How to use wavelan card with Arachne
             (Orinoco,Lucent,Agere,Avaya and others pcmcia card)

Today more users have a Radiolan for connect notebook with Dsl modem,
or for connect to Lan.
Arachne can work with wireless device with some simple change at configuration
files.
They are 2 tipical situation using a wavelan pcmcia card:

1) connect the pc with your own Dsl modem or Lan
2) connect the pc with a "unknow radiolan".

The 2 situation are solved in 2 different way.

1) If you want to connect your pc with your Dsl modem or your lan ,
   you Due know some parameter to put in arachne.cfg file.
   Your situation is : static adress with static ip.
   Open arachne.cfg file and : remove the part regarding the dial setup,
   choosing Connection ready (meaning : Packet driver loaded before start
   Arachne).Then , in TCP/IP configuration, choose IP_adress=wattcp
   (meaning :wattcp stack managing the connection ).Leave others fields in
   Tcp/ip section UNCOMMENT.At the bottom of this section you can found the
   field.
   TCPconfig : fill with wifi.cfg.


[profile]
Profile 386PC.ACF
Connection READY
Hangup @termin.com 0x60>NUL

;Connection @cmd    ... command cmd will estabilish connection
;Connection READY   ... connection is permanent, packet driver in AUTOEXEC...
;Connection NUL     ... do not start TCP/IP (run "arachne -c" to force this)
;Port values: 0=non-standard serial (COM) port, 1-4 standard ports
;Base values: 0x??? (eg. 0x3e8) - Base and Irq are used for "Port 0"
;Mode values: databits/parity/stopbits (eg. 8N1)

[tcp/ip]
IP_Address WATTCP

NameServer
AltNameServer
Gateway
AltGateway
Netmask
TCPconfig WIFI.CFG

Now, in Arachne directory create a file called wifi.cfg and fill it like in
this example (the data most be YOUR radiolan data !)

my_ip = 192.168.1.3
netmask = 225.225.225.0
gateway = 192.168.1.1
nameserver = 192.168.1.1
mss = 1460
mtu = 1500

If you have some dubt, consult the user manual of your access point / dsl
wifi modem.Keep mss and mtu like in this example .Change all othes fields
for setup your connection.Now go to : WAVELAN CARD SETUP

2) you want to connect your pc with a UNKNOW radiolan
   (like a wifi free spot , or a unknow lan ).

This situation can be solved in 2 way :" Fast" and " Step by step".

FAST -> If you don't have time to spend for test , or you preferred setup
Arachne the next time to connect, use this method.
Setting Dial and TCP field in arachne.cfg like for STATIC ADRESS with
STATIC IP (see over).Then create a file in arachne directory WIFI.CFG
with ONLY this row:

My_ip=DHCP

This meaning : WATTCP stack try to connect the UNKNOW access point with
information grabbed with DHCP protocol.NOTE: if you start arachne on this way,
you due standing about 15 second BEFORE surfing or
send/receive mail.This is the time for DHCP for collection the required
information from server.Other problem :this situation retourn every 10-15
minute.

STEP by STEP -> This is the most accurate methoth.Require more time, but
it's more secure.Download from internet the file TCPINFO.EXE for DOS
(make a serch with Google..).Load your radiocard drivers (see above),
and invoke from command line TCPINFO>info.txt.
The tcpinfo try to recover to unknow Access point the parameter and save it
in info.txt file.
Open the file with editor and copy the data in WIFI.CFG. Now start Arachne,
and immediatly surf without standing for autoconfiguration.
NOTE: if you change wlan , you can due repeater the operation.

WAVELAN CARD SETUP

The pcmcia wavelan cards of Orinoco family can be loaded with or without
CARD SERVICE.If you have card service , load the drivers for pcmcia,
then load wvlancad.sys without parameters.The parameters are passed to
wavelan card from Pcmcia card service.The best way it's load the card without
card service (save memory).I suggest to create a batch file like this:

devload /h /v wvlancad.sys /i=10 /b=1300 /m=a000
LH  wvlan42.com /L

Devload it's a dinamic load program for load drivers from command line.
You can found it at www.freedos.org , section download ->software.

The /i=10 /b=1300 /m=a000 can be changed according to your memory configuration.
Make some test changing /m= parameter for fitting to your pc.

Wvlan42 it's the true packet drivers : his configuartion file it's called
packet.ini, and you can change it (pay attention..).

HOW FOUND THE DOS DRIVERS FOR PCMCIA, PCI and A.P. for DOS ?

http://ftp4.de.freesbie.org/pub/misc/wavelan/software/LEGACY/CARDS/PCMCIA/v400/DISK/
http://ftp4.de.freesbie.org/pub/misc/wavelan/software/ORiNOCO/
http://ftp.lucky.net/pub/radio/software/ORINOCO/
http://www.szivarvanynet.hu/download/radionet/Drivers
http://www.buffalotech.co
http://www.1stwave.de/
http://www.artem.de/
http://www.enterasys.com/wireless/
http://www.glennmcc.org/roberto/


Roberto Perotti IW2EVK, 22 october 2008