Skewl me: Cable internet via wireless hub

[longboy]

I haven't ordered it yet, but I'm considering switching my DSL to Comcast cable. The price seems to be the same, give or take a couple of bucks, but all of your cable speeds blow my DSL speeds outta the water.

The problem I have is that I don't have any coax near my desktop in the office, and I don't want to run cable to that room. I do, however, have coax in the living room, as well as a wireless network hub in there (Apple's Airport Express/802.11g).

Is this a pretty basic thing to setup? I'm completely green on home networks and crap like that. It would only be one computer connected wirelessly to that hub, with hub wired to the cable modem. More computers in the future, maybe.

Is there anything I'm missing? Any last minute advice on DSL vs. Cable (I know we've had plenty of discussions on that)?

Thanks-

[Oscar]

I am stupid when it comes to such things. But I did my linksys with ease

[IoN6]

Yeah it is easy enough to do. I have a couple of friends who went with all wireless do to no cable jack where their computers are. With wireless G you will be able to get the full benifit of the upgrade to cable.

I don't have any experience with the Apple products but it sounds like you already have it working, so adding the cable connection to it shouldn't be a problem for you.

[Mack]

Yes. Unplug the wireless hub and cable box. Plug cable box in, let it find signal. Plug wireless hub into cable box, then into wall. Wait untill it gets it's IP address from cable box. Proceed to surf pr0n from your backyard.

[Tiffany]

Easy as Pie Austin....

Plug cable modem into hub/switch/router...plug comps into hub/switch/router

Wireless, just connect as you normally would.

If you had it set up before for DSL, you should not have to change anything for the cable.

I just went from DSL to cable...speed increase was well worth it!!!!

[TJeeper]

I have an Airport Extreme hub plugged into my cable modem. Took 2 minutes to set up, basically you have to assign a password to it. Simple.

[longboy]

I actually have the DSL (the actual land line) at the computer, it is not wirelessly connected to Internet. I currently only use the wireless hub for music purposes (iTunes to stereo receiver in living room), but intended to add computers in the future.

[OlBlueCJ7]

Dude, even I figured out how to do exactly what you're asking. Comcast cable to wireless router & voIP.

All our computers (3) in the house are running on wireless access via the Netgear router. I even managed to figure out how to setup WEP security.

If I can do it, a parapeligic orangutang can do it. :D

[Blake Shepherd]

As much as I HATE qwest, I'm thinking about switching to DSL. Comcast has worked pretty well for me, but they throttle the upload speed to 32k. DSL will always have the same upload and download speed (but download will be slower than comcast).

Rather than messing with a wireless hub, what about placing the comcast cable modem next to the wall and connecting that to a wireless router?

[lilgreenjeepyj]

Even 802.llb will handle any and all current broadband speeds. Im running g, and will suggest it as it is faster.

It is as easy as plug and play.... However, you REALLY need to take the time and setup your security correctly. You can more or less unbox, plug in, power up and go. ;) More or less... But the security aspect is a bit more time involved. I can not stress this enough. Then again, if you want your neighbor accessing your network then maybe you don't care. Id personally go all the way do to limiting MAC address access, turn off SSID broadcast, 128bit etc...


As for Cable vs DSL... well I sure don't like sharing my bandwidth. If you have a big neighborhood you may see speeds drop??? Then again, I really want SBC or Version Fiber and we cant' get either... :( Reference the other threads for the rest of my opinion.


Oh and for gaming, Ill never run wireless do to a variety of issues, always wired for gaming.

[longboy]

Rather than messing with a wireless hub, what about placing the comcast cable modem next to the wall and connecting that to a wireless router?

I guess that's what confuses me. Do I have a hub, router, or switch? It is this model (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/), and it does have an ethernet jack on it to connect to a modem. I have the manual at home, so I will RTFM :flipoff2:

From what I can tell, I have everything I need to connect a cable modem to that hub. The hub is already configured and connected to my computer, so I'm not worried about that.

[TJeeper]

The hub is already configured and connected to my computer, so I'm not worried about that.

Assuming your computer is connected wirelessly to your hub, you are set. Plug the Express into your modem with the ethernet cable, run the Airport setup program. The default is WPA security.

[Blake Shepherd]

I guess that's what confuses me. Do I have a hub, router, or switch? It is this model (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/), and it does have an ethernet jack on it to connect to a modem. I have the manual at home, so I will RTFM :flipoff2:

From what I can tell, I have everything I need to connect a cable modem to that hub. The hub is already configured and connected to my computer, so I'm not worried about that.

PM me - I may run over there and help ya in person. It sucks trying to do this crap online and while troubleshooting other crap at work.

[jnschwie]

I was going to suggest to NOT buy anything from netgear. Then I saw you had apple stuff. It'll be easy for you, Austin. :)

[longboy]

Thanks Blake, I may do that when I get around to the install. We'll see-

[PhantomD AKA Zach]

if you need any help with the apple stuff let me know... I am running wired to all the computers in the house and wireless for guests with security enabled...

I also have some very long lengths (40ft?) of networking cable if you need.


Zach

[longboy]

Thanks Zach, I was hoping you'd chime in. I'll holla if I'm stuck :)

[Yota]

What everyone else said +1.

I recommend Linksys or pretty much anything but Netgear.

[Mack]

You know- I used to love Linksys, but the last thing I got from there was death to my PC. Works like crap, and the software crashed my PC; I formatted it, started from scratch, loaded it again and now causes all sorts of errors. It might be the last thing I buy from Linksys.

[Unlimited04]

I dont like the idea of running private information over wireless. Yes, I have WEP enabled with 128bit encryption, but would rather not take that chance. Wireless connections will also destablize if you get another signal close to that frequency around it, like another wireless signal. I use good old hardwired CAT5 for my desktop and have wireless with WEP enabled for my laptop. I play video games on the desktop sometimes, so the direct hardwired CAT5 ensures a much more reliable connection than wireless. This way I can even use remote desktop from my laptop, and connect to the desktop from the sofa. You use free programs like "Scheduled Shutdown" to shut down/restart the desktop from your remote desktop connection too. If you have a static IP you can even log into your router from anywhere in the world and get on remote desktop from there.

run the CAT5 cable for a desktop, after all your not going to pick it up and carry it around the house.

[OlBlueCJ7]

Hey Unlimited, tell you what. You come retrofit my house with Cat5, and I'd be happy to run it. ;)

[kevh]

you guys running wep do realize that it is crap as far as wireless security is concerned right?

wep is easily cracked using a multitude of open source programs like WEPcrack or airsnort.

At a minimum you should be using WPA2 Personal (or stronger) for encryption, turning off your SSID broadcast, and limiting the machines that can connect (by using static ip addresses, limiting the number of addresses your dhcp allows, limiting the mac addresses that can connect, etc).

that is of course unless you dont mind if someone uses your network to surf kiddie pr0n

[Colin]

havent read all the responses but if your house is older they will likely run a new coax cable into the room of your choice. Thats what they did here because our existing cable was not good enough.


That being said Id run cat5. Its not difficult at all depending on the house. Wireless is goofy sometimes.

Good choice on the cable. I love mine, is 10x better than my dsl service used to be.

[longboy]

Kev, please detail WTF WPA2, WEP, SSID, MAC addresses are.

[lilgreenjeepyj]

you guys running wep do realize that it is crap as far as wireless security is concerned right?

wep is easily cracked using a multitude of open source programs like WEPcrack or airsnort.

At a minimum you should be using WPA2 Personal (or stronger) for encryption, turning off your SSID broadcast, and limiting the machines that can connect (by using static ip addresses, limiting the number of addresses your dhcp allows, limiting the mac addresses that can connect, etc).

that is of course unless you dont mind if someone uses your network to surf kiddie pr0n

I mentioned most of that about 10 posts back ;)

And nothing is perfect security wise either.

[lilgreenjeepyj]

Kev, please detail WTF WPA2, WEP, SSID, MAC addresses are.


SSID - Service Set Identifier, this is your wireless networks name. It can be broadcast or not. Turn off the broadcast once the network is setup. This just eliminates the beacon packets though and isn't really strong.

MAC - Medium Access Control, The uniquie identifier for your physical cards. Ever card has one, and you can setup a list of MAC addresses that can access your wireless network. Easy, and if you never have guests, worth the trouble.

DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration protocol, basically the service that asigns IP addresses to your network. The back side of the network, router back, as you will most likely only have one from Comcast. You can limit the number of IPs that the router will asign also or even go with static IP addresses if you want.

Like I said earlier, or maybe not, but its clearly worth the trouble to do a bit of research. Setup isn't hard though.

[kevh]

SSID - Service Set Identifier, this is your wireless networks name. It can be broadcast or not. Turn off the broadcast once the network is setup. This just eliminates the beacon packets though and isn't really strong.

MAC - Medium Access Control, The uniquie identifier for your physical cards. Ever card has one, and you can setup a list of MAC addresses that can access your wireless network. Easy, and if you never have guests, worth the trouble.

DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration protocol, basically the service that asigns IP addresses to your network. The back side of the network, router back, as you will most likely only have one from Comcast. You can limit the number of IPs that the router will asign also or even go with static IP addresses if you want.

Like I said earlier, or maybe not, but its clearly worth the trouble to do a bit of research. Setup isn't hard though.


yea, what he said. wikipedia (the greatest repository of all human knowledge :D ) has a pretty good stub about wireless security...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_security

basically, it all comes down to making a few settings in your router. turning off the ssid (makes your network more invisible), setting ip addys (limits the machines that can connect), and limiting mac addys (really limits the machines that can connect) is all done with a few easy selections, it is just a matter of knowing what those settings do.

just having a router (since they all have built in firewalls now) helps protect you from the dangers of al gore's interweb, now you just have to worry about your end, if you are using wireless. your router also gives you a choice of security protocols. wep sucks rabbit nutz, wpa is ok (but dated), and wpa2 personal or business are both pretty strong. all are really easy to set up (remember your passcode if you choose wpa or wpa2).

although nothing is perfect, it is kinda like locking your car. make your car harder to steal and most thieves will look elsewhere for an easier target. also, if your network is hard to get into, and you aren't known to have uber-super dooper secret special sauce-type information stored on your network, is it really worth the time to a cracker to try and break into your network?

wpa2 fits the bill pretty well. it doesnt make it next to impossible to access your own network, and makes it really hard for others to get into (especially combined with the other settings)

[lilgreenjeepyj]

yea, what he said. wikipedia (the greatest repository of all human knowledge :D ) has a pretty good stub about wireless security...

Except mine came from my head....:eek:


:shrug: Im a CS grad student after all. I should know one or two things. Well I hope so at least... :o

[Unlimited04]

Hey Unlimited, tell you what. You come retrofit my house with Cat5, and I'd be happy to run it. ;)

how much u paying:)? teach me to weld and help me fab fenders? you may have urself a deal:D

[longboy]

OK, I moved this weekend and actually ran this setup because I have no wired connection currently where the desk is. So, I connected my modem to the wireless hub elsewhere in the house, and the computer is connected to them wirelessly. It is working seamlessly and I'm happy. Nice thing is that someone else can join my network when visiting or if I give my neighbors access.

So, final questions:
1) I have the security setting set to WPA2 Personal (as opposed to WPA2 Enterprise)

2) I have the network selected as a "Closed Network". This supposedly prevents the network name from appearing to client computers. This is the closest thing I found to turning off my SSID Broadcast, let me know if I'm mistaken.

Should I be set for security on this computer, for the most part? I don't do business on this computer, and I don't store CC numbers, but I certainly don't want people accessing my files. Give a brother a clue if there's something I'm completely missing. Thanks all!

[kevh]

OK, I moved this weekend and actually ran this setup because I have no wired connection currently where the desk is. So, I connected my modem to the wireless hub elsewhere in the house, and the computer is connected to them wirelessly. It is working seamlessly and I'm happy. Nice thing is that someone else can join my network when visiting or if I give my neighbors access.

So, final questions:
1) I have the security setting set to WPA2 Personal (as opposed to WPA2 Enterprise)

2) I have the network selected as a "Closed Network". This supposedly prevents the network name from appearing to client computers. This is the closest thing I found to turning off my SSID Broadcast, let me know if I'm mistaken.

Should I be set for security on this computer, for the most part? I don't do business on this computer, and I don't store CC numbers, but I certainly don't want people accessing my files. Give a brother a clue if there's something I'm completely missing. Thanks all!


sounds like you are all set up. because i am paranoid i also limit the computers that can wirelessly connect to my network by listing the mac addresses. yea they can be spoofed, but that along with the other stuff will stop most people, especially your cheap ass neighbor who is too po to buy his own internet connection.

you may also want to check your shared resources on your pc (and the other pcs on the network). while sharing is supposed to be limited to your network, if someone was to get on, they could eaily access all your quality pr0n. as a rule, only share the resources that are absolutely necessary.

[Yota]

I was going to suggest to NOT buy anything from netgear. Then I saw you had apple stuff. It'll be easy for you, Austin. :)

I second and third this motion (I bought one, it sucked, returned, got another, it sucked, returned it). Avoid NetGear - they make crap.

I swear by Linksys (which is now owned by Cisco and Cisco is solid).

The Linksys WRT54GS is a solid performer. And I would get a Linksys PC adapter too. Keep it in the fambly.

Also x3.1415... on getting 802.11G. Your network will be much faster than your internet speeds, which in practical terms just means you have greater range since your network speeds vary with the effective distance from the router (gotta include walls as well as true distance). So yeah G is the way to go.

[PhantomD AKA Zach]

let me know if you need any help, I will be happy to walk you through it if you need, although i am no expert, I have done this a few times...

Zach

[Cresso]

OK, I moved this weekend and actually ran this setup because I have no wired connection currently where the desk is. So, I connected my modem to the wireless hub elsewhere in the house, and the computer is connected to them wirelessly. It is working seamlessly and I'm happy. Nice thing is that someone else can join my network when visiting or if I give my neighbors access.

So, final questions:
1) I have the security setting set to WPA2 Personal (as opposed to WPA2 Enterprise)

2) I have the network selected as a "Closed Network". This supposedly prevents the network name from appearing to client computers. This is the closest thing I found to turning off my SSID Broadcast, let me know if I'm mistaken.

Should I be set for security on this computer, for the most part? I don't do business on this computer, and I don't store CC numbers, but I certainly don't want people accessing my files. Give a brother a clue if there's something I'm completely missing. Thanks all!

I assume everyone knows not to leave the default SSID, broadcast or not. I typically change the router IP and remove DHCP as well.

Personally, I'd rather string 100ft of cat5 through my house than use wireless. I choose that more for the consistent connection than for security, though. I hate fluctuating latency.

[longboy]

Brandon, I actually already have all the equipment for the wireless. It is Apple, and it is 802.11g.

Doug, I did change the network name, is that what you mean? I know not to leave it set as "Linksys 123" or "Apple Network". The network name and password have both been set to something non-standard.

All is set up and functioning well, I'm just doublechecking that I didn't miss something important in the security aspect. Thanks all-