[OT] PC help needed

I've just bought a (WiFi) laptop for my daughter to take to Uni but in
the meantime I want to hook it up to my home LAN.
I have:
NTL cable modem connected to a
Belkin 4 port Cable/DSL gateway router with wired connection to two PCs.
What the minimum Wifi gadgetry I need to plug into the router so that
the Laptop can use the Internet connection?

Phil Newnham...

You want a wireless access point, eg.

You don't have to buy Belkin but I guess you're familiar with the brand
and the interface. Once you've got it, configure it and the laptop to
use whichever flavour of WPA they're both happy with. Don't run it
without security and don't use WEP, it's rubbish. WPA with a 20+
character key is the way.

Paul Ian Harman...

What's wrong with tying the wireless down to specific MAC addresses?

Phil Newnham...

I forgot to say, I do run MAC filtering, but with WPA encryption as
well. I use MAC filtering just to have control over which machines are
allowed on the network but it's probably unnecessary with encryption
over the top.

Phil Newnham...

Because the MAC address must then be transmitted by your hardware in
order to authenticate it on the network. If you encrypt using WEP, then
a hacker with the right (freely available tools) simply records a few
hours traffic between your machine and the wireless access point. Within
those packets, the WEP key and the MAC address are repeated, over and
over. This means that even with a 128 bit key, the chances of breaking
the encryption go up and up simply by increasing the sample space,
because of the repetition. Then you break the WEP key, and get the
authenticated MAC address, and then hack into the network by pretending
to be a computer with an allowed MAC address. None of which I've done,
but apparently it isn't difficult. So next doors scruffy teenager can
download a tool off the web, crack your network, fake your MAC address
and happily download horse pr0n, safe in the knowledge that you'll take

Paul Ian Harman...

Paul-B...

That works if you don't have a lot of different and constantly changing
pc's accessing the network. In my case I use the wireless network when
I'm working on clients pc's/laptops, and it would be a bit of a drag
going into the router every time I bring a new one into the workshop.
Similarly, some of my larger clients use their wireless networks to
allow visitors/guests to use the network and they don't want to have to
fiddle with the router settings because they are not particularly
tech-minded, and could easily f the network up. A simple encryption key
is fine for this kind of thing.

Other than that it's a good idea.

Sure, that's all possible, but it doesn't seem particularly easy or likely.

Phil Newnham...

I think you underestimate both the boredom and the technical ability of
your average geeky 14 year old ;)

My neighbours - or at least those within WiFi range - are all elderly and
not techno-savvy. But point taken.

Phil Newnham...

Someone got prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act the other day for
driving around with a laptop and looking for WiFi networks to hack into.
It's up to you - I agree it's a small risk.

I just don't want to have to type in yet another lousy password to get my
laptop online when I bring it home, but that's probably automatable
anyway...

Phil Newnham...

Once you've given the laptop the WPA key it shouldn't ask you for it again.

the rap ;)

Paul-B...

You need a Wireless Access Point, which you can connect to one of the
ethernet ports on your router. Personally I wouldn't go for Belkin (I
don't like their stuff), I'd recommend something like the Netgear
WG602, which I've used many times. If you buy one from Aria and pay by
web-search checkout you get Ł10 off your order so the price is Ł26.90 inc
VAT

If you really want Belkin Aria do the 54Mb model for Ł34.02, Ł24.02 if
tou pay using web-search checkout

Don't forget to secure your network, I tend to use WPA as it's a lot
more secure than WEP.

peter...

Thanks Phil and Paul for the info...
In addition someone might give me a normal Wireless router would this
plug this into my Belkin gateway router in the same way?

Paul-B...

Yes. The router bit works seperately from the modem bit (techspeak!!!)

Phil Newnham...

Can you really? That's useful to know. By plugging a LAN port of the
wireless router into one of the ports on the wired router? I might be
able to do that when I move house, in that case. I would've thought the
routers would fight each other for control of the network.

Paul-B...

What do you mean by "control of the network"? You set one router to be
the DHCP server (if you use dynamic i/p addresses for the machines on
you network) and turn DHCP server off on the other.

Phil Newnham...

I'll have to look at the instructions again. It's more the built in IP
addresses that was worrying me but I think it must be possible to change
the IP of the router.

A modem/router is just that, a router with a built-in modem. Both work
independantly of each-other.

Phil Newnham...

Ok.

Incidentally, a tip... if you are going to buy a modem/router, go for
the Rolls-Royce, Vigor. You can pick them up at a fraction of their new
prices from eBay. I just bought 2 Vigor 2600 modem/routers, with the
built-in VPN servers, for Ł30-odd from eBay; these things cost Ł120+
from Draytek, and I haven't had a bad one yet!

Phil Newnham...

I'm never quite convinced by this kind of thing - surely they must've
fallen off the back of a lorry, at that price?!