On Tue, 4 Jul 2006 21:31:06 +0000 (UTC), (Geoffrey
S. Mendelson) wrote:

Beverly Erlebacher wrote:
I'm confused about this "access point" thing.

An access point is a device with an ethernet port on one side and a wifi
port on the other. In technical terms it would be called a "bridge". It
"bridges" two seperate network segments, although in this case they use
different topologies (100Base-T and WiFi).

Is that the same as a "router"?


The usual WiFi router consists of a four port ethernet hub (LAN ports),
a seperate single ethernet port (WAN port) and a WiFi access point.
It is set up to "route" between the single (aka WAN) port and the other
two ports, the LAN and WiFi. Most of what it does for routing is NAT (network
address translation) and some sort of IP tunneling.

If you ignore the WAN port and just use the LAN ports, you have a four port
hub and an access point.


Is it as simple as buying a second router (routers are familiar to me) and
just hooking that second router to the first router by cable and that would
extend my range by the distance of the cable connecting the two routers?

Yes. Just make sure to use the LAN ports. It would be best to use different
channels. Most WiFi clients are smart enough to use the channel that is the
strongest if they have access points on more than one with the same SSID.

Make sure to use encryption. Encryption is NOT to keep your data safe,
nothing can do that. If someone is intent on accessing your network, WEP
encryption will not keep them out.

True, but the ones that use the dynamic encryption can do a reasonably
good job along with a firewall and router. The golden rule is
"Nothing is bullet proof"


What it is for is to convince the guy driving down the street looking for an
open network to send out SPAM, or "share" kiddie porn, to drive on.
Unfortunately, most users don't even change the SSID of their network, let
alone set an encryption key.


One of the locals mentioned doing a bit of "war driving" around town
just for curiosity. About 80 to 90% of the networks heard were
unencrypted AND over half of those _still_used_
the_default_name_and_PW.
I use hard wired Cat5e in a gigabit network as with the amount of
traffic wireless is just too slow even if it is full duplex.


NOTE I only receive the two amateur radio news groups.
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


Having tuned in late, if you want to have an open network, look up PublicIP.
It's a "live cd" that runs on a PII or better (x86) computer and provides
all the functions you need to offer a secure and safe open network.

Geoff.
Roger

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:24:27 -0400, wrote in
:

On Tue, 4 Jul 2006 21:31:06 +0000 (UTC), (Geoffrey
S. Mendelson) wrote:

Make sure to use encryption. Encryption is NOT to keep your data safe,
nothing can do that. If someone is intent on accessing your network, WEP
encryption will not keep them out.

True, but the ones that use the dynamic encryption can do a reasonably
good job along with a firewall and router. The golden rule is
"Nothing is bullet proof"

Not even in the same universe -- WEP is easily cracked in minutes,
little more than the Emperor's new clothes. Use WPA with a strong
passphrase for any real security.

One of the locals mentioned doing a bit of "war driving" around town
just for curiosity. About 80 to 90% of the networks heard were
unencrypted AND over half of those _still_used_
the_default_name_and_PW.

Yep ... really bad ... shame on the wireless hardware companies!

I use hard wired Cat5e in a gigabit network as with the amount of
traffic wireless is just too slow even if it is full duplex.

Wi-Fi is half duplex.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: http://Wireless.wikia.com
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi How To: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes

One of the locals mentioned doing a bit of "war driving" around town
just for curiosity. About 80 to 90% of the networks heard were
unencrypted AND over half of those _still_used_
the_default_name_and_PW.

Yep ... really bad ... shame on the wireless hardware companies!
========================
You probably mean 'shame on the users' who haven't got a clue.

By the way it is the same situation here in the north of Scotland .
Driving in Inverness you can freely access WiFi points allover town
,from commercial companies to hotels..........but not at locations where
you would expect it ....like 'Starbuck' and bookshops like 'Borders'
Also in California you have to pay for WiFi access at
Starbuck.........must constitute a increasing part of their
income,considering the number of people with laptops.....usually without
a coffee..

I know ,I know ...life isn't a freebee

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

Highland Ham wrote:

By the way it is the same situation here in the north of Scotland .
Driving in Inverness you can freely access WiFi points allover town
,from commercial companies to hotels..........but not at locations where
you would expect it ....like 'Starbuck' and bookshops like 'Borders'

This will go on until the Scotish police start doing what the English do.
They track traffic at the ISP level looking for "kidde porn". Once they
find it, they locate the person sending or receiving the files.

They have no trouble getting a warrant and come in and arrest the owner of
the account and confiscate their equipment.

As soon as they do this, "users" will go looking for unencrypted
networks and use them, if they don't know I don't know Scotish law, but
in most places the owner of the network is responsible for what is done
with it.

There was a case in Canada of a man found driving five miles per hour
in a residential neighborhood. When the police stopped him, his pants
were around his ankles and there was a laptop on his lap.

Canada unlike most places has a law prohibiting using other people's internet
connections without permission. Most places don't.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:53:18 +0100, Highland Ham
wrote in
:

One of the locals mentioned doing a bit of "war driving" around town
just for curiosity. About 80 to 90% of the networks heard were
unencrypted AND over half of those _still_used_
the_default_name_and_PW.

Yep ... really bad ... shame on the wireless hardware companies!
========================
You probably mean 'shame on the users' who haven't got a clue.

No, I mean shame on the wireless hardware companies, as I wrote, for
such a gross disservice to their customers -- it shouldn't be necessary
to be an IT expert to use Wi-Fi safely. It should just work properly.
Otherwise it's not ready for the market.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: http://Wireless.wikia.com
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi How To: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes