I was hoping that someone could explain to me the difference and/or benefits
of configuring my home network via one of these options. For historical
reference, I recently purchased the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router w/
SpeedBooster. This hardware allows you to connect directly to it via a web
browser and change all of the relevant settings for a home network and it's
security. I am aware of the XP setup options, but have never used them. Is
there any benefit to the XP wizard? Or would one setup conflict with the
other?
This inquiry is purely for my own interest - as I have both hard lines and
wireless access working properly after using the Linksys configuration...some
of which was much too advanced for me to change from the default settings.
The Linksys setup, and the XP networking wizard, are two different procedures.
They make very few common changes.
The Linksys setup procedures let you setup the router, and make minimal changes
to the TCP/IP setup, on the computer that you're using during router setup.
They make no changes to the computer's Windows Networking (File and Printer
Sharing) setup, on that computer.
The XP networking wizard lets you setup TCP/IP, Windows Networking, and internet
service, on the computer that you run the wizard on. It makes no changes to the
setup on the router (when a router is even indicated during the setup).
Since you have TCP/IP built in to Windows XP, you can access the router (within
router initial setup limitations) before you run the XP wizard.
If I were starting with a new router, and a new computer, I would start things
up in this order:
1) Connect the computer to the router. Do not connect the router to the
internet.
2) Run the Linksys setup as far as possible with the router disconnected from
the internet. Only connect to the internet when Linksys setup requires it.
3) Configure the Linksys, or any wireless router, as follows:
- Change the router management password, and disable remote (WAN) management.
- Enable WEP / WPA. Use non-trivial (non-guessable) values for each. (No "My
dog has fleas").
- Enable MAC filtering.
- Change the subnet of your LAN - don't use the default.
4) Run the XP networking wizard (if you must), selecting "This computer gets
internet service from another computer" (the router), and "This computer gets
settings from another computer" (the router providing DHCP).
5) Once computer to router connectivity is verified, manually reconfigure the
computer to use a fixed ip address. I highly recommend this for any computer
connected to a wireless LAN (whether the computer itself is connected wirelessly
or not). You can use the currently assigned ip address, but don't provide DHCP
services on a wireless LAN.
6) Reconnect to the router, and turn the DHCP server OFF.
7) Use a software firewall on each computer connected to a wireless LAN. The
XP firewall (preferably WF on SP2) is better than none. Adjust the scope of
file and printer sharing, to specific ip addresses manually assigned.
To summarise, I highly recommend the following security related steps in the
above procedures:
1) DO not connect the router to the internet until it is properly secured.
2) For a wireless LAN, turn off the DHCP server, and manually assign ip
addresses to all computers.
3) Use a firewall on every computer connected to a wireless LAN, and open file
and printer sharing to specific, manually assigned, ip addresses.
The wireless neighborhood is full of dodgy neighbors. Please protect yourself,
and the internet as a whole. For plenty of discussion about internet security
in general, and wireless LAN security in particular, please browse thru
comp.security.firewalls, microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless, and
microsoft.public.security.
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
