Hitchhiker's Guide to Openbsd

6.13 - What are my wireless networking options?
OpenBSD has support for a number of wireless chipsets: 
●
acx(4)
 TI ACX100/ACX111. 
(NFF) (AP)
●
an(4)
Aironet Communications 4500/4800. 
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6 - Networking
●
ath(4)
driver for Atheros 802.11a/b/g. 
(AP)
●
athn(4)
 driver for Atheros 80211/a/g/n devices. 
●
atu(4)
Atmel AT76C50x USB 802.11b 
●
atw(4)
 ADMtek ADM8211. 
●
awi(4)
 AMD 802.11 PCnet Mobile. 
●
bwi(4)
 Broadcom AirForce 802.11b/g 
●
cnwi(4)
Xircom CreditCard Netwave 
●
ipw(4)
 Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 802.11b. 
(NFF)
●
iwi(4)
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG/2225BG/2915ABG 802.11a/b/g. 
(NFF)
●
iwn(4)
 Intel WiFi Link 4965/5100/5300 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N wireless. 
●
malo(4)
Marvell Libertas 802.11b/g 
●
pgt(4)
Conexant/Intersil Prism GT Full-MAC 802.11a/b/g 
●
ral(4)
 and 
ural(4)
 [USB] Ralink Technology RT25x0 802.11a/b/g. 
(AP)
●
ray(4)
Raytheon Raylink/WebGear Aviator 802.11FH 
●
rtw(4)
Realtek 8180 802.11b. 
(AP)
●
rum(4)
Ralink Technology RT2501USB. 
(AP)
●
run(4)
Ralink Technology USB 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N 
●
uath(4)
 Atheros USB 802.11a/b/g 
●
upgt(4)
 Conexant/Intersil PrismGT SoftMAC USB 802.11b/g 
●
urtw(4)
 Realtek RTL8187L USB 802.11b/g 
●
wi(4)
Prism2/2.5/3. 
(AP)
●
wpi(4)
 Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG. 
(NFF)
●
zyd(4)
 ZyDAS ZD1211/ZD1211B USB 802.11b/g 
(AP)
indicates card can be used as an access point.
(NFF)
indicates chip requires a non-free firmware which can not be included with OpenBSD. 
Adapters based on these chips can be used much like any other network adapter to connect an OpenBSD 
system to an existing wireless network, configured using the standard 
ifconfig(8)
 (please see the manual 
pages for precise details). Some of these cards can also be used in the "Host-Based Access Point" mode, 
permitting them to be made into the wireless access point for your network as part of your firewall. 
Note that in order to use some of these cards, you will need to acquire the firmware files, which the 
manufacturers refuse to allow 
free
distribution of, so they can not be included with OpenBSD. When 
possible, the man pages linked above include contact information so you can contact the right people at 
the manufacturers to let them know what you feel about this, or to let them know what other product you 
have purchased instead. 
Another option to consider for using your OpenBSD-based firewall to provide wireless access is to use a 
http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq6.html (31 of 33)9/4/2011 10:02:06 AM

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6 - Networking
conventional NIC and an external bridging Access Point. This has the added advantage of letting you 
easily position the antenna where it is most effective, which is often not directly on the back of your 
firewall.