I've noticed that VirtualBox and some other VM packages include functionality to bridge in-VM network interfaces onto the external network through a network interface on the host machine. I get how this works for ethernet, but it seems like they make it work for Wi-Fi, too; given that Wi-Fi frames don't actually carry enough information to to do bridging at the station (client) end, how the heck does this actually work?
The only technique with which I'm really familiar, for bridging ethernet through an 802.11(b|a|g|n) client interface, involves running the radio in a non-standard 4-address mode, which requires support on the AP at the other end of the wireless link; I'm fairly certain that's not what the VM systems are doing, because they appear to work with bog standard APs. So what _are_ they doing? Creating a second (hidden?) interface on VM host with identical MAC address to the interface inside the VM, and mirroring traffic between them? Faking it by sniffing and relaying packets at layer 3? Something else? Maybe something about this actually did get into a companion IEEE standard that I'm not familiar with? -- "Don't be afraid to ask (λf.((λx.xx) (λr.f(rr))))." _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
