[wplug] Performance impact of using a Linux box as a wireless access point?

[Pat Barron]

So, it is generally possible to put a wireless LAN interface on a Linux 
box into "access point" mode, where the box will basically function as a 
wireless access point.  Does doing this have any significant performance 
implications?  Does the answer to this question change significantly 
where the wireless interface is a PCI card in a desktop PC, vs. a Mini 
PCI card in a laptop, vs. a USB wireless interface (on a laptop, or a 
desktop PC)?

I'm thinking about building a sort of "IT Infrastructure In A Box", to 
have a machine I can bring to places (that don't necessarily have 
Internet connectivity, or maybe even no network at all), to use for 
demos, hands-on workshops and labs, etc.  In my vision of the world, 
this box would serve as the wireless access point for a "demo network", 
within this isolated network would provide DHCP, DNS, maybe some kind of 
NAT routing if there's really an Internet connection wherever I'm using 
it, etc.  As well as hosting whatever software I'm using for the 
workshop or demo.  I know I could just bring a separate Linksys router 
or something that's configured to be the wireless access point and do 
DHCP, but having to drag around yet another piece of hardware would be 
sort of a bummer.  I'm just wondering if using the box as a wireless 
access point would introduce such a significant performance penalty that 
it would affect the ability to use it for anything else.

--Pat.