Yes. I was thinking that you might have been under the misapprehension that an AP would require a network separate from your wired network, but it is your policy that requires a separate network. Fair enough.

I'd still say to go with a separate AP. I've never deal with trying to make a Linux machine be an AP, but, in my mind, it's likely to be more difficult than using a dedicated AP. In addition, having a separate device as an AP is likely to provide more flexibility (as we're just talking about network infrastructure here, nothing particularly smart to which a real computer could add) since you can just move it around or easily replace with an 802.11a or g AP. And I doubt that any of us would have many problems finding uses for an additional $15 ethernet card. Not to mention what's likely to be a better antenna and better range. And pulling the plug on the access point in a security emergency would make me feel less queasy than pulling a PCMCIA card out of a Linux box.