I had a small Technical Epiphany the other day that I wanted to share. I got Ethernet Aliasing to work with Ubuntu Gutsy Linux and it turns out to be quite simple in retrospect. Why might you want to do such a thing? In my case, to tweak my Wireless settings while I used the Internet. My Buffalo AirStation Wireless Bridge was working poorly and I needed status to help debug it. I really wanted to access two different IP networks, without routing, on the same physical wire at the same time without buying a new Ethernet card - which in the dark past would have been the "proper" way to do this.

Everyone seems interested in routers these days. But often Bridging can be so much more satisfying. At home I run a Motorolla DD-WRT wireless router as the firewall and gateway to our cable provider. But how to connect wired Ethernet Computers to this Wireless network .. computers seperated by several hundred feet .. all the way across the house.

One way would be to run wired cables. .. too difficult. Another way would be to buy wireless adapters for each machine .. too expensive. But the way I finally came up with was to run a Wireless Bridge. It happens to be from Buffalo. They make good gear.

Recently, due to the nature of my work, I became marooned aboard a large cargo ship berthed pierside for maintenance near the downtown area of an eastern american city without a digital connection to the outside world. I tried to use a modified DD-WRT given to me by some good friends from the digital realm of society to make a connection. To my supprise, the standard antenna that came new with the wireless adapter wasn't capable of receiving signals strong enough to make a connection on any of the open access points within range. The RF signal strength from all of the open access points was one to two dB down into the noise. To overcome this problem, I consulted my trusted friends within the digital realm, and with some late night rumaging through various shelves and boxes full of cables and connectors we came up with a solution. My friend had an extra 18 dB gain flat panel antenna, and an N-Female to RPSMA-Male adapter.

I bought two of these recently, one to replace a Motorola WR850G needed elsewhere and to increase range around the farm.