Post by plb2862Post by JeffI have a home wireless LAN using a 2.4 G router. Of course one PC is
attached to the router with a cable.
When I am in the same room doing backups, I prefer to connect my
laptop (which is part of the same wireless LAN) to the router via a
cable both for speed and security.
My question: when I connect this now both cabled and wireless adapter
equipped laptop to the desktop (which is itself also connected to the
router), am I connecting through the wireless LAN or the cabled LAN
through the cabled router? Is there a way to find out? Can I control
which connection I want to use?
Thanks.
--
When they are both connected by cable they are on a wired LAN segment.
I have a cable modem to it is attached a second device a wireless
router that has a 4 port switch built in. This allows me to have a
wireless LAN segment and a wired (cabled--cat5 wires) LAN segment. The
wireless router acts as a bridge between the two segments and
allows both segments connection to the internet. My laptop uses a
PCMCIA card and the desktop has a PCI card. Security isn't an issue
because I did the normal precautions which you should try to do then
you have less to worry about than if you were a multimillion dollar
business and worried about competitive espionage.
What I did: (I have linksys)
1.) Change default SSID from linksys to (insert choice)
2.) Change default IP 192.168.#.# to (insert choice - this is an
internal LAN so Class A, B or C IP ranges work) unless this is a
static IP issued by ISP
3.) Change default administrative account name and password in the
router from Admin admin to (insert choices)
4.) There are two types of MAC filters that you can use
a.) Put list of allowed physical address MAC you want to access the
wireless segment.
b.) Use NetStumbler to find your neighboring WLANs and get their
MAC addresses then enter those in the MAC filter to not allow access
to your WLAN.
Of course the final question is: why did you buy wireless if you're
too security conscious and not using the methods above?
Thank you so much for writing. Actually you describe my LAN exactly. It is
identical to yours.
Broadband is coming tomorrow morning. I have a wireless router, just like
yours, to which I will attach the broadband cable modem when it comes with
the installer tomorrow. Like yours my router has room for 4 cables. One is
attached to the desktop. Another has a cable attached to it and nothing on
the other end. (I'll explain why in a minute). This desktop also has an
external drive attached to it which I use for image backups using Acronis
True Image.
I also have 2 other PCs in my home. One is a laptop that I take with me
around the house. This is linked by wireless to the router. But, when I am
in the room which has the router and external drive in it, I connect that
loose router connected cable to it when I am backing up the laptop. It is a
faster connection and probably more secure.
The third PC is a desktop my wife uses in another room. That is connected
by the wireless LAN to the router. It also has the Laser printer attached
to it which I can thus access by wireless from any of the 3 PCs.
As for security, I've done almost all you have done on yours.
Post by plb28621.) Change default SSID from linksys to (insert choice)
Did it.
Post by plb28622.) Change default IP 192.168.#.# to (insert choice - this is an
internal LAN so Class A, B or C IP ranges work) unless this is a
static IP issued by ISP
Did not do, but will do after I find out more about the cable modem. Can the
number after the 168 be any number? Even triple digits (say
192.168.123.123)?
Post by plb28623.) Change default administrative account name and password in the
router from Admin admin to (insert choices)
Done, of course.
Post by plb28624.) There are two types of MAC filters that you can use
a.) Put list of allowed physical address MAC you want to access the
wireless segment.
Did that.
Post by plb2862b.) Use NetStumbler to find your neighboring WLANs and get their
MAC addresses then enter those in the MAC filter to not allow access
to your WLAN.
Did not do. Good idea. I may do that too.
Of course, in addition to the above I also implemented WEP and - as soon as
I change my wife's PCI adapter - will implement WPA. And I also stopped the
router from broadcasting the new wierd SSID I chose.
Post by plb2862Of course the final question is: why did you buy wireless if you're
too security conscious and not using the methods above?
As you see, I did implement most of them and I use the wireless all the time
except when I am backing up because I think it is a faster connection and
not a problem to attach by cable. I just did not know if the backup was
using the cable or the wireless when both are attached. As I understand it
from you, the cable takes precedence at that time without my having to
disable the wireless adapter on the laptop. That is what I really wanted to
know.
Jeff