howto build a linux wireless access point

hostapd

gentoo post hostapd install instructions

* In order to use hostapd you need to set up your wireless card
* for master mode in /etc/conf.d/net and then start
* /etc/init.d/hostapd.
* 
* Example configuration:
* 
* config_wlan0=( "192.168.1.1/24" )
* channel_wlan0="6"
* essid_wlan0="test"
* mode_wlan0="master"
* 
* You have enabled Wi-Fi Protected Setup support, please
* read the README-WPS file in /usr/share/doc/hostapd-1.0
* for info on how to use WPS

config files to be touched when configuring (gentoo)

/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf (general config parameters)
/etc/conf.d/net (set network parameters for wireless interface)
/etc/conf.d/hostapd (set interface for hostapd)
   

resources

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Wireless/Access_point

gentoo user manual on wireless networking

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=4&chap=4

http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Wpa_supplicant

example config

http://my.opera.com/CrazyTerabyte/blog/2009/10/23/wi-fi-with-master-mode-finally