Olly Fallon asked:


Setting up a wireless network to share Internet access, printers, files and more, can be very convenient and cost-effective. Setting up one in your own home or office is even better as you can surf the web anywhere most comfortable for you. Plus, all you need is a router and it’s easier to install than people perceive it to be.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not really needed for wireless networking, but it provides the easiest method for networking. It also helps protect against hackers, trojans, worms, and other potential Internet intruders. Here are the four steps in creating your own wireless network:

1. Shop for your wireless equipment.

Of course, wireless networking presupposes the fact that you have a computer system that has wireless network adapter or a built-in networking support hardware and a broadband Internet connection. The main component to shop for is the wireless router, which is the hardware responsible for converting the signals coming from your Internet connection into some form of a wireless broadcast. The network adapter allows the computer to wirelessly connect to the router. (Note: Make sure that you get a wireless router, and not an access point.)

2. Connect the wireless router.

First, you need to locate your cable or DSL modem and unplug it. Next, you must connect your wireless router to your modem (modem must be stay directly connected to the Internet). Do this by plugging one end of a network cable into the modem and plug the other end to the Internet, WAN or WLAN port on the router. After hooking everything up, the computer will automatically connect wirelessly to the router, and the router will consequently send information through your modem to the Internet.

3. Configure the wireless router.

Using another network cable, temporarily connect your computer (through the network adapter) to one of the open network ports on your router (make sure the port is not labelled Internet, WAN or WLAN). When turned on, your computer will automatically connect to the router. Afterwards, open the Internet Explorer on your computer and type in the address in order to configure the router. The address (and password in some cases) varies depending on the brand of your router, so you would need to refer to the instruction manual.

When you reach the router’s configuration page, you would need to configure the following:

- The wireless network name (SSID). This identifies your network so try to choose something unique.

- The Wireless Encryption (WEP)/Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). These two help protect your wireless network through a passphrase that you will provide. You can make the passphrase unique and long, you don’t need to remember it.

- The administrative password. This password controls your wireless network, so choose one that is unique and you will not forget as this is needed to make changes in your router settings.

After filling these up, be sure that you click Save Settings, Apply, or OK to save the information. Afterwards, you may now disconnect the network cable from the computer.

4. Finally, connect your computers.

This method requires Service Pack 2, so if you don’t have it yet, plug your computer into the router and download and install SP2. If your computer runs on a Windows XP SP2, it should directly notify you that a wireless network has been detected. To connect to the wireless network, follow these steps:

- Right click this wireless network icon found in the lower right corner of the screen then click on View Available Wireless Networks.

- The Wireless Network Connection should appear shortly and you should see the network name you specified previously. If you don’t see it, click Refresh network list at the upper left corner of the window. Once you see the name, click on the Connect button on the lower-right.

- You will then be prompted for the password you entered earlier in the Network key and Confirm network key boxes. Type in this key and click on Connect.

- Windows XP will then show connects the computer to your network and you will be connected shortly.

A Note for Computer Newbies

If you are a computer novice, it is best to purchase an ADSL modem with a built-in wireless router to make wireless networking easier and straightforward.

For integrated ADSL modem-wireless router system, network connection can be done in two simple steps:

1. Connect. You first need to connect the Ethernet cable to the router to the PC, the phone cord from the phone socket to your router, and the power supply.

2. Configure. Once everything is connected, switch the unit on, type the IP address of the router into the web browser, select the connection type and enter the username provided by your Internet service provider.

Edward C. Maurer asked:


Establishing a home computer network has become so amazingly easy that with the addition of a few small devices that just plug into any computer, the average home can have its own wireless network up and running in less than an hour, and for surprisingly little money. The best part of the home-based wireless network is you don’t need to buy printers and other components like scanners and DVD players for each computer in the house. They can all share the same component from different parts of the home, and yes, even the yard or garage.

Okay, you’re a modern family. You might even have the latest home technology like notebook computers, “smart appliances” that can be controlled through your computer, and a computer-controlled home security system, right? Yeah, sure you do. And, of course, you’re hooked up to the Internet through a cable or broadband connection, right? And I bet you even have a scanner and a color printer for everyone in the house to use. So, all your computer needs are taken care of.

All you have to do to use the printer from your second desktop, or your notebook computer, is save the file to a disc (Unless it’s an art file, then you have to make sure you have a high-capacity disc, like a ZIP disc, or maybe you even burned it to a CD. You do have a CD-burner in your notebook, right?), then take the disc to your primary computer (Ah, but what if one of the kids is already on it playing a game, or doing homework?), then download the file, then go right ahead and print it. Easy, isn’t it? Or maybe you want to surf the Web from out by the pool (Wait…out by the pool? How?), or catch up on some office work, or maybe junior needs to do homework. No problem, because everyone can shuffle around to the right computer (for the moment) and….

Wait a minute…there HAS to be an easier way to do this. Right?

Sure there is, just setup a home computer network. A computer network is when two or more computers are given the ability to communicate with each other through wires or radios to share information or devices like printers and scanners.

Now, a home network is easy to set-up…just run some network cables through your walls…(Make sure they’re in the right rooms; don’t forget the one out to the patio, oh, and the one for the kitchen.) and hook yourself right up to that broadband connection. (Of course, you know how to run the cable through a wall, and you know how far each cable can be from the main computer, and how to put on all the connectors.) Of course, you don’t have to run it through the wall…you can just run it along the baseboards…the cable is a real pretty bright blue…it just matches everything. Great! You’re ready to go. But, one more little thing…since your Internet cable connection only allows one computer to access the Net at a time, you better make sure you have a schedule so everyone has a chance to use the it when they need it. Now, that’s easy. Remember how easy it was to make up that bathroom schedule when you had all that company last year? Same thing. Just as easy. Right.

Well, friend, all is not lost. You can easily have your network at home and everyone can access the Internet at the same time. The best part is that there are no wires to feed through walls, and it’s affordable. The solution is a wireless network connected to your Internet cable through a router using a NAT, or Network Address Translation program, and both are available from your local electronics or computer store right now.

Very simply put, a wireless network is made up of small, hi-tech radios that send signals between computers. The NAT allows several computers to access the Net at the same time, because they will look like only a single computer once the NAT is done with them; it even adds an extra layer of security to your network. Now, if you don’t have a broadband connection, but still use a dial-up, the wireless network and NAT are still a great choice for your home network.

Computers, the Internet, and the network components that ties them together, gives you connectivity in your home. Connectivity, there’s a word that means a lot. Connectivity means you have the ability to connect your computer to a system like the Internet, or other computers in a network, and send and receive information. A network, whether it’s two computers hooked up to one-another, or all the computers in the world hooked up to the Internet, is a community, a community of computers and the people who use them. There are small communities and large communities, and even the world community. And as long as you have connectivity, you can be part of that community.

There are essentially two types of networks, LANs and WANs. If you have computers in your home or office, and they can speak with each other through a network, that is a Local Area Network, a LAN, since it’s all local. The Internet, since it is worldwide, is the ultimate Wide-Area Network, a WAN. Of course, you can probably access the Internet from your home or office, and this is done through a port. Imagine a port where ships come and go. They leave the port with people and cargo, and sail to other destinations around the world; it’s the same way with an Internet port. Through it, you can travel the world.

With wireless networking, notebook and desktop computers can talk to one-another and use the same printer and other devices without having to be in the same room, so there’s no need to buy a printer or a scanner for each computer. You can even control the new “smart appliances” with your wireless network. There’s also no need to run around plugging your notebook computer into different devices, either. Now that you aren’t hooked up to wires that connect you to your home network, you have the freedom to move around the house, or even out to the yard, and still be able to access the Net and printers and anything else run by a computer. Being wireless means you can take your portable computer from your office to the kitchen. There’s no running back and forth to find recipes or keep an eye on your stocks. You have total mobility, and isn’t that why you bought a notebook computer anyway?

Apartment dwellers and renters will find wireless networks the best solution for their connectivity needs since there are no cables that need to be run between rooms. With the wireless network there is nothing that has to be installed other than a broadband cable or telephone line coming into the home for Internet access, which is probably already in place.

Since connectivity is so important to the home network, NAT, the Network Address Translation program is a vital part of any network that connects through a cable, or broadband, connection. Cable service providers typically provide one Internet Protocol (IP) address per household. Each computer that accesses the Internet has to have an IP address (These are automatically assigned each time you sign onto the Internet.), much like anyone who wants to mail a letter has to have a destination address and a return address. Since a household is generally only allowed one IP address, only one computer can be on the Net at any one time. So, if you have say, three computers, two won’t be able to use the Internet. NAT solves this problem by separating the IP addresses of the network computers as they try to access the Internet, and exchanging its own address for them. In this way, the only address the cable reads is that of the NAT, so it lets the signals pass unimpeded. When a response is sent back to those computers, the NAT recognizes the answer and sends the reply back to the computer that originated the exchange. Since the NAT exchanges its own address for that of the computers on your network, no one on the Internet knows your computers are online, unless you contact them. What this means for you is anyone trying to access your computers without your involvement cannot even find you, so NAT adds an extra layer of security to your network. Several wireless products come programmed with NAT software, so keep an eye out for it when you shop.

Now, so we don’t give you a false sense of security, running a computer behind a NAT router will not give you complete protection, though it can complement your current security measures. Malicious codes can still be downloaded through NAT, and Trojan Horse programs can still initiate connections to a hostile server. Web browsers and email operates through NAT unhindered, so any threat from Web sites and email still exists because the intended victim initiates these contacts, and opens a window to trouble if not careful. Imagine Dracula hovering outside your bedroom window…he can only enter if you invite him in. NAT’s your window; don’t open it to vampires!

Wireless networks are so simple to establish that the kids (even an adult) can have your network up and running in a matter of minutes. Wireless networking devices come in a variety of configurations that fit into one of the available slots in the back of your desktop computer or plug in just like your keyboard or mouse. Some are little electronic cards that plug in to the communications slot in your portable notebook computer or PDA. Better yet, many new computers will soon have the wireless radio already installed by the manufacturer.

As you begin shopping around for various types of in-home wireless network devices, you are bound to run into people with different opinions about data-transmittal speeds, the speed at which information, whether it be email, photos, or even movies, travels over the network. This is most often expressed in bits-per-second, bps, which, using automotive terms, is like miles-per-hour. The greater the bps, the faster information can travel over your network. That’s pretty simple. Where it gets confusing is when you hear people saying you need this many bits per second or that many bits per second to have even a basic network. Well, I’m here to tell you—that can be very misleading. Wireless networks currently transmit at a rate of 11 megabits per second, or 11Mbps. What that means is that 11 million bits of data can travel through your network every second. At that speed, an average 3”x4” photo made up of about six million bits will load onto your computer in about a second. Not bad, huh. So, at these speeds, you can play games, listen to music and do pretty much all your normal computer-type information sharing without any speed issues. For the most part, the only issue is when the file you want has more information than the system can handle quickly. Pretty much all that happens then is the file is a little slower to download, and you may not even notice the delay. About the only time an 11Mbps speed will be an issue is when you want to play video on one computer and watch it on another. However, in the very near future a system (It may already be available as you’re reading this.) containing a wireless radio called Indigo, will be producing speeds of 54Mbps, which will be able to easily handle any type file you’ll need, even video.

Some cable-network aficionados will insist that even 54Mbps isn’t fast enough for the home. (They probably also like the big, fat, ugly blue cables that run along your baseboards, too.) But one thing they don’t mention is that your Internet connection, even the fastest available, is slower than most wireless transmission speeds. Imagine you have a car that will go 100mph, and you are in rush-hour traffic going 40mph; even though the posted speed limit is 65mph. Being able to go 100mph doesn’t really mean anything under those conditions, does it? Nope. It’s the same way with data-transmittal speeds. If the Internet is slower than your computer, you will usually be fine with a speed of 11Mbps, and most certainly will at 54Mbps! So, don’t sweat the speed; wireless can take care of all your needs.

There are basically three radio units that comprise a wireless network. An access point is a stationary unit that physically connects to the network cable. This is also the unit that can be, or already is, programmed with the NAT software. The computer hooked up to your printer, scanner and other peripheral devices may be attached to this. Similar units attach to individual desktop computers, but not physically to the Internet cable, and provide a communications link with the access point. The units that are attached to notebook computers are called Wireless Network Interface Cards, or W-NICs, and they plug into the communications slot on the notebook. Another version of the card fits into PDAs, Personal Digital Assistants. You need one access point for the typical house, and one WLAN component for each computer. That’s it. No bright blue cables running between computers or along baseboards. No special installation requirements, and no computer technicians to come in and setup your network. Just follow the instructions on the packaging…and you’re on your way to a fully mobile computing environment in your very own household. These wireless-networking products can be found on the websites of most, if not all, computer and electronics dealers. Wireless home computer networking is convenient and it brings the family together; it’s easy set up and cost-effective, too. How can you afford NOT to have a wireless network if it does all this? The answer is—you can’t.

R Shah asked:


Obtaining and connecting to wireless Internet access is rather simple and can be easily accomplished by both the residential and business user.  The result is well worth the effort and will become the biggest advantage to using your laptop PC.

To set up a wireless connection, you must have a broadband Internet connection.  This service can be obtained from your local cable company at a monthly cost.  The service is provided to you through a high speed cable connection set up in your business or residence.

Once your broadband Internet connection is installed, you will need to purchase a wireless router and a wireless network adapter.  The wireless router acts as a base for your broadband Internet connection and converts the connection into wireless access.  The wireless network adapter is needed if you have an older computer that does not have wireless capability. The adapter will assist your computer in connecting with the router.  If you have a newer computer with built-in wireless capability, there is no need to purchase a wireless network adapter.

When connecting the wireless router you will need to disconnect the DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem that was installed with your broadband Internet connection.  Connect the router to your DSL modem by disconnecting the network cable from the back of your computer and connecting it to the Internet port located in the back of the router.

Reconnect the DSL modem and wait until it connects to the Internet before engaging the wireless router.  You will know when your router is functioning properly when the light is on signaling an Internet connection.

You will need to configure the wireless router through Internet Explorer.  This is easily accomplished by typing in the URL address and identification number of the router.  This information can be located in the instructions that are included with the purchase of the router.  You will need to read the instructions due to the fact that the configuration settings procedure will vary according to the brand of the wireless router you purchased.

If your computer has built-in wireless capability it should automatically locate the wireless connection.  If it is necessary to go with the network adapter, you will need to connect it to an available USB port on your computer.  For Windows XP and higher, it will automatically find the adapter and then walk you through the configuration.

For best results, the wireless router should be placed in a central location and away from metal objects that could potentially interfere with the wireless signal.  If the signal tends to be consistently weak you can always employ a wireless repeater to extend the range and strengthen the signal.

If you have cordless telephones in your business or residence, be sure to set your wireless router on a different channel for wireless Internet other than the channel used by your telephone.  If you omit this step, your Internet connection will pick up the telephone signal and constantly disconnect every time the telephone rings.

Wireless connectivity means greater mobility and flexibility when it comes to your computing experience and expansion of your computer’s capabilities thanks to high speed wireless.

Antony Heywood asked:



For the flow of computer users of voice across digital network was an immediate commercial success it did voip calls and was an immediate commercial success it is the transmission was able to today was therefore utilizing traditional telephone lines and utilized much of use the capability to have the lack of use of geeky version of signal another issue was the flow of high speed internet that.

Sunil Saripalli asked:


Hi….if you are a person like me, who uses the internet a lot, try to experiment with different software’s, download lots of freeware, shareware programs from the internet and use them….browse un-secure sites to find the under ground stuff, then this blog is definitely for you…

Do you know how much Internet Bandwidth you are using? You need to use a online Bandwidth Test or Bandwidth Meter Software. To test the Bandwidth Speed online use CNET Bandwidth Test, you can visit the URL http://reviews.cnet.com/Bandwidth_meter/7004-7254_7-0.html?tag=pm and fill the details and hit the Go button. Since the Server is hosted in US you may not get 100% accurate results, but you get a result which you can count on.

To use a Bandwidth Meter Software you can install software called DU Meter which can be downloaded from www.download.com, it would show you the actual utilization of your internet in real time.

I have a 512 Kbps Unlimited Airtel Broadband Connection, and I leave it on 24/7. I sometimes see that 120 Kbps bandwidth is being used without even one single browser open or any applications using internet.

Which program is using this bandwidth? Would be a very tough question to answer…and it’s very hard to get out of this problem…

There are 4 things which need to be fixed to fix this issue….

Install an Antivirus, remember how good the antivirus program is it needs the latest definition files to function effectively, update it and run a complete scan, if you don’t have access to internet at that time due to Virus, Spyware and Ad-ware killing your bandwidth you can get the antivirus signature update from computer magazine CD/DVD’s like CHIP, DIGIT etc. If you don’t have a licensed copy of Antivirus, AVG is a good free one to choose….

Next you need to install a Spyware and Ad-ware removal tool. Go to www.download.com and install Ad-ware and Spybot Search and Destroy. Both are free tools but they don’t offer real time protection. You need to run them once in a while to remove Ad-ware and Spyware respectively. Remember you also need to update the definitions for effective removal.

Then run windows update and make sure that all critical updates are installed. If you have a pirated copy of Win XP and Windows Update wont work you can try Auto Patcher http://www.autopatcher.com which can be downloaded through torrents or you can find it on CHIP and Digit Magazine CD’s.

If all these 4 are updated and your system goes through the scan without catching anything then you can rest assure that your system is free from Virus, Ad-ware and Spyware. And most importantly your system Operation System is upto date and the effect of Virus and Spyware would be not so much even if affected.

Have a specific problem send it to me for a quick solution

Darwin Redshield asked:


Many immediately think of Cisco Systems when they think of the inventor of the router. The truth behind the story is a bit different though. William ‘Bill’ Yeager, an American engineer born in San Francisco, created the first multiple-protocol router in 1981. He was serving at Stanford’s Knowledge Systems laboratory at the time, and dubbed the first creation ‘Ships in the Night.’

Yeager describes his time at Stanford and the invention of the first multi-protocol router (from pbs.org)

“Before Sun was formed at Stanford University, efforts were already underway across campus in the medical school to develop the multiple protocol routers that Cisco Systems licensed in 1986 from the Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing. Around Christmas of 1979 Xerox gifted ethernet technology to Stanford, MIT and Carnegie Mellon University. Ethernet-based local area networks were immediately installed in the Stanford medical school, and the department of computer science. This led to the need for what became known as “router technology”. “

Yeager goes on to describe how they used router technology as a connection from the Standford Medical School to the Department of Computer Science. He describes the order from his boss at Stanford that lead to the technology development: ” ‘You’re our networking guy. Go do something to connect the computer science department, medical center and department of electrical engineering.” Soon enough, the code for this routing became the standard at Stanford.

This was just the beginning of the story for the router however. Cisco Systems soon licensed Yeager’s routing technology from Stanford, and went on to successfully commercialize the multi-protocol router. (Cisco, located in the Bay Area, originally was named after the nickname for the nearby city San Fran-’cisco’. ) Although multi-protocol soon gave way to IP (Internet Protocol), it’s importance in the landscape of the router was forever etched.

Today, routers of various shapes, sizes, complexity and price shape the landscape that we know as the internet. This networking equipment varies from small routers that you find in a home or small office, to extremely large routers, like the used Cisco CRS-1 or Juniper T1600,which provide the framework for ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

Routers are the highways that forward information from one location to another, from a PC to the world wide web to another PC on the other side of the world. The invention has shaped the landscape of the internet, global economy, government defense arena, and human society.

Cheers to William Yeager.

Matt Smith asked:


Cisco Router Selection

With the constant evolution and change of the Cisco Router selection, it can be a tricky task to keep up-to-date. Do you know the current models of routers and more to the point do you know which Cisco router to choose?

Like us and many other people you will have been stunned and confused when Cisco removed from it’s line up what was considered the standard for midsized networks the 2600 and 3600 series. It was not their robustness or capabilities that saw them on to the ebay listings of secondhand routers, in particularly the 3600 series which can still do just about everything its latest counterpart can do; What made these fall by the wayside was the limitations of the CPU and the inadequate RAM. With the growth of the Cisco IOS beyond what these could handle combined with the swell of the packet load of most networks these older routers can no-longer cut the mustard. Saying that, the Cisco 3600 series is still the router of choice for some people as they can be picked up very cheaply in the secondhand marketplace.

The Cisco ISRs



There is a Cisco ISR to suit everyone’s needs; from the 800 series for the small to medium-sized network right through large campus or high performance large network. These are more than just routers they now provide services like IPSec, VPN, firewalls, and VoIP.

To help illustrate how to choose which router for your network type, the above diagram from Cisco demonstrates perfectly the routers available and their suitability. The rules for choosing the correct Cisco router is not set in stone, however there are some general pointers that should help.

Home office or small office

For constant VPN connections of up-to 10 home workers with good performance and reliability then look no further than the Cisco 800 Series. They have the Cisco IOS including IPS, VPN, VLAN, QoS, NAC, and Firewall. There are many routers in the range including wireless options and ISDN and DSL applications.

Small Remote Office

For networks that have up-to 25 or so users, the Cisco 1800 Series routers are the best choice. This router is ideal if all you need is a router to connect your office to the Internet, VPN, firewall, and wireless.

Larger Remote Office

If you require more performance and up scaling that the Cisco 1800 Series can offer, then you should look to the Cisco 2800 Series. Ideal for up-to around 50 users for office Internet connectivity, robust VPN access, with redundant power supply, Gig-E ports, NM expansion slots and Call Manager Express. Having the NM card slot lets you add things such as a 36-port switch with PoE, a DS3 ATM, a 24-port VoIP module, an intrusion detection module, a network analysis module, or a Cisco Unity Express voice mail module. Wonderful!

Office of 100 Workers or More

Cisco 3800 Series routers are similar to the 2800 Series in that there are a lot of HWIC and NM options for them. But what sets them apart from the 2800 Series is the sheer performance of the hardware and the number of HWIC and NM card that you can put into them.

Large HQ Office or Campus

For very large campus or service providers, the Catalyst 6500 and 7200/7300 Series platforms are for you. Cisco calls these “service aggregation platforms.” These are very high-performance networking platforms with a huge capacity for expansion.

Michal Lepiarz asked:





How to configure a router

Original version by Lukasz Sawicki

Proper configuration of the router is the precondition for networking and Internet access. Let’s begin with the description of its functions. In general, router is a network device that is a communication node between the sending and receiving endpoint. The control of the traffic is called routing. Router creates a routing table or routing information base (RIB) that stores the best routes to certain network destinations, or the “routing metrics” associated with those routes, and the path to the next hop router. It allows to direct the packets to specified destinations. The routing process means interaction of at least two subnets.

The immense growth of the number of Internet users is the reason of remedial measures that overcome the limits of Ipv4 (Internet Protocol version 4). One of the measures is routing. It means linking of internal network with a pool of “private” IP addresses to the public network. Simply the router uses less (external) IP addresses than the number of supported computers in the local network. The diagram below depicts the typical solution.



Example of routing with NAT function

Router configuration example is based on the

TP-Link TL-WR542G device

Notice: TP-Link TL-WR542G N2950 does not support ADSL service (it is not equipped with ADSL modem).

Router connects two or more logical subnets, e.g. external network with Internet access (WAN) with local network (LAN), making a bridge for information exchange. Without proper configuration the connection will be impossible. In most cases, router acts as a specialized computer (replacing a standard computer) working in external network, with software and hardware tailored to the tasks of routing and forwarding. It allows to create internal (local) network.

In this case, the computer configuration involves:



taking down all settings of the NIC (working in external network),



IP address

Subnet mask

Default gateway

Preferred DNS server





changing the way of address assignment to dynamic (DHCP), or setting fixed IP address from the router’s range,

connecting the computer with LAN port of the router.





Example of assigning a fixed IP address for TCP/IP protocol. This option is used when the router does not assign addresses automatically. At this stage there is no need to enter default gateway nor DNS servers parameters.

After restarting the computer, there is possibility of connecting with the router (via Internet browser). The logged in user (the initial user name and password are given in the user’s manual) can configure the router.



The login window

The easiest way of configuring the router is use of “Quick Setup” option.



The first dialog box

To begin configuration we should choose Next.

It is important to select adequate kind of WAN connection type:

There are three possibilities:



PPPoE – in the case of network using PPPoE protocol (rather untypical),

Dynamic IP – the router will get IP address automatically (the most common option),

Static IP – in the case of fixed IP address.





Choice of WAN connection type

For Static IP option there are needed the settings of the NIC (to be entered). In the case of Dynamic IP this box will be omitted:

In this box there are entered adequate settings (previously taken down or given by the ISP)

After configuring WAN port parameters the next step is setup of Access Point:

Planning to use access point, it is needed:



to select suitable channel,

to set SSID,

to choose the region (country),

to set data encryption and cryptographic keys (in the tab Wireless >> Wireless Settings).



……

[This is not complete article. For full version go to DIPOL WLAN, TV-SAT, CCTV web site.]

Ryan asked:


Router Functionalities

Firewall

Firewalls are ideal for home networks. They help in protecting home use computers by stalling the destructive efforts of other official websites and potential hackers. This software or hardware device filters the information coming through the internet connection, flagging the information that is not to be allowed through. You can find some such models at:

VPN Pass through

VPN pass through feature of routers allows traffic between the endpoints and does not support one of the endpoints. This feature is ideal for routers of home use or small office setups; they are less expensive than a router with full VPN that supports the endpoints.

DHCP server

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers can be implemented for windows based system. The server automatically assigns an IP address to the computer’s TCP/IP stack software.

Wireless Access Point

The performance of your network will depend on signal strength of the wireless access point. Before you position it, find out the exact location from where it will give the maximum network range.

DSL Modem

Digital Subscriber Line modems are faster than regular modems and can use the existing phone lines. Both internet connection and phone lines for telephone calls can be used simultaneously.

Voice over IP gateway

VoIP routers have both wireless networking feature and telephone terminal adapters. With this feature the network can access both Internet and voice communications.

Protocols

These are formats for transferring data between the various devices. The protocols determine the various aspects of the data like compression types, delivery and retrieval by devices and error checking. The standard protocols differ in their various features, so in order to communicate with other computers correct protocols must be selected.

Internet Protocol (IP) enables unique addressing for computers.

When used with transport control protocol, it is referred as TCP/IP.

The newer IP version 6 is referred as IPv6. This version addresses 16 bytes in length.

DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol assigns dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network.

Routing Protocols

The information packets have to be routed by a series of routers to get to its destination. Latest routers automatically exchange route information with other routers through the use of routing protocols.

While configuring the router on your own, you have to choose what types of routing protocol you have to install and configure.

RIP version-1: It is a dynamic protocol and automatically figures routing tables on its own, thus manual inputs are not required.

Encryption Standards

This feature configures the virtual private network, encryption hardware advanced integration modules and the network modules.

Data Encryption Standard – applies 56-bit key to 64-bit block of data. This is the most commonly used encryption standard. A single key is used which is very difficult to break.

Triple DES (3DES) – applies 3 keys in succession making it more difficult to break the code.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) will be the next encryption standard for commercial transactions in the private sector.

MD5

SHA 1

Modulation

There are many standards of modulation. The most commonly used types are:

QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, a dominant modulation technique for high speed digital signals.

CCK: Complimentary Code Keying is a modulation scheme to operate in data speeds up to 11Mbps in the RF band.

OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency division multiplexing modulation is used for even higher speeds of 54Mbps.

DSSS: Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum use wideband signals that are not easy to detect and resists jamming attempts.

Security

Today no home and office network is secure. To counter the hacking efforts of hackers, look for good built-in security functionalities. These will ensure that your system doesn’t slow down, those within the range of your wireless are not able to view your files, emails, instant messages, usernames and passwords. Depending on the security features you can also block spams, illegal activities with your internet connection and prevent loading of dangerous software.

This however doesn’t mean your network is completely secure.

Some steps that can be taken are:

Enable WEP, wired equivalent privacy encryption provides security to WLANS. The WEP keys encrypt the data stream.

Turning on WPA encryption. The Wi-Fi protected access adds on the authentication and encryption features WEP explained above.

TKIP, Temporal Key Integrity Protocol covers up for the encryption weaknesses of WEP.

WPA2 protection is the latest one and provides high level of protection.

Enable wireless MAC Address filtering.

WEP Encryption length

The WEP encryption is based on a combination of secret user keys and system generated values. The key encrypts and de-encrypts the data that is transferred between the access points and the clients. There are two versions:

The earlier version supported 40-bit encryption; the key length was 40 bits and 24 additional bits of system generated data, thus a total of 64 bits.

Easy decoding of 40 bit WEP encryption encouraged vendors to go in for 128-bit encryption. 128-bit encryption has a key length of 104 bits.

Antenna Type

The omni directional antenna of routers broadcast 360degrees around the router. Position them in such a way that you can make the most of the radiating signals.

External antennas can add strength significantly, thus giving a wider range and increased network performance when compared with the performance of in-built antennas.

Detachable antennas disable 802.11a lower band communications when detached. On attaching the antenna the lower band is enabled. Thus they can be screwed into the device and can be upgraded easily.

The third type is the internal integrated antennas. These antennas are built-in, and hence cannot be changed or directed.

Brand Name

Wireless routers are still evolving, and at this infant stage it will do good to stick to one brand. Switching between brands can lead to compatibility problems. Linksys and Netgear wireless routers are among the few companies that have the highest wireless router ratings a company can get.

Linksys

Linksys wireless routers are easy to install and are reputed to give good performance and signal range. The various features that the router supports are protection from hackers with NAT technology, VPN pass through, and can encrypt all wireless transmissions. Most of its models have excellent performance and extremely useful support features. Some of the features are the firewall and routing capabilities, MAC address filtering and virtual server support. Most of the models are easy to configure with the browser-based configuration.

Netgear

Netgear wireless routers have not only superior looks but also good signal strength and wider range. Security features are good and are taken care of with WPA-PSK, WEP (128-bit). Netgear markets wide range of wireless routers for home networking as well as business networking. The selling factors are ease of use, reliability, quality and security.

Apple

Customers loyal to this brand can go in for wireless routers of this brand; they are however priced higher than models of other brands with similar features. Security and support features are good.