On Wednesday 16 February 2005 18:09, Craig Brooksby wrote:
> Hi all -- seeking advice / pointers to where I can read up... my two
> questions are numbered, below.
>
> My home network is through a D-Link wireless router, to the Cox cable
> modem.  It works fine -- I am not an expert.  For security, I did
> stuff like the following:
>
> 1) Turned WEP on, at 128-bit
not bad. :)

> 2) Turned on filtering by Mac address
Better! :)

> 3) Added WPA-PSK authentication.
ok here...

granted, the above isn't very good security, but for a wireless device, it 
should keep anyone but a real pro out of your network.


>
> The router seems to be able to do more -- firewall stuff, etc.  At the
> same time, I know people use old boxes + Linux to do all these things.
>  So here's what I'm wondering:
>
> 1) Are there clear reasons why running an old box + Linux as a router
> / firewall / etc.  is *better* than just using the features in the
> little $60 router?  (I mean, the *fan noise alone* from this old box
> is enough to tilt the scales for me  :-)
more flexibility with a "roll your own" box (I know, I have 2 here and both 
give me a lot more than the commercial machines would allow for). fans can be 
replaced and are cheap. the commercial (read that as consumer grade) firewall 
boxen are fine for "minimal security" but they have too many catches (read 
that as security holes). 

>
> 2) Do people plug in Wi-Fi adapters into the old box and use it to
> control a wireless network?  Or is all that better left to the D-Link?
>  I ask because my son's Win XP box is currently wireless.
personally, I'd plug that wireless into the firewalled side of the home-built 
router, turn all three things on up above and have fun. one additional point, 
yopu might want to have ipsec/freeSwan running on the router and just VPN the 
wireless XP machine to it (this sounds like extra work, but it really isn't 
because of the enhanced security you would get by encrypting a tunnel on top 
of an "encrypted" wireless connection).

>
> I want to learn more about networks.  I am resourceful and like new
> challenges, but if such things are better left to people with long,
> deep experience / formal training -- network "engineers" and people
> who relax by readin manpages -- please advise.
I am not an "Engineer". I do have "some" expereince when it comes to network 
management (I should, I;ve been running my own home network for 8 years now). 
I don't have a lot of formal training either (lack of funds to go to school, 
etc). I just wish I could get a job locally that would give me some more 
useful experience.

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