How do you do a search on this forum?

[viperm]

I was wondering how do to a search on this forum to fin dout if this OS will allow me to use it in BRIDGE Mode instead of routing etc on the server / AP

I want to see about using this as an AP and pass traffic in bridge mode to several hundred clients with public IPS. I want to keep it simple for my partner to figure out should he need to ever get in and mess with anything.

Thanks

[lonnie]

Near the top, in the middle you will find an icon of a magnifying glass and the word Search. Just click on it and type in bridging.

Be prepared to read a lot of posts. Some of them are from me blasting the whole idea of bridging.

If you still want to do it, after doing some research, simply bring up the IP screen for the devices you want bridged together, and near the bottom of the form, enter the same bridge number. You want only one interface to have an IP. Make sure you have a default route and you are up and running.

[viperm]

well my whole point is it appears to be easier to maintian to do bridging. But please convince me about routing? can I still maintan customers with say multiple PUBLIC routable IPS to run thier servers etc?

I tried the mikrotik stuff but that was really a pain in the ass to set up and maintain. I want to be able to throttle clients to what plan they are paying for etc.

Thanks

[lonnie]

The forum has much about the pros and cons. You will find it easier to setup bridging but you will find it harder to maintain as you have bridge loops, stoppages and disruptions. Bridges are fine, as long as they all cooperate, but if they stomp on each other they create backlashes that shut your net down.

Routing is harder to learn and setup, but you will have no maintenance issues. It is the design that the Internet uses, so you can rest assured you will have the ability to build some pretty large networks.

[georgew]

Look at it another way...

You are selling a service. That makes you a professional. Working at professional levels implies a level of understanding, as you will be inflicting your design upon others. You should choose the best design to provide a professional grade network.

Bridging seems easy. It is when there is only one bridge.

Be the bridge a single AP, or a 48 port ethernet switch, bridges all have the same flaws. And as soon as you stack them, the flaws get worse. You are always better off if you build a routed network.

As for your partner, get him the book "tcp/ip for dummies" and make him read it, then test him on each chapter. I've made ISP tech support people out of novices with that book. If I didn't own an ISP, I'd be reading books to people in Internet classes, making a lot more money than I make now...