Re: Computer Networking
By far the easiest part of setting up a home network is the hardware. The decision to go hardwire VS wireless or a combination of both can be more complex depending on how you intend to use the computers.<br /><br />Wireless is fast and easy but there in lies the rub, most folks connect the hardware , install the software and viola, they're on the Web and all is fine , right?? Nope, not by a long shot. Most folks get the hardware initially running and get on the Web and then they stop. They don't turn on the security features already built into the hardware. The idea of the hardware manufactures is to make it easy to connect your computers, get them on the Web, and leave the extra security settings for later. <br /><br />One has to consider the downsides to wireless networking and that is security. My personal observation is that only around 30% of home wireless networks have any settings turned on that make it harder to snoop on the wireless traffic coming from those networks. Of course that means that 70% of the wireless networks are basically wide open for bad guys to not only snoop around in your hard drive but to use your broadband connection to the Web. <br /><br />Now this doesn't mean that you should stay away from wireless networking, but you do have to make some changes to the configuration of your computers and routers.<br /><br />The idea here is to make things harder for someone to gain access to your network, be it wireless or hardwired. Not having a router/firewall on a broadband connection is courting disaster. Hardware routers are priced very cheaply these days. Wireless routers are a few bucks more. <br /><br />The point here is to be in that 30% of people that have implemented the security features. When you make it harder for the bad guys, they have but to move on down the block to someone else who's in the 70% category to do their thing.<br /><br />Your next question is , "Well, cut to the chase, how do I get into that 30% bracket"??<br /><br />Here's a good start:<br /><br />Install a router/firewall (just about all routers have a built in firewall)<br /><br />Change the default Password of the router, don't use your dogs name, or any word that you can find in the dictionary. WRITE DOWN YOUR LOGIN AND PASSWORD!<br />Example:<br /><br />Bad: mycatfritz<br />Good: My#felinze$fritzie%<br /><br /><br />Change the default BSSID of the wireless router<br />Disable the broadcast of your SSID if you have the option<br /><br />Turn on WEP, use the highest level of encryption allow by your hardware.<br /><br />Upgrade to WPA for your hardware if offered.<br /><br />Turn on MAC address filtering, so your wireless router only talks to YOUR wireless laptop etc.<br /><br />Limit the number of DHCP I.P. addresses your router can issue. If you have only 2 computers connected to your router, change the number pool of the routers DHCP to only allow 2 IP addresses. Most router have a DHCP pool of between 50 and 100 IP addresses by default. If you setup your network to use static IP addresses, then turn off DHCP entirely.<br /><br />Try to position your wireless router in such a way as to minimize it broadcast range to include only your home. Hard to do sometimes, but can be done. Keep router away from windows, glass offers much less resistance to RF signals than do walls.<br /><br />If you have File and Print Sharing enabled, install Netbeui and enable, and unbind TCP/IP from file and print sharing.
