From: John on
On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:20:30 -0700, Jeff Strickland wrote:

> "John" <invalid(a)invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:2kf1voag4jck.17lpqygnxhyns$.dlg(a)40tude.net...
>> On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:04:06 +1300, John wrote:
>>
>>> Just purchase this cheap router to network two home computers.
>>>
>>> Before I start I would like to make it clear that I've never installed a
>>> router before, I'm a complete novice at this.
>>>
>>> My IP address is static (doesn't change) but for me to gain access to the
>>> web utility (192.168.1.1)I need to change from "Use the following IP
>>> address" to "Obtain an IP address automatically.
>>>
>>> Once into the web utility it asks a number of (simple) questions, the
>>> first
>>> page asks for Host name and Domain name. I assume that my host name is
>>> the
>>> computer name? Again, I assume that the Domain name is the name of my IP?
>>>
>>> The next page asks to specify the WAN connection (in my case cable).
>>>
>>> The following page asks whether to enable the "Static DNS Server" and
>>> input
>>> information for the Domain name server (DNS) address and the Secondary
>>> (DNS) address. In this instance do I tick enable or not?
>>>
>>> That's the end of the web utility and seems simple (at least to me) but
>>> for
>>> the life of me I can't get the router to work.
>>>
>>> Any help would be most appreciated.
>>
>> Please ignore, problem fixed.
>
>
> If your router is wireless, then you should set it to operate securely with
> encryption. WEP is probably good enough.
>
> You can name your router so that you recognize it when somebody comes over
> with a laptop and wants to use the 'net. An example might be LONDON or
> PARIS. You tell your visitor to connect to your router by its name. This is
> easier to tell them than, connect to 5Y3Z7, or whatever the default name
> might be. Do not name your router Jones, if your name is Jones.
>
> Set your WEP code to a 10-digit string containing the characters 0 ~ 9, plus
> A ~ F. A phone number with Area Code is easy for you to remember, but to
> keep the hackers at bay, it would be best to not use your own phone number.
> If you have a different string that fits the requirements, you can use it.
> The point is, you need to be able to remember it. Uncle Bob, that lives in
> another state, has a phone number that the hackers wouldn't guess easily.
>
> When your visitors come to town with a wireless laptop and want to get on
> the 'net, you tell them that your router is LONDON, and the WEP key is
> 8185551212 -- Uncle Bob's phone number. It's easy for you to remember, and
> you can let anybody you want use your internet connection while denying
> access to those that don't know which of the wireless routers they can see
> is yours, and probably don't know Uncle Bob's phone number.
>
> Your visitors can gain 'net access, but can't get into your computers.

Thanks Jeff,
I've printed out a copy for reference.
From: JD on
On 15/03/2010 4:20 PM, Jeff Strickland wrote:
> "John"<invalid(a)invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:2kf1voag4jck.17lpqygnxhyns$.dlg(a)40tude.net...
>> On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:04:06 +1300, John wrote:
>>
>>> Just purchase this cheap router to network two home computers.
>>>
>>> Before I start I would like to make it clear that I've never installed a
>>> router before, I'm a complete novice at this.
>>>
>>> My IP address is static (doesn't change) but for me to gain access to the
>>> web utility (192.168.1.1)I need to change from "Use the following IP
>>> address" to "Obtain an IP address automatically.
>>>
>>> Once into the web utility it asks a number of (simple) questions, the
>>> first
>>> page asks for Host name and Domain name. I assume that my host name is
>>> the
>>> computer name? Again, I assume that the Domain name is the name of my IP?
>>>
>>> The next page asks to specify the WAN connection (in my case cable).
>>>
>>> The following page asks whether to enable the "Static DNS Server" and
>>> input
>>> information for the Domain name server (DNS) address and the Secondary
>>> (DNS) address. In this instance do I tick enable or not?
>>>
>>> That's the end of the web utility and seems simple (at least to me) but
>>> for
>>> the life of me I can't get the router to work.
>>>
>>> Any help would be most appreciated.
>>
>> Please ignore, problem fixed.
>
>
> If your router is wireless, then you should set it to operate securely with
> encryption. WEP is probably good enough.
>

I would have to disagree and point out that:

WEP is terrible, it does not even take a long time to get the key (as
little as 10 min), its a new router so it should have WPA2, thats what
you should use, and use a long password, use a sentence that way it's
easy to remember and long, and throw in some numbers and non
alphanumeric characters for maximum security.


> You can name your router so that you recognize it when somebody comes over
> with a laptop and wants to use the 'net. An example might be LONDON or
> PARIS. You tell your visitor to connect to your router by its name. This is
> easier to tell them than, connect to 5Y3Z7, or whatever the default name
> might be. Do not name your router Jones, if your name is Jones.
>
> Set your WEP code to a 10-digit string containing the characters 0 ~ 9, plus
> A ~ F. A phone number with Area Code is easy for you to remember, but to
> keep the hackers at bay, it would be best to not use your own phone number.
> If you have a different string that fits the requirements, you can use it.
> The point is, you need to be able to remember it. Uncle Bob, that lives in
> another state, has a phone number that the hackers wouldn't guess easily.
>

WEP codes are terrible for remembering especially if you don't know how
to count in hexadecimal.

> When your visitors come to town with a wireless laptop and want to get on
> the 'net, you tell them that your router is LONDON, and the WEP key is
> 8185551212 -- Uncle Bob's phone number. It's easy for you to remember, and
> you can let anybody you want use your internet connection while denying
> access to those that don't know which of the wireless routers they can see
> is yours, and probably don't know Uncle Bob's phone number.
>
> Your visitors can gain 'net access, but can't get into your computers.
>

Once on the local LAN they can intercept all the traffic travelling thru
it (ARP Spoofing/Injection), such as user names and passwords sent in
the clear (POP3 mail for example) it's true they cannot see the contents
of SSL encrypted pages that you may be using, however there are some man
in the middle attacks for such pages.


JD