I have been working with Raw Berkeley Sockets in C, which allow the programmer to access Layer 2 (IP Headers) of the Internet Protocol Suite. I would like to know how the raw sockets handle transport on Layer 1 (Link Layer), specifically with regard to wireless local area networks.
For example, how does the socket know which network interface (eth0 or wlan0) to send the packet to?
If I am behind a wireless router, should I still fill the IP Source Address of my IP Header with my LAN address (192.168.1.1), or with the internet address (74.125.226.68) of my router?
If I do fill the IP Source address with my LAN address (192.168.1.1), does the IP Header get changed when it goes through the router, or does it stay that way, so that the receiving end of the packet attempts to send the response to a local host on its network?
I would appreciate any insights in this area.
For example, how does the socket know which network interface (eth0 or wlan0) to send the packet to?
You can use the socket option SO_BINDTODEVICE to bind your socket to a specific interface. Otherwise, the operating system chooses one.
If I am behind a wireless router, should I still fill the IP Source Address of my IP Header with my LAN address (192.168.1.1), or with the internet address (74.125.226.68) of my router?
You should use your LAN address. The router is responsible to take care of NAT (network address translation) if necessary.
If I do fill the IP Source address with my LAN address (192.168.1.1), does the IP Header get changed when it goes through the router, or does it stay that way, so that the receiving end of the packet attempts to send the response to a local host on its network?
If NAT is enabled at the router, the source address is changed to reflect the router's external address. Otherwise, your packages are likely to be dropped by routers or firewalls, because your source address is invalid in their context.