Neo as cellular modem?

[Andy Green]

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Somebody in the thread at some point said:

|> Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the WiFi chip in
|> fact _can_ do AP mode, but that mode is not allowed in the open source
|> driver.
|
| its a firmware. the wifi module has its own firmware and does the 802.11
| handling there autonomous.
| that concept is called hardmac and was there earlier, e.g on the old
| 'orinoco silver' aka hermes pcmcia cards.

or "fullmac".  It just doesn't support Master mode.

| that firmware can currently do client mode and ad-hoc.
| _in theory_ every wifi radio can do ap-mode, its just a question if you
| can send packets at a low-enough layer in the right format.
| this is controlled by firmware on the wifi module in this specific case.

It's also a matter of receiving bulk packets efficiently and they don't
give us monitor mode either.

We're helpless unless Atheros decided to implement Master mode in their
closed firmware.  Unfortunately the power advantages of having the bulk
of the ieee80211 actions managed in the firmware are pretty compelling
so I don't know how we get out of that bind.

- -Andy
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