Arch Linux

PythonEater

Member

From: Kentucky, USA

Registered: 2010-08-19

Posts: 34

Bridging wlan and eth

Hi, I'm trying to share an internet connection between my laptop and a desktop. The router is too far away to run a network cable to, so I was hoping I could connect via WiFi, and share it with the desktop plugged into the laptop's ethernet port. I've looked at several tutorials about internet sharing, but none of them seem to accomplish what I'm wanting to do. Any help?

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"You can just deny pain… until infection leads to amputation. Then it’s really gone."
    --Craig Benzine

hexanol

Member

From: Canaduh

Registered: 2009-08-04

Posts: 95

Re: Bridging wlan and eth

Yes, this is doable, but usually the easiest solution is not to actually bridge the two network interfaces together (i.e. bridging at the link layer level), but using the computer (the laptop in your case) as a router, where each interface of the laptop is in a different subnet and is doing NAT for devices connected to it via the wired interface.

I'm saying this because it's normally not possible to bridge at the link layer level a wireless interface (802.11) and a wired interface (802.3). Most wireless NIC doesn't support this.

Also, NAT, although really ugly, become useful/necessary if you have for example a cheap 'home router' facing your Internet connection for which you either do not have control or if you can't modify its network route.

EDIT: added a link

Last edited by hexanol (2010-11-24 23:06:37)