On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 11:39, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > > (Nit) can any extant wifi hardware talk to multiple ESSIDs (or, indeed
> > > frequencies)?
> >
> > If so, couldn't/shouldn't multiple ESSIDs be modelled as virtual
> > interfaces?
>
> If you mean (IP) logical interface, I don't think that's right. For
> instance, in order to track them individually via 802.1x, we'd need to
> have them be distinct at the link layer.
The problem with calling something virtual is that there are so many
different places to insert another multiplexing layer...
In this case, just above the physical device, and just below vlans.
as a practical matter I suspect that realistic 802.11-family devices
will, for the forseeable future, need a dedicated hardware functional
unit per active ESSID (or at least one per active RF channel) so for now
the best way to model this on the software side would be like the way we
model multi-port cards: separate devices.
(But this is speculation; input from someone who actually builds
802.11-family devices would be relevant and trump anything I just
said...)
- Bill
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