Wired and Wireless LAN at same time

[Guest]

I have my home computers on a wired network (nothing fancy, just Windows XP
Pro on two machines and OSX on my Mac) sharing a cable modem and a printer. I
want to share the Internet connection with someone upstairs, without giving
them access to any of the computers or the printer. A wireless LAN would be
ideal, as it would save me the trouble of running cable. Can I have two LANs
(Wired and Wireless) sharing the cable modem?

If so, how do I set it up? To free up space, I'd have to run a hub from one
of my router connections, then (I assume) attach some sort of wirless hub to
that. Is this correct?

Assuming I get all that working, can I keep the two workgroups separate, so
that the machine on the wireless LAN does not see or have access to my wired
workgroup?

 

[Interrogative]

I have my home computers on a wired network (nothing fancy, just Windows XP
Pro on two machines and OSX on my Mac) sharing a cable modem and a
printer. I
want to share the Internet connection with someone upstairs, without
giving
them access to any of the computers or the printer. A wireless LAN would
be
ideal, as it would save me the trouble of running cable. Can I have two
LANs
(Wired and Wireless) sharing the cable modem?

Yep. I do that now with my ADSL modem.

If so, how do I set it up? To free up space, I'd have to run a hub from
one
of my router connections, then (I assume) attach some sort of wirless hub
to
that. Is this correct?

Just set it up with different IP range and netmask. My wired lan is
192.168.0.x netmask 255.255.255.0 and the wireless one is 169.254.140.x
netmask 255.255.0.0 and it all works fine. The only computer on your network
that the wireless one would be able to access is the one your end with the
wireless NIC on it. If you dont bridge the 2 networks, then the wired ones
wont be able to be accessed by the wi-fi one upstairs. Dont share anything
on your wi-fi connected computer would be the easiest way as it would allow
everything to go through on internet without anything being seen on your
computer but you could also do something like get Zone Alarm Pro and set up
your wired network as TRUSTED and your wi-fi network as INTERNET if you were
at all worried. Dont forget about properly securing your wi-fi network, too.

Assuming I get all that working, can I keep the two workgroups separate,
so
that the machine on the wireless LAN does not see or have access to my
wired
workgroup?

It will occur that way anyway without you changing anything once the wi-fi
is in excepting for the machine that has the wi-fi on it in your place.

 

[Lorien]

My wireless access point includes both the wireless transmitter and a half
dozen RJ-45 plugs for cable connections - and I use both (some connected
wireless and some connected through the cables). Of course, this is a
single device that serves both functions. Perhaps instead of buying just a
wireless access point, you might want to consider getting one device like I
have that serves both purposes.

Oh, and no matter what solution you come up with, you can always use share
permissions to prevent cross network sharing of resources. Just don't share
anything on the PC you want to keep private.

BTW, I've been trying to figure out how to do what you're trying to do with
different LAN segments - one a domain and one a workgroup - and I haven't
been able to come up with a solution yet. The solution proposed by the
other answer to your question wouldn't work in that scenario since in one
case the TCP/IP address would be static and in the other it would be
dynamically assigned by DHCP. If anyone knows how to set up something like
this, I'd love to know the answer.

 

[Chuck]

I have my home computers on a wired network (nothing fancy, just Windows XP
Pro on two machines and OSX on my Mac) sharing a cable modem and a printer. I
want to share the Internet connection with someone upstairs, without giving
them access to any of the computers or the printer. A wireless LAN would be
ideal, as it would save me the trouble of running cable. Can I have two LANs
(Wired and Wireless) sharing the cable modem?

If so, how do I set it up? To free up space, I'd have to run a hub from one
of my router connections, then (I assume) attach some sort of wirless hub to
that. Is this correct?

Assuming I get all that working, can I keep the two workgroups separate, so
that the machine on the wireless LAN does not see or have access to my wired
workgroup?

Assuming that you have just a single connection cable service, get a wireless
router, and connect that directly to the cable modem. Then connect your current
wired router to a port on the wireless router.

This will give you two LANs - a wireless LAN directly connected to service, and
a wired LAN connected under that. Your 3 computers would be protected from the
wireless LAN, and your neighbor, by your current router.

Be careful, though. Sharing cable service is thought by some to be, at minimum,
a TOS violation.
<http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13157358>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.