

    7. Re:Price seems high... by fist · · Score: 1

      Cisco does not offer any better security than anybody else in the 802.11 space. In fact their stuff isn't that great, they just bought out some other company and slapped their sticker on it.

      I have no idea what you're talking about with better key management. You put the key in the AP, and you put the key on the client. Same as for any other 802.11 wireless product.

      You must have been brainwashed at the CCNA/P class, if you think the Cisco solutions are better. (For the record they're not better, just more expensive).

    8. Re:Price seems high... by baptiste · · Score: 3
      Cisco does not offer any better security than anybody else in the 802.11 space. In fact their stuff isn't that great, they just bought out some other company and slapped their sticker on it.

      True, Cisco bought Aironet. However, they do have additional features that enterprise customers demand. Imagine having hundreds of APs using MAC authentication - gonna put each new MAC in each AP? Will a Linksys accept 1000's of Mac entries? Not likely. We use Avaya (Lucent) APs where I work that cost about $800 (though I've seen them for $400 at one place recently) Why? They support use of an external RADIUS server for authenticaton.

      Trust me, I've got a Cisco/Aironet AP and a Linksys. The Cisco has a numerous of features aimed towards the enterprise including a web browser and telnet interface)

      But for a small business/home user, the Linksys can't be beat. They've made huge improvment in firmware and clients over the past couple years.

      As for the M-1, I'd say their price point is justified for the market they target - people who want an AP they can add custom features to with ease.

      --
      Top Most Bizarre/Disturbing Error Messages
    9. Re:Price seems high... by stripes · · Score: 2
      True, Cisco bought Aironet. However, they do have additional features that enterprise customers demand. Imagine having hundreds of APs using MAC authentication - gonna put each new MAC in each AP? Will a Linksys accept 1000's of Mac entries? Not likely. We use Avaya (Lucent) APs where I work that cost about $800 (though I've seen them for $400 at one place recently) Why? They support use of an external RADIUS server for authenticaton.

      FYI, the Apple AirPort Base Station also does RAIDUS auth. Plus my Cisco AP died about a year or so after I bought it and Cisco wanted $700 to fix it. $700. Feh. I replaced it with a $200 access point. Cisco's product didn't do anything useful for the extra cost, definitely costing 3x as much and only lasting a year isn't a great deal.

      As for the M-1, I'd say their price point is justified for the market they target - people who want an AP they can add custom features to with ease.

      That I agree with.

  12. Re:Since linux devices gets /.'ed rather easily- by red_dragon · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damn, Rob, even *you* have turned to karma-whoring? This is too much to witness...

    --
    In Soviet Russia, Jesus asks: "What Would You Do?"
  13. "Small wireless device" ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    Musenki means wireless device.

    mu = not
    sen = wire
    ki = device

    I don't see 'small' in there..

    1. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Quixote · · Score: 2

      Maybe the "mu" doubles as mu as in "micro" ?

    2. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by caffeineboy · · Score: 2

      nah, the "mu" in question is the classic negation Kanjji. Mu meaning "no" or "non". Mu as in "muteki" (invincible) or "Muryo" (no fee) or even the classic zen fable about a dog's buddha-nature.

      This sounds like just another case of loose translation fed through the PR department.

      But people who can speak Japanese should be used to this.

      --
      +++ ATH0 +++
    3. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by KNicolson · · Score: 1

      Given that the Japanese are forever borrowing English words and giving them wonky meanings, I can excuse Musenki this reverse abuse of the Japanese language!

    4. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Angst+Badger · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh, thank god. I'd hate to think any language actually had a word for "small wireless device".

      --
      Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
    5. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 2

      Actually, since the classic zen-fable is from China, it would be "wu", not "mu".

      But who cares.

      --

      "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

    6. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by BJH · · Score: 1

      Well, actually it's one of the standard words for 'radio receiver', but I guess we can overlook that in the interests of PR for a Linux company...

    7. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Thekim · · Score: 1

      Actually, if you add shou (shoumusenki) you would get small wireless device :)

    8. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Peter+Harris · · Score: 2

      You're right.

      Of course, they probably don't make all that many *large* wireless devices.

      --

      -- What do you need?
      -- Gnus. Lots of Gnus.
    9. Re:"Small wireless device" ? by Xerithane · · Score: 2

      I think it's much worse the other direction.

      --
      Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
  14. Re:Since linux devices gets /.'ed rather easily- by mosch · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's not taco, look at the uid.

  15. handheld. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    In the proper context it alone means 'small wireless gadget'

    According to the search below, musenki just means wireless.
    http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/c giwrap/jwb/ wwwjdic?1E

    1. Re:handheld. by Daimaou · · Score: 1

      I'm glad to see other people using Jim Breen's web page.

  16. By the way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What was that reason? I figure that some reasons people might have for not seeing linux stories may not include stories like this one.

    1. Re:By the way... by danny256 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I choose not to view linux stories because as a software developer, i see open source as a threat to my well being. They are giving away for free what I am supposed to be getting paid to write, its a scary business model from my perspective.

    2. Re:By the way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And even more so - their software is actually QUALITY - compared to the crap you probably write - sure it's a threat to your well being

    3. Re:By the way... by ethereal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What's funny is that I pay more attention to topics that I consider threatening - for example, Microsoft, infringements on civil liberties, etc. Whether or not open source is really a danger to you, do you really think burying your head in the sand is the appropriate response? Besides, you might learn something :)

      --

      Your right to not believe: Americans United for Separation of Church and

    4. Re:By the way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Open source tends to cover baseline or reference platform implementations.

      Why should there be an ecosystem of commmercial developers all doing the same thing?

      If you're creative enough, you'll always find work. Open Source creates new opportunities -- revel in it.

    5. Re:By the way... by child_of_mercy · · Score: 2

      So for you to win the customers must lose?

      and you can live with yourself?

      wow.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    6. Re:By the way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh, please fuck off

    7. Re:By the way... by danny256 · · Score: 1

      I'm not creative, I'm not even that smart.

    8. Re:By the way... by Just+Another+Perl+Ha · · Score: 1

      Well... from looking at your posting history, it looks like you're still in school (and I'll have to assume that you've never really held a true, professional development position before).

      I'll let you in on a little secret. A vast majority of the software developement jobs out there are *not* writing software for shrink-wrap, retail sale at the corner Best Buy.

      I'd wager that a good 75% to 80% of the people graduating out of your CS program will take jobs as "in house" developers for some company that has absolutely nothing to do with the software industry. In that type of scenario, software development is a cost center, and companies like those to be as inexpensive as possible.

      That right there is why Open Source is making so much headware in the corporate world (and is exactly why you should embrace it instead of hide from it).

      It *is* the future.

    9. Re:By the way... by danny256 · · Score: 1

      I don't know anything about the industry, I'm just trying to get a degree. I work at McDonalds.

  17. ah, but did they give back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Says they could have not have done it without open source community."

    Ah yes, but were they good little boys&girls, and contribute back?

    (if that sounds sided, well, I guess it is...I'll be very happy to be wrong though)

    1. Re:ah, but did they give back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The article says they contributed a driver for the 8245 chipset.

    2. Re:ah, but did they give back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes, everything that we can. look at the full article on linuxdevices for the list of projects at the bottom.

  18. Palo Alto Freenet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
    This Linux AP technology is allowing communities to finally build out their own wireless communications systems without the help of Ma' Bell or Cable.

    Keep building these solutions!

    Palo Alto Freenet

  19. Soekris by Jeffrey+Baker · · Score: 4, Informative

    Musenski must have better PR people, but don't forget about Soekris. They make network computers that include two slots for radios and one slot for hardware encryption, running *BSD or Linux.

    1. Re:Soekris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Correction: they plan to make computers for wireless applications. It has been 4 months since the net4521 demo unit was displayed at the Seattle Wireless summit and it's still vapor.

    2. Re:Soekris by Jeffrey+Baker · · Score: 2

      It is at the same stage as the Musenki: shipped in small quantities to testing customers.

    3. Re:Soekris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Soekris has announced pricing for their PCMCIA boards, and they should be available in May.

      Very similar is the teletronics board.
      http://www.teletronics.com/tii/products/ro uters/cp e.html
      This runs linux, and is very similar to the Soekris board. It also comes complete with an outdoor enclosure.

  20. M-1. by user32.ExitWindowsEx · · Score: 1

    I've been playing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault too much.
    When I first saw M-1, I immediately thought of the M-1 Garand.
    I suppose they both could be called wireless communication devices. :p

    --
    "Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." -- Dark Helmet
    1. Re:M-1. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      What you don't know is that one of the Musenki founders owns a 'National Match' M-1. :-)

  21. Re:Since linux devices gets /.'ed rather easily- by Quixote · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I think Kathleen busted him, and he's in the doghouse. Hence the high UID.

  22. Support is going to be a challenge by elflet · · Score: 3, Insightful
    They reasoned that there would soon be a significant opportunity to supply devices to public access "hot-spot" providers, wireless ISP/infrastructure providers (WISPs), and various value added resellers (VARs).

    I love that they've done this on a shoestring, but the demands of deploying and supporting an end-user-device-cum-platform can crush a company. At a minimum, they'll need to issue patches in a form that can be installed without comprimising uptime, and VARs will demand "development kits" which are workable, documented, and supported.

    Both of these are crucial. If even a few devices are hacked, you can kiss commercial adoption goodbye. If development requires too much time, the VARs will look for other platforms -- they tend to be small outfits without much time for puzzling out the source code. (I used to build development kits for well-funded OEMs, and even they rode us mercilessly for better documentation, support, and frequent updates.)

    I hope they find a stable funding source and the best people they can. This is a worthy idea that deserves to work.

  23. Re:Dang! Wrong OS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    netbsd does (and boots, if root is via NFS)
    openbsd should, haven't tried it

    freebsd PowerPC port is not yet done

    still missing from *bsd:

    anything like cramfs or jffs(2)

  24. plagerism! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hey, somebody has posted the entire linuxdevices story as a thread -- that can't possibly be allowed by slashdot/OSDN guidelines! let's get this fixed asap, ok?

  25. Musenki by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 2

    Actually, "musenki" means just "wireless device". I suppose you can assume it was small if you want to.

    --

    "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

    1. Re:Musenki by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      several friends from Japan have translated Musenki as "wireless gadget" or "small C.B. radio"

  26. busybox + uClibc rule by andersen · · Score: 2, Informative

    Cool. This device uses Busybox and uClibc. These are very very cool projects for developing embedded systems. Of course I'm biased (busybox and uClibc maintainer hat on), but I had no idea these folks were building an AP with them. Looks pretty nice. I hope they send me a free one. ;-)

    --
    -Erik -- --This message was written using 73% post-consumer electrons--
  27. Another one is here ( by amix · · Score: 1

    A little larger (maybe) but still nice and small, with 3 Ethernet, CompactFlash, SSD, 486/100MHz based and more:

    Soekris

    But: Why are these devices all so limited ? Honestly, I want all my Networking done in one box (Gateway,Firewall,Printserv,external Modem (FaxServ), wireless access-point, ethernet and HomePNA, no additional hubs/switches...I am at home, you know ?!

    I know...

    --
    Hello?? Fred?! Is this you?
    1. Re:Another one is here ( by really? · · Score: 1

      Any number of shops in Akihabara will sell you one of these integrated units - except for the FAX part...but I have seen at least one with a RS 232 port, so maybe something can be done...

      --

      "Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead." A. Huxley
    2. Re:Another one is here ( by amix · · Score: 1

      Thanks for pointing that out (for the Fax I only need a RS232, since I run an external (stand-alone) modem and HylaFax). Only problem left: I do live in Europe. But I will use the info to investigate :-)

      --
      Hello?? Fred?! Is this you?
  28. Short Japanese lesson by KNicolson · · Score: 1
    nah, the "mu" in question is the classic negation Kanjji. Mu meaning "no" or "non". Mu as in "muteki" (invincible) or "Muryo" (no fee) or even the classic zen fable about a dog's buddha-nature.

    I would think the "classic" negation kanji would be "fu". "Mu" has more the meaning of "none" or "without". "Muteki" is literally "without rival", and "Muryou" "without fee".

  29. No PCMCIA/Cardbus? PCI is Odd for wireless by billstewart · · Score: 2

    Just about all the wireless devices I've seen are really made for PC Card, aka PCMCIA and/or Cardbus, and if there's a PCI version, it's an adapter to plug their PCMCIA card in. At least one 802.11a manufacturer I talked to said that they weren't planning to do PCI and didn't think the other major players were either - if you want it, get a PCI-to-Cardbus adapter. So it's odd that a box made for the wireless gateway-frob market is using mini-PCI and the bigger one has PCI.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  30. Re:No PCMCIA/Cardbus? PCI is Odd for wireless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    MiniPCI is what's used to put the 'built in' ethernet and modems in most recent laptops... I think mostly so the manuf. only has to make one laptop-mainboard and then can slot in a modem or enet or wireless or whatever. In any case, MiniPCI wireless cards are generally as cheap or cheaper than PCMCIA/Cardbus cards...

    --Z

  31. Re:Since linux devices gets /.'ed rather easily- by red_dragon · · Score: 2

    D'oh! I'm an idiot. *muttering*...

    --
    In Soviet Russia, Jesus asks: "What Would You Do?"
  32. No source? by El+Kevbo · · Score: 1

    It's in beta, so that means that they don't have to release the source, right?

    Kevin

  33. No shit by mnordstr · · Score: 1

    Says they could have not have done it without open source community.

    As it runs on Linux, I can imagine it could have been quite hard without the open source community... ;)

  34. You can do this stuff today yourself.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    http://www.cafwap.net/prism2ap

    If you own a PRISM II chipset wireless card (DLink, Linksys, Zoom, Compaq, GemTek, SMC, etc) you can turn your linux box into an access point.

    Or you can buy a PRISM II wireless card and build an access point for less than $40...

  35. MiniPCI card by GoRK · · Score: 2

    Does anyone know the source of the minipci card or the antennas they are using? I'd sure love to cram one of these cards into my soekris net4501 box :)

  36. The details by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.musenki.com/~jim/Musenki/

    Pictures of the guts, how it works, etc...