WPA, PSK, WEP, SSID, AES, TKIP, DHCP, DNS, MAC, UPnP

[chinook]

If any of those ring a bell with you then you can probably figure out what I have been doing with any spare minutes I had lately. I researched a few days and then bought some components online (kinda in the sticks out here) and then set about making it all work.
My daughter had mentioned that when she converted from dialup to cable, Comcast had offered up a wireless router in the signup bonus. The catch came when they wanted $90-100 in order to set up the encryption and security for it. She sent the router back as she is a bit of a technophobe after her friends advised of all the bad guys lurking out there with their ears on.
I struggled, cursed, hurrahed, cursed, yeahed, cursed for a week as I went through the learning curve (steeper for us mature climbers) I had never set up a wired network so I had to begin quite low. I got connected quite easily (after learning I had to reboot my cable modem) with no encryption/security here in my sanctorum. Another animus entirely trying to connect my neighbor, 250 feet away through sparse leafless willows and alders, to my cable modem internet access. Hint... antennas are required (both ends). I did get it to work butt I fear as the trees gain our signal will wane. You really need line-of-sight. All of this was in prep for getting my daughter set up with wireless access for her laptop.
I just got off the phone (2.4 Ghz my end/cellphone for her) and I guess it paid off as she connected the router I sent her and rebooted her cable modem so it saw the router and gave it an IP address and she disconnected her ethernet cable and roamed her digs until her battery gave out.
I think I have the bases covered, for now. If she gets spoofed or IDed I'll prolly feel bad. I have WPA enabled, I will disable SSID broadcast later when she is comfortable with the interface. I can set up MAC access also later, butt her router is set to only accept one connection at a time and I advised her to pull the plug whenever she is done.
I actually feel pretty danm good!

[smcfalls13]

:confused:

What???

I have no idea what you just said, but I can pretty much figure out you didn't enjoy doing it ;)

Congratulations on your learning of another language :p

[ken]

Huh! What!

I take-it that the salmon are not running so your not fishing! Right?

ken

[Tank]

Good job. Shame on Comcast for doing that..... thats just wrong...

[zenheretic]

90 to $100 bucks just to set up the encryption! That is highway...er E-way robbery! Admittedly not easy for the common man as there is always a paucity of directions with those routers, but really would only take maybe 10 minutes for a professional. Factor in driving time might be the big rate killer if you are living in the boonies though.

Glad you figured it out...I wasn't able to other than limit who could use the network...so "bad guys" could still see what is being transmitted. (actually I figured out one of the encryption options but it was interfering with my online gaming so it had to go! :rolleyes: ) I just ensure I never do any online ordering etc. from the non hardwired computers. ;)

[Fairlane]

And if i may be of any assitance... enable mac adress limited connections, and hide ssid if at all possible. With wep- encryption (128bits) in addition, i believe you've done everything you can (or put another way; you've done everything i know of to make a wireless network safe :) )

[uhiforgot]

And if i may be of any assitance... enable mac adress limited connections, and hide ssid if at all possible. With wep- encryption (128bits) in addition, i believe you've done everything you can (or put another way; you've done everything i know of to make a wireless network safe :) )
And if I may add a bit more...

I have done all of the above, and it works well, but for things like online purchases and checking bank statements and such, I would still reccomend plugging into a hardline (your regular ethernet cable). Encrypted or not, that type of information does not need to be floating about on the open air.

-Jeff

[chinook]

I'm not sure it was Comcast who qouted her the estimate for setting up the security, butt she did say a friend of hers had someone out twice to configure her new computer and both times it was $100 per hour. Nice work if you can get it. I'm retired so I've got more time than money and I'll struggle through for that price.

ken... The weather had been pretty crappy wind/rain/hail every day so I didn't miss fishing much. Looking better now butt a storm is due in this afternoon.

I only configured her Windows wireless network on her laptop on the phone. I didn't lead her into the configuration pages for the router. I didn't want to overload her. I'll get her to disable ssid broadcast and get her MAC address as sole authorized user next time I call. Although the Netgear Travel Router I sent her has a switch position that only allows one user to access the router, and if she pulls the plug on it when not in use, she should be safe on that note.

uhiforgot... Yeah, probably there is no foolproof way to purchase online, butt my credit card says it will not hold me responsible for loss due to internet fraud or ID theft. My bank on the other hand won't reimburse me if my account gets emptied by an ethercrook. I use one account for online stuff and only keep enough in it to cover purchases.

[Senate]

damn I know all these by heart, I need to get another life... :rolleyes:

[Ted]

Just configured all that last week at my parents-in-law. All worked fine for a week, now my mother-in-law calls and says she can't get on-line. Guess where I'll be tomorrow night... :confused: :rolleyes: :o

[cgjones]

If there are a limited number of computers using the connection, you could turn off DHCP and set the IP's manually. You might run into connection problems if you turn off SSID Broadcasting, at least if you are using Windows XP. And out of curiousity, are you using AES or TKIP?

[spd9075]

I have had wireless network for a while. I went through the same stuff. I agree with the others...I have enabled WEP, turned off SSID broadcasting and enabled MAC filtering. With all of that, I can attemp to use a PDA or laptop not on my MAC list and it will NOT see my network. When I shop online, I always use my hard-line computer. I also have extensive anti-viral and firewall software on my host computer (not to mention my laptop). I guess I'm doing about everything I can, but I am still carefull with where I go and what I do online. I also positioned my router antennas in a way that they are obstructed...to limit my wireless range....to the confines of my house.