solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Hi, first I have to inform that I'm a total newbie when it concerns local networks, because I've never had more than one box at a time. But in a week I'll be getting an Acer laptop (will put FC or Mandriva on it) and I need some advice in making a home LAN. My current setup is such: Internet ADSL connection which is connected to a modem and further down the way the connection by computers is understood as LAN. One step down from the ADSL modem I have a basic switch from which go two cat5 cables: one to my box, the other to my sister's on the other side of the house. The modem and router are in my room. So the idea is to leave cat5 going to my sister's computer and put a wireless router/hub/whatever it's called to divide the internet connection between my two computers (pc + laptop) as well as link my computer and laptop into a private wireless LAN. I need two kinds of advice here: 1. What hardware should I get? 2. How do I make that setup work software side, i.e., do I have to run a server or will the wireless router do the job for me? In short, I need to make this work: [internet connection] | [router]---------cat5---------[sister's win pc] | [wireless]-----------[my laptop] |......................................| [my pc]--------LAN--------| Or maybe this is possible? => [internet connection] | [wireless router]---------cat5---------[sister's win pc] | |---------------------------[my laptop] |...................................| [my pc]--------LAN--------| help? :) Edited January 17, 2007 by solarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 If you have the opportunity I'd recommend just getting rid of the ADSL modem and the router/hub and replacing it with one which does Wifi and routing as well. They are not expensive anymore and as regards problem solving it simplifies your setup immensly...and you can often (especially this time of year) get bundled wifi card/ADSL router in one... for not much more than the price of either... Otherwise its pretty much supported under the routers software.... just use DHCP and plug n play. Once its working you can mess about with static IP's or setting DHCP to give the same IP to the same MAC add each time... play with NAT etc. If you transfer huge amounts of data consider checking the router is switched... this meas you are not essentially sharing one 100MB connection but most Wifi routers are by their nature switched if they also support wired... otherwise only one would work at once and switching is the simplest way to achive this) Technically I have had two Belkin wifi products just die on me... like they just stopped working and trawling the web suggests its not uncommon and its because the memory holding the firmware is dodgy ... Philosophically I'd not recommend some brands because of their linux policy... Netgear makes some fine routers and ADSL routers BUT last time I purchsed a card they had the drivers in a self-extracting Windows zip... that by design or accident didn't work under wine... i.e. I needed the windows drivers for ndiswrapper but couldn't extract them (someone on the board did it for me) .. so I vowed never to buy netghear again... In the end I'd reccomend downloading the manuals before buying ... check the capabilities and interface is web supported ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Thanks! Now I'll try to understand what you just said, much is new to me. :D I don't think I can replace the ADSL modem, because it's some special kind provided by the phone/internet provider company. Do you know anything about AirLive wireless routers? They seem cheap and are available in this region. Other available ones are: GIGA-BYTE, D-LINK, Linksys, A-LINK (and belkin) What about this: http://www.airlive.com/WT-2000AP.htm Edited January 17, 2007 by solarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Be careful which ones you buy. You need the type for your connection, so either PPPoE or PPPoA depending on the type of link provided by your ISP/phone company. In the UK they sell the Linksys ones, I bought one, but then found it wasn't compatible because it was PPPoE and we use PPPoA here on usual phone lines. Can't figure out why they're being sold, unless for NTL type connections. Anyway, I use Netgear, the DG834 model, which is a ADSL (PPPoA) router with wireless and firewall all built in. Cost about 80 GBP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Can't I just switch the outgoing cat5 from the modem to the router? It's ADSL on paper, but computers recognize it as a standard LAN connection, i.e., I don't need to log in, etc. Edited January 17, 2007 by solarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Can't I just switch the outgoing cat5 from the modem to the router?It's ADSL on paper, but computers recognize it as a standard LAN connection, i.e., I don't need to log in, etc. Yes in reality its much simpler than you are making it :D I was just suggesting it might be simpler to replace the lot with a single box....you save on power requirements (they draw a suprising amount) and simplicity and fault diagnosis... The PPPOE and PPPOA is the gotcha but otherwise that's what the ADSL router is doing.. it takes PPPOE or PPPOA at one end and routes it to (fast) ethernet on the other...or you just plug in a hub/switch and plug the cables into that... My Belkin I paid GBP 50 about 4 yrs ago... with a bundled PCMCIA card... in the sales ... OK the router died but it was still very cheap... and the PCMCIA card is still working.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilia_kr Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 That is what i use: [internet connection] | [ADSL router] | [wireless router]------cat5------[my PC] \---------------[brother's PC] \-------------[any other wifi computer] Works fine for me. I've paid only about 18$ for my wireless/cat5 router. Although it is not of some major brand (Level One) but it works fine and I never turned it off or restarted for a year and a half (since i bought it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) So, to make it clear: 1. Can I switch a wireless router to my ADSL modem; 2. The router enables internet connection for the computers on the network; 3. The router makes it possible to make a private LAN between (my) two of the computers in the network, i.e., my sister doesn't have access to my computers through the LAN? Edited January 17, 2007 by solarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 How's the existing modem connected? Is it USB modem, or is it managing the internet connection on it's own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 It's managing internet connection on its' own. The modem is plugged in to a little flat box (wow, this sounds stupid!) which separates the land line phone traffic line from the DSL connection. Then it on its own just gives out ethernet connection to anything that is connected to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Ah OK, then you should be OK to continue using this. All you'll effectively need is a hub/switch, and wireless access point. Here is my home connection: Wireless Access Point --> Firewall (4 port switch) --> ADSL Router --> Internet So, all laptops or machines with wireless are protected by the firewall before accessing the internet. All PC's with CAT5 cable get connected to the firewall. This will be similar to what you will do, except you'll still use that little box of tricks instead of buying an ADSL Router. Replace my firewall if you like with hub/switch like I mentioned before, and connect the Wireless to the switch like in my setup above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Thanks, but what about LAN, my two computers and my sister not getting into my computers? I've made a more precise schematic of what I have in mind: [ADSL modem] | ethernet | [wireless router__________________] [internet connection for all with access]---------cat5---------[sister's win pc, no access to my computers through LAN] | |----------------wireless LAN----------[my laptop] |.......................................................| [my pc]--------wireless LAN------------| Also I want that nobody else except these computers can connect to my wireless internet, if I haven't given them access, i.e., don't want neighbours using it, because my connection is slow as it is. Edited January 17, 2007 by solarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 So, to make it clear:1. Can I switch a wireless router to my ADSL modem; Almost certainly Yes... 2. The router enables internet connection for the computers on the network; Sort of.... it just enables a network connection .. the fact its internet not internal is of no difference ... except for the change in protocol to PPPOE or PPPOA.... BUT this is done transparently by your modem... PPPOE/A comes in and is routed to 100-baseT so your modem is actually a router ....(as well) (I know this is confusing but its really very simple once you get it and play you'll see its hard to explain without pictures) 3. The router makes it possible to make a private LAN between (my) two of the computers in the network, i.e., my sister doesn't have access to my computers through the LAN? Yes she will if you give her permissions and share.... In reality internal/external is no different... if you open ssh I can ssh into your box (your router will need to allow this and any firewall policy) ... if you run apache I can browse it etc. etc. Your sister will have the SAME.... You can use a firewall to do almost anything restricting access theoretically say you ha apache installed and for some reason didn't want your sister to see your website fro her computer you just block http (port 80) from her IP address. What yuo need to be careful is that your modem is not hardwired (crippled) to only allow a single PC... The reality is almost all ADSL modems are just little embedded linux boxes... and use standard linux tools like ipchains/iptables etc. for routing ... You could plug a PPPOE/A card direct into a PC (I have done this) and authentificate over it and then use the ethernet into a switch/hub.... it will just act with some config like a hardware router... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Thanks, but what about LAN, my two computers and my sister not getting into my computers? You could install shorewall or something on your computers to stop anyone accessing them. I've made a more precise schematic of what I have in mind: [ADSL modem] | ethernet | [wireless router__________________] [internet connection for all with access]---------cat5---------[sister's win pc, no access to my computers through LAN] | |----------------wireless LAN----------[my laptop] |.......................................................| [my pc]--------wireless LAN------------| Also I want that nobody else except these computers can connect to my wireless internet, if I haven't given them access, i.e., don't want neighbours using it, because my connection is slow as it is. Use the security functions on the wireless for WPA-PSK or even WPA-PSK2 as well. Then the wireless cards can be set up to use the password shared key to gain access. Then, nobody can gain access without the password, and all traffic is encrypted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarian Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 You could install shorewall or something on your computers to stop anyone accessing them. That's actually a good plan, but how to make my computers not restricting access to each other? :D I'm really sorry if these questions seem dumb, but I really have no experience with networking. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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