Router Question.

[IGID]

I was finally able to get DSL at my house and have it connected to my desktop computer. I use Bellsouth as my provider. I also have a Dell laptop with a wireless card installed. My question is, if I buy this router, will I be able to have my desktop connected by Ethernet and use my laptop wirelessly without having to pay Bellsouth the $5.00 per month extra for home networking?

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Linksys-Wireless-Router-WRT54G/sem/rpsm/oid/69086/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do#tabs

[Bahlk]

Yes it's easy to do. I have the same setup except with comcast cable. Wired desktop in the computer room and now i'm typing on a laptop through the wireless and both connected to internet at same time.

[Bahlk]

BTW IGID I have the same router.

[Kitty]

Trust Bahlk. He helped troubleshoot my wireless problem. :yes:

[carsalesguy]

i have the same router and absolutely love it.........linksys is a part of cisco, who has profected the whole networking scene over the years.....

it works great....i have a toshiba and compaq laptop running wireless, then i have a 386 (i know i know), a p4 desktop, and a pentium ii linux server running through this thing, and have never had a problem.

i bought the same router for my mom and dad and they have DSL......i only have a bit of a problem since we got mom a new computer for christmas and it is on the other side of the house, and it's not picking up too good on the desktop-- i personally think that it is the wireless adapter that he got to use for it.....

[Kitty]

I came across this ZDNet blog (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=43) that discusses the "six dumbest ways to secure a wireless LAN."

[daisy]

I read this about the router and thought of wood-working. I learned something new. Oh well this turtle with her laptop connected by Cybergate to her land line wishes you well.

[aaron]

I came across this ZDNet blog (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=43) that discusses the "six dumbest ways to secure a wireless LAN."

MAC Filtering is on the list, I don't feel so bad now that I didn't know much about it. I knew USM used it, but like I said, I thought it was only used as a primitive way to authenticate who is paying and who isn't.

[Bahlk]

IGID, once you get your router, enable WPA security not WEP. WPA is more secure and harder (not impossible) to crack. Also change the WPA key (this is a 63 digit code that is needed to access your network/internet) regularly. That way if somebody does happen to break in, once you change it they will be kicked out again.

Reading up on some of the articles Aaron provided, I understand there is a false sense of security in some of the things that I had been told to use which is why I don't use them any more. Diligence in checking the useage logs to make sure there isn't any strange entries there. The last thing anybody needs is the pimply faced teenager next door sneaking onto your internet to download his daily porn stash.

[Kitty]

IGID, once you get your router, enable WPA security not WEP. WPA is more secure and harder (not impossible) to crack. Also change the WPA key (this is a 63 digit code that is needed to access your network/internet) regularly. That way if somebody does happen to break in, once you change it they will be kicked out again.

Online WEP/WPA key generator (http://darkvoice.dyndns.org/wlankeygen/)

[Kitty]

If WEP security is enabled, how would a change to WPA be handled?

Would this involve starting from scratch with the router setup, or is there a way to change this within the current network configuration?

[Bahlk]

Should be able to go to router setup screen under wireless security. Mine has a drop down menu where i can select none/wep/wpa-psk/wpa-aes. pick one of the wpa ones enter the key and save changes. Once you change it your laptop should drop the connection. just have it look for wireless networks, click yours and put the new wpa key in.

[Wayward]

Personally, I think wireless security, particularly a home wireless system, is just a matter of degree. The general consensus is to activate WPA security (the latest security spec) and that's certainly a good idea.

If you have an older router without WPA capability, using MAC address to restrict access, WEP for a less secure encryption, or disabling SSID broadcast (so that your network is not announcing itself) are certainly better than nothing. While all of these are easy to overcome, it takes some dedicated effort, equipment, and knowledge. Probably more than a curious neighbor or someone cruising the neighborhood the would attempt.

I really wouldn't classify these methods a "dumb", particularly for a home wireless router ... just not a good as the latest security spec. When you read a blog ... it's one person's opinion. By clicking through to some of the links and other comments ... some opinions vary a bit. :)

[big john]

By the way, just so you know, WEP is the best way to go, It uses either a 64 or 128 digit key made up from randon numbers and letters. WPA is anything that "you" make up from 8 to 63 digits, which could possibly be easy to figure out. With a laptop and a wireless card when the laptop is communicating with the router, the WPA key is being broadcasted by the router to be authenticated from the laptop. Using WEP the key is not broadcasted by the router or the client. The data is being broadcasted inside of an encrypted packet to the laptop, the laptop then uses the WEP key to un encrypt the packet and then it uses the data. Therefore the security is drastically stronger when using WEP Encryption.

[Wayward]

big john ... reading your last post, is it possible you reversed the WEP and WPA terms? WPA is the much newer and more secure standard.

Some info ...

What is WPA?

WiFi Protected Access (WPA) is the new security standard adopted by the WiFi Alliance consortium. WiFi compliance ensures interoperability between different manufacturer's equipment.

WPA delivers a level of security way beyond anything that WEP can offer, bridges the gap between WEP and 802.11i networks, and has the advantage that the firmware in older equipment may be upgradeable.
How does WPA work?

WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). TKIP is designed to allow WEP to be upgraded. This means that all the main building blocks of WEP are present, but corrective measures have been added to address security problems.

The weaknesses in WEP have been well publicized. TKIP's improvements are described below.

How WPA improves on WEP

IV values can be reused/IV length is too short

The length of the IV has been increased from 24bits to 48bits. Rollover of the counter is eliminated. Reuse of keys is less likely.

In addition IVs are now used as a sequence counter, the TSC (TKIP Sequence Counter), protecting against replaying of data, a major vulnerability in WEP.

Weak IV values are susceptible to attack

WPA avoids using known weak IV values. A different secret key is used for each packet, and the way the key is scrambled with the secret key is more complex.

Master keys are used directly in WEP

Master Keys are never used directly in WPA. A hierarchy of keys is used, all derived from the Master. Cryptographically this is a much more secure practice.

Key Management and updating is poorly provided for in WEP

Secure key management is built-in to WPA, so key management isn't an issue with WPA.

Message integrity checking is ineffective

WEP message integrity proved to be ineffective. WPA uses a Message Integrity Check (MIC) called, Michael! Due to the hardware constraints the check has to be relatively simple. In theory there is a one in a million chance of guessing the correct MIC. In practice any changed frames would first need to pass the TSC and have the correct packet encryption key even to reach the point where Micheal comes into operation. As further security Michael can detect attacks and performs countermeasures to block new attacks.

Conclusion

WPA (TKIP) is a great solution, providing much stronger security than WEP, addressing all the weaknesses and allowing compatibility and upgrades with older equipment.

Source (http://www.openxtra.co.uk/articles/wpa-vs-wep.php)

[ynotme297]

Yes it's easy to do. I have the same setup except with comcast cable. Wired desktop in the computer room and now i'm typing on a laptop through the wireless and both connected to internet at same time.

i did the same thing. i bought a d-link router,have it wired to my desktop and use my office lap top also. i also have comcast.

[big john]

big john ... reading your last post, is it possible you reversed the WEP and WPA terms? WPA is the much newer and more secure standard.

Some info ...
A little progarm to sense the TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol is a type of mechanism used to create dynamic key encryption and mutual authentication) is easy to come by. You can get it on just about any hacking forum. Even though you may break this key it will only be good for about 6 hours. This is enough time to get just about anything you may want from this connection.
WEP encrypts the data on your network so that only the intended recipient is able to access it. 64-bit and 128-bit encryptions are two levels of WEP security. WEP encodes your data using an encryption "key" before sending it out into the air. The longer the key is, the stronger the encryption will be. Any receiving device must know the same key to decrypt the data. Keys are entered as strings of 10 or 26 hexadecimal digits.
Now there are programs out there that will sniff this encryption to as with all existing ecnryption methods on the market but just try and find anyone other than an MIT engineer that can break either WPA or WEP. The encryption methods for WPA can be broken by in about 10 minutes with any cheesy sniffer, Now with WEP you will be hard pressed to find any more than about two sniffers that can capture the WEP key since it is verified in random packs. It could take anywhere from 48 to 72 hours for a sniffer to pull the entire key. Even then, it wont be in order, As in WPA. A full copy of the key is sent inside of every packet. After opening that packet all you have to do is pull the pass phrase and connect. With WEP the key is sent in 8 digit packs at random, so even if you get all of the key, you would have 272 possible full keys. Now finding the right one within ten tries will be very difficult. Most of the newer routers such as cisco linksys and netgear will let a single MAC only have ten failed attempts before it is black listed, At this point the router stops responding to the key verification requests. So even though WPA is newer, It is easier to break into.
Now tell me do you really think that your next door neighbor is going to try (better yet, be succesfull) to break either encryptions (unless you are a bank or something worth breaking into) just for some internet access?

[Wayward]

Now tell me do you really think that your next door neighbor is going to try (better yet, be unsuccessful) to break either encryptions (unless you are a bank or something worth breaking into) just for some internet access?
No, I don't. And that was the general point in one of my earlier posts. There is a lot of conflicting information out there concerning the use of WEP, WPA, SSID broadcast, MAC address filtering, etc. It can become quite confusing. Do enough searching and you could build a pretty good case for or against any combination. :smt103

Generally, some level of security (no matter how simple or how easy to "break") will prevent someone in the neighborhood from jumping on your router for Internet access ... by accident or on purpose. If you have a full-blown home network with file sharing between computers, it's certainly worth the effort to really investigate security issues in more detail. :)

[IGID]

One more question concerning that router. One of the reviews says not to use the cd that comes with it to set it up if you run XP and just let windows set it up. Does anybody know anything about that?

[Bahlk]

You don't need the CD. Once you get the router hooked up to your DLS and your computer, just go to http://192.168.1.1 which is the default address (I believe to your linksys router. A box should pop up asking for user name (leave it blank) and the password is admin.

That should take you to the router setup program and is the same thing the CD does.

[wilebill]

You don't need the CD. Once you get the router hooked up to your DLS and your computer, just go to http://192.168.1.1 which is the default address (I believe to your linksys router. A box should pop up asking for user name (leave it blank) and the password is admin.

That should take you to the router setup program and is the same thing the CD does.I did the manual route like Bahlk said above to set up my home network and everything's working fine.

However, when we got Bell South DSL at work I decided to use the enclosed CD to set everything up there. Big mistake. The computer I used with the CD became unbearably slow and had other problems. I had to use a restore point to get rid of some of the drivers and had to manually delete some other things to get the computer back to its original state.

[IGID]

Is there such a thing as a TV cable router?
Isn't that called a splitter? :smt102

[Wayward]

Is there such a thing as a TV cable router?
To do what, TheDoc? Wireless TV to other TVs in the house or extending cable Internet coverage over the TV coax cabling to other parts of the house or extending the cable TV cable to other parts of the house or something else? What would be the project you have in mind?

[Wayward]

My wife wants cable in the kitchen when she is cooking. We'd pay for it, but she doesn't want her tile torn up to put a jack in the room.
Looks possible ... but I've never tried it.

This link (http://www.x10.com/products4/google/wireless_video_sender_cable_tv.html) says even a 4 year old can do it.

A Google search for { wireless cable tv extension } gets some hits. No guarantee on this end ... but it does look interesting. :smt102

[Kitty]

My wife wants cable in the kitchen when she is cooking. We'd pay for it, but she doesn't want her tile torn up to put a jack in the room.

When we built our house, I designed one of the upper kitchen cabinets for a TV, complete with a cable outlet and an electrical outlet. I got the idea from an issue of Southern Living.

My cabinet maker built a swivel shelf for the TV, the doors slide back into the cabinet, and we can close them if we want the TV out of sight (like a kitchen mini-entertainment center, I suppose).

[wilebill]

Be very cautious about those wireless TV transmitters. Some are good and some are crap. I think there are some in the 5.8ghz range, those would probably be better than the 2.4ghz. But I'd try to see one in real use if I could.

[Wayward]

You might want to check with Doug McLelland or someone else at McLelland's TV. They're pretty much up to date on "stuff."

McLelland's TV
601.583.0542

[Bahlk]

Igid i've seen you post some, did you get your router working yet?

[IGID]

Ok, I finally got my router. I didnt run the cd that came with it and hooked my router to my dsl modem with the ethernet cable that comes out of the modem and was hooked into my comp and used a telephone cable to hook up the router to the comp. When I turn everything on, the light on the router turns from orange to white and blinks rapidly for a few minutes and goes back to orange. Also, the light on my modem that says i have internet connection never comes on. Whats up? Should I run the cd?

[Bahlk]

You need another ethernet cable instead of phone cable to hook your router up to the computer. After you do that...power down your computer, router and modem. bring your router back up first, and after it boots and is stable, then bring your dsl modem back up and see if that does the trick

[IGID]

But the router only has 1 ethernet plug and 4 phone line plugs.

[Bahlk]

But the router only has 1 ethernet plug and 4 phone line plugs.

Should be the same size...the ethernet cables should fit in any of the 5 plugs...the internet is basically your incoming line and the 4 others are the outgoing if you had 4 other computers. Any Cat5 cable should work from your modem to router and from router to your ehternet port on your computer. A phone line connector is just a little bit smaller than a Cat5 cable connector

[IGID]

Well, I got it all hooked up and it still doesn't work. My internet light is on on my modem, but it stays red which means connection is idle. The orange button on the router blinks rapidly then goes back to orange. I'll work on it another day. I don't have the patience today. Thanx anyway.

[IGID]

Well, I've tried several more times to hook up the router without running the cd and nothing. I don't know what else to do except run the supplied cd. I'm kind of scared though. I don't want to screw up my connection to my desk top.

[IGID]

Thanks. I have to work tomorrow and thurs.. I think I'm going to tackle it this weekend.

[Astra]

Well, I've tried several more times to hook up the router without running the cd and nothing. I don't know what else to do except run the supplied cd. I'm kind of scared though. I don't want to screw up my connection to my desk top.
I wouldn't worry about running the CD - it really shouldn't hurt anything. Often the CD will include a walk-through of how to set up everything.

I'm curious about the other ports on your router - normally they are all the exact same size, but you said the others are phone jacks. Make sure that the RJ-45 connector (the ethernet cord) won't fit into them. Like Bahlk said, ethernet connectors are a little larger than phone connectors, but they look very similar. I once tried to troubleshoot a girl's internet connection in my dorm only to find she had jammed a phone cord into her computer's ethernet port. It doesn't quite work that way :)

[IGID]

They are all ethernet connections. I have the ethernet from the modem into the one that says internet and another ethernet cable in one of the 4 other plugs. The modem will go to idle after a minute or so and the light on the router will blink for a minute or so and go back to orange.

[carsalesguy]

They are all ethernet connections. I have the ethernet from the modem into the one that says internet and another ethernet cable in one of the 4 other plugs. The modem will go to idle after a minute or so and the light on the router will blink for a minute or so and go back to orange.

defective router. i would take it back. or try another patch cable between the router and modem and see if that helps

[carsalesguy]

scrap that above, unless this doesn't work:

you may need to print this BTW:

1) connect your router to the PC, and the modem to the router (Modem to Internet jack on router, jack 4 on router to back of PC)

2) type 192.168.1.1 in your internet explorer or firefox. a window will appear. type admin as user and admin as password

3) change your internet connection type to PPPoE. Enter your username and password that bellsouth gave you for logining onto their service. don't change anything else yet.

4) scroll to the bottom and click "save settings"

5) click administration. change your password, scroll to the bottom and click "save settings"

6) goto wireless tab, then click wireless Security. change to WPA Shared-key, tkip algorithims, and type in a password, then save settings again. you just secured your wireless connection.

now close that screen, reboot the router, and you may need to reboot PC. that should fix it. if not, you may need to call bellsouth and get their domain names and enter that into the router. you may also need to call linksys about any additional settings. these instructions made my dads router work after about 1 hour of playing around.

someone may have other suggestions for #6. that's how i have mine set.

[wilebill]

Have you installed the right items to your network connection? If you double click your network icon in the lower right corner and then double click "local area connection" there is a list of "items" that you need to get connected. I know you need "Client for Microsoft Networks", "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)", and possibly "QoS Packet Scheduler". I have a few more things in my list but I think those may be computer specific.

When I ran the Bell South CD, it added a network service that interfered with another network service I already had running, and that's what screwed my computer up. I had to go in and uninstall that service before things got back to normal. But I can't remember what that service was.