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Musenki's Linux-Based AP Ships To Beta Customers 119

Posted by timothy from the small-cute-wireless dept.
An Anonymous Coward writes: "Austin, TX based Musenki ('musenki' means 'small wireless gadget' in Japanese) is poised to ship beta units of its first product -- the M-1 wireless access point that uses Linux. Pretty cool device that has open architecture and can be modified to accomodate growing 802.11 standards. Says they could have not have done it without open source community."
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Musenki's Linux-Based AP Ships To Beta Customers More

Musenki's Linux-Based AP Ships To Beta Customers

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  • Can it be? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by CmdrTaco (editor) ( 564483 )
    Can it be? Is this company really attributing some of its success to the open source community? While this is not like a company like Intel or HP saying they couldn't have done something without the help of the open source community, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Once we get the proper recognition, we will be on our way to attaining mainstream popularity.

    • Re:Can it be? (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Or maybe they are just taking advantage of the fact that linux is free. I doubt that if linux cost them as much another system they would of used it. And how will this make linux mainstream? It won't. "Whoa linux is powering my access point? I must use that to use a wanna be word processor and browser!"
      • And how will this make linux mainstream? It won't.

        Well it might make it mainstream in the embedded market, which would at least give it more developers and drivers for odd things. It will help a but, but only indirectly.

  • Oh my lord! (Score:2, Interesting)

    by jskarzin ( 573510 )
    A company that openly admits they needed the open source community.. wow! Makes me smirk now to look at companies like LINDOWS, which are smothering and flaming the community-- hiding the source and ignoring them. Even slapping them in the face. Thanks, Musenki. You are a role model company.

  • Spelt wrong in title (Score:2, Informative)

    by ackthpt ( 218170 )
    Spelt Musenski in title, rather than Musenki (I thought fo a arf a mo an old bud named Musenski (or was it Musinski, Bull Moose anyway) was in the biz.

  • Curious (Score:2, Informative)

    by Burgundy Advocate ( 313960 )
    Does anyone know if they've included any extra security packages?

    Seeing how WEP is basically an open door, I see no reason not to have ipchains installed and operational by default.

    The software is there. Anyone know if they are using it? If not, it seems a bit a complete open door to these guys [netstumbler.com]...
    • With a 200 or 333 MHz PowerPC chip, the AP has more than enough CPU power to be an IPSec gateway. You could use that, coupled with FreeRADIUS or NoCatAuth for user authentication.

      Voila - a complete wireless solution in a box, all based on open-source software.
  • so if someone tells me where I can host it quickly and easily then everyone will be able to see it after it gets /.'ed
  • The M-1? Well, they certainly aren't planning on creative naming schemes!
  • I dont know about you, but I think I am going to try to get my hands on one of there, (ie, but one).

    I am going to watch this closely becuase I think here we have a real test to see what happens when linux has a product that people can buy and cant simply download.

    If they do well, I think we should use them as a example of how things really are going to go for linux.

    Thanks for reading
  • Wireless access, attributed to the nerds. I would like to know more of the details about the final product, but this is neat. It would be really nice if I could use this with a mac......But Linux is good enough. I would like to know what they embedded. The kernal? or other stuff too?

  • Languages (Score:3, Funny)

    by Macblaster ( 94623 ) on Sunday April 14, 2002 @09:38PM (#3341287) Homepage
    ('musenki' means 'small wireless gadget' in Japanese)


    Excellent example of why the Japanese language kicks ass - they have a single word that means small wireless gadget. If only english was that cool...

    • handheld. (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      In the proper context it alone means 'small wireless gadget'

      According to the search below, musenki just means wireless.
      http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/c giwrap/jwb/ wwwjdic?1E
    • Cellphone, or in the proper context perhaps just cell? Hey that's shorter than musenki too. : )

    • Re:Languages (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Except that this isn't the right translation. I breakdown like this:

      musen: without lines or wireless/radio
      ki: generic for any type of tool (generally mechanical or electronic)

      you get musenki or wireless device. I don't know why they said small
      since it isn't even implied.

      --wyn
      • Well, probably because the word "gadget" brings to mind a small device. Now of course it sounds like the Japanese translation does not need the word gadget, but if you use it as part of the translation then I can see how someone would think small was part of it.
    • Last fall, the parliamentary election results for the entire country were printed on just 1/3 of the front page of the newspaper.

      They could do this because each of some 30-odd political parties could be represented with just a single character.

      Now that's efficient.
    • Alas, musenki only means "wireless device" in Japanese. If you wanted to say "handheld wireless device" you could say keitai musenki, but then you'd be confusing all the poor saps who think that a keitai must be a phone (the long form for a portable phone is keitai denwa, but it's become so ubiquitous that if you say keitai alone, it's assumed that you mean a phone)

    • Excellent example of why the Japanese language kicks ass - they have a single word that means small wireless gadget. If only english was that cool...

      Actually, musenki only means "wireless device" without any reference -- explicit or implied -- to "small".

      mu = not

      sen = wire[ed]

      ki = device/machine

      --

  • Price seems high... (Score:2, Informative)

    by Bogatyr ( 69476 )
    The features seem good, but...
    "Quantity one pricing for the M-1 (including 802.11b NIC, antenna, power supply, etc) will be $300, and the M-3 (similarly configured) will be $500, with quantity discounts available.
    Beta units of the M-1 will go out on Monday, April 15th. Beta shipments of the M-3 are planned by the beginning of May. General availability of both should be by the end of June."
    $300 or $500. And people complain Apple Airport Base Stations are overpriced at $300 MSRP, $270 or less (for quantity one pricing). The Musenski seems to be very cool, but with Linksys 802.11b access points at, what, $170 being touted as reasons to not but Airports, I can only hope they aren't priced higher than the market will bear.

    • Re:Price seems high... (Score:4, Informative)

      by NetJunkie ( 56134 ) <`jason.nash' `at' `gmail.com'> on Sunday April 14, 2002 @09:43PM (#3341302)
      Good access points cost a lot. Sure, you can get a Linksys for $150, but a Cisco AP is still $500. They have features a "plain" AP doesn't have. In the case of Cisco, better security and good key management.
      • Ok, I can accept that argument (and also apologize for misspelling "musenki": my excuse was I didn't have the article open, and used the title of the slashdot story for reference). So how does the feature set of the proposed $500 M-3 compare to a $500 Cisco AP? I'm curious.
      • Um, I'll admit that Cisco sells you better drivers, better utilities, etc., and I'll even bend anyone's ear about my own Linksys problems, but it still has to be said really loud, if you got modded up for that remark:

        'Better (802.11b) security' is an oxymoron.

        Hell, I had to make a 4-homed firewall at my home just to give me peace of mind while running wireless: Ext/Int/DMZ/WLAN. All because of design-by-committee screwups on the security. Bruce Schneier says "Good encryption isn't easy" and recommends LOTS of public scrutiny on any encryption algorithms. As happens way too often, the protocol's designer's wrongly chose otherwise.

      • Cisco does not offer any better security than anybody else in the 802.11 space. In fact their stuff isn't that great, they just bought out some other company and slapped their sticker on it.

        I have no idea what you're talking about with better key management. You put the key in the AP, and you put the key on the client. Same as for any other 802.11 wireless product.

        You must have been brainwashed at the CCNA/P class, if you think the Cisco solutions are better. (For the record they're not better, just more expensive).
        • Cisco does not offer any better security than anybody else in the 802.11 space. In fact their stuff isn't that great, they just bought out some other company and slapped their sticker on it.

          True, Cisco bought Aironet. However, they do have additional features that enterprise customers demand. Imagine having hundreds of APs using MAC authentication - gonna put each new MAC in each AP? Will a Linksys accept 1000's of Mac entries? Not likely. We use Avaya (Lucent) APs where I work that cost about $800 (though I've seen them for $400 at one place recently) Why? They support use of an external RADIUS server for authenticaton.

          Trust me, I've got a Cisco/Aironet AP and a Linksys. The Cisco has a numerous of features aimed towards the enterprise including a web browser and telnet interface)

          But for a small business/home user, the Linksys can't be beat. They've made huge improvment in firmware and clients over the past couple years.

          As for the M-1, I'd say their price point is justified for the market they target - people who want an AP they can add custom features to with ease.

          • True, Cisco bought Aironet. However, they do have additional features that enterprise customers demand. Imagine having hundreds of APs using MAC authentication - gonna put each new MAC in each AP? Will a Linksys accept 1000's of Mac entries? Not likely. We use Avaya (Lucent) APs where I work that cost about $800 (though I've seen them for $400 at one place recently) Why? They support use of an external RADIUS server for authenticaton.

            FYI, the Apple AirPort Base Station also does RAIDUS auth. Plus my Cisco AP died about a year or so after I bought it and Cisco wanted $700 to fix it. $700. Feh. I replaced it with a $200 access point. Cisco's product didn't do anything useful for the extra cost, definitely costing 3x as much and only lasting a year isn't a great deal.

            As for the M-1, I'd say their price point is justified for the market they target - people who want an AP they can add custom features to with ease.

            That I agree with.

    • But this new product includes an interface to a billing system. That's the big new feature.

  • "Small wireless device" ? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 14, 2002 @09:43PM (#3341303)
    Musenki [rut.org] means wireless device.

    mu = not
    sen = wire
    ki = device

    I don't see 'small' in there..

  • Palo Alto Freenet (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    This Linux AP technology is allowing communities to finally build out their own wireless communications systems without the help of Ma' Bell or Cable.

    Keep building these solutions!

    Palo Alto Freenet [geocities.com]

  • Soekris (Score:4, Informative)

    by Jeffrey Baker ( 6191 ) on Sunday April 14, 2002 @10:32PM (#3341415)
    Musenski must have better PR people, but don't forget about Soekris [soekris.com]. They make network computers that include two slots for radios and one slot for hardware encryption, running *BSD or Linux.

    • Re:Soekris (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Correction: they plan to make computers for wireless applications. It has been 4 months since the net4521 demo unit was displayed at the Seattle Wireless summit and it's still vapor.
  • I've been playing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault too much.
    When I first saw M-1, I immediately thought of the M-1 Garand.
    I suppose they both could be called wireless communication devices. :p

  • Support is going to be a challenge (Score:3, Insightful)

    by elflet ( 570757 ) <elflet@nextq[ ]tion.net ['ues' in gap]> on Sunday April 14, 2002 @11:01PM (#3341489)
    They reasoned that there would soon be a significant opportunity to supply devices to public access "hot-spot" providers, wireless ISP/infrastructure providers (WISPs), and various value added resellers (VARs).

    I love that they've done this on a shoestring, but the demands of deploying and supporting an end-user-device-cum-platform can crush a company. At a minimum, they'll need to issue patches in a form that can be installed without comprimising uptime, and VARs will demand "development kits" which are workable, documented, and supported.

    Both of these are crucial. If even a few devices are hacked, you can kiss commercial adoption goodbye. If development requires too much time, the VARs will look for other platforms -- they tend to be small outfits without much time for puzzling out the source code. (I used to build development kits for well-funded OEMs, and even they rode us mercilessly for better documentation, support, and frequent updates.)

    I hope they find a stable funding source and the best people they can. This is a worthy idea that deserves to work.

  • Actually, "musenki" means just "wireless device". I suppose you can assume it was small if you want to.

  • busybox + uClibc rule (Score:2, Informative)

    by andersen ( 10283 )
    Cool. This device uses Busybox [busybox.net] and uClibc [uclibc.org]. These are very very cool projects for developing embedded systems. Of course I'm biased (busybox and uClibc maintainer hat on), but I had no idea these folks were building an AP with them. Looks pretty nice. I hope they send me a free one. ;-)

  • A little larger (maybe) but still nice and small, with 3 Ethernet, CompactFlash, SSD, 486/100MHz based and more:

    Soekris [soekris.com]

    But: Why are these devices all so limited ? Honestly, I want all my Networking done in one box (Gateway,Firewall,Printserv,external Modem (FaxServ), wireless access-point, ethernet and HomePNA, no additional hubs/switches...I am at home, you know ?!

    I know...

    • Any number of shops in Akihabara will sell you one of these integrated units - except for the FAX part...but I have seen at least one with a RS 232 port, so maybe something can be done...
      • Thanks for pointing that out (for the Fax I only need a RS232, since I run an external (stand-alone) modem and HylaFax). Only problem left: I do live in Europe. But I will use the info to investigate :-)
  • Just about all the wireless devices I've seen are really made for PC Card, aka PCMCIA and/or Cardbus, and if there's a PCI version, it's an adapter to plug their PCMCIA card in. At least one 802.11a manufacturer I talked to said that they weren't planning to do PCI and didn't think the other major players were either - if you want it, get a PCI-to-Cardbus adapter. So it's odd that a box made for the wireless gateway-frob market is using mini-PCI and the bigger one has PCI.

    • Re:No PCMCIA/Cardbus? PCI is Odd for wireless (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      MiniPCI is what's used to put the 'built in' ethernet and modems in most recent laptops... I think mostly so the manuf. only has to make one laptop-mainboard and then can slot in a modem or enet or wireless or whatever. In any case, MiniPCI wireless cards are generally as cheap or cheaper than PCMCIA/Cardbus cards...

      --Z
  • It's in beta, so that means that they don't have to release the source, right?

    Kevin
  • Says they could have not have done it without open source community.

    As it runs on Linux, I can imagine it could have been quite hard without the open source community... ;)
  • Does anyone know the source of the minipci card or the antennas they are using? I'd sure love to cram one of these cards into my soekris net4501 box :)

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