Software and Hardware specification for a node

This has been sitting for a while and it needs work. There is an immediate need for a document that describes the peering requirements and routing requirements.

This could be merged with the RequirementsDocument.

Software Features

in no particular order...

Open Source
Can be managed by SSH, console or optional web interface
Web interface also shows simple node statistics for debug, hostname, iwconfig, route -n, uptime, etc
- Webmin can do most of this. -EricJohanson
Runs SNMPD to allow node monitoring for traffic load, signal to noise (so node map can show status!)
Simple splash screen shows acceptable use policy and "accept" button. like this: http://www.ixid.net/moin/CaptivePortal
- Nocat -EricJohanson
Must include routing damons for OSPF, RIPv2 and static. (Zebra)
Caching DNS server
DHCP server for clients
supports up to 4 interfaces, two PtP, one access point(wired or by hostap) and one ethernet to local network.
NTP client and server
supports PCMCIA and PCI cards with hostAP driver and Orinoco_cs
IpTunnels -EricJohanson
Some sort of compact scripting language binary (python, rexx, perl, ?) - CaseyHalverson

Hardware Features

supports more than one hardware vendor
can be configured to run wireless cards in the router (one box node) or use ethernet cards to connect to an access point and ethernet clients.
suggested reference platforms are:
- generic x86 motherboard with three pci wireless cards and one ethernet card
- generic x86 motherboard with three or four ethernet cards, two ethernet client (like LinksysWET11 or airport linux) and one access point
- SoekrisNET4501 with two wireless cards, one pci and one mini pci
- SoekrisNET4521 with two PCMCIA cards
boots from small hard disk (or flash) with file sustem mounted in ramdisk so file system coruption and flash write limits are not a problem)

Things we are still trying to figure out

Do we assign the entire /24 to the node
Do we use a different address space for PtP links
Do we setup OSPF so we only send routes for the entire /24 (no redistribute connected)
Standardized description of node services offered to users and whether or not each is limited

Variables the user would enter (things in the config file)

Hostname
DNS server address
Time server address
IP, netmask, ESSID, mode, channel for wlan0 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP, netmask, ESSID, mode, channel for wlan1 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP, netmask, ESSID, mode, channel for wlan1 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP and netmask for eth0 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP and netmask for eth1 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP and netmask for eth2 (use DHCPD Y/N)
IP and netmask for eth3 (use DHCPD Y/N)
???

Possible problems

The above should be possible with off the shelf hardware and software with a few exceptions.

In Ad-hoc mode the SN ratio in not available with most drivers (I believe Orinoco_CS is the exception). If this feature could be ported to the host ap or wlan_ng drivers it would help with the signal monitoring. HostAP seems to report real SN if only one peer is associated with it.
There are only two ethernet clients available off the shelf. The LinksysWET11 and the Orinoco ethernet converter. The orinoco solution is expensive and some people report that the bandwidth is greatly reduced when it is used.