Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)
The problem is that although I've assembled, upgraded and fixed many, many
computers over the past decade and a half, I know beans about networking.
:-( However, I'm just going to dive in head-first and sink or swim. I'll
never learn this stuff otherwise.
The Comcast cable guy is coming tomorrow to install a cable modem at my
house. All I really want him to do is install the modem, then register the
MAC and make sure that the modem is working with Comcast's network. After
that, I want to set up a wireless AP and connect four computers to it to
share Internet access. I've already installed the four wireless network
cards, and all four have detected the router; the signal strength is
anywhere from "good to "excellent," depending on where the individual
computer is located in the house.
What I *don't* want to happen is for the Comcast guy to install Comcast's
software onto the computer that will be temporarily hard-wired to the router
(a Linksys WRT54G) for installation/configuration purposes. Instead, I want
to use Linksys' router-/network-config software (or simply log onto the
router via http://192.168.blah.blah and do it manually by entering all the
needed info into the required fields). The Comcast guy will of course have
to give me the information that I'll need (IP address, mail and news server
names, etc.)
After I'm sure that everything is working, I'll change the SSID and enable
WEP. I think I'm supposed to do something with DCHP, too, but even after all
the online searching I did, I'm still not 100 percent sure precisely what it
is and how I'm supposed to use it. There is also a MAC address for each
wireless card, and I understand that I can somehow restrict access to the
network to only those addresses.
I really want to set everything up manually, but if anyone has any advice
(especially pitfalls that I should avoid), please post a reply. After I get
up to speed with wireless networking and become proficient with it, I'll
return the favor for other newbies.
The problem is that although I've assembled, upgraded and fixed many, many
computers over the past decade and a half, I know beans about networking.
:-( However, I'm just going to dive in head-first and sink or swim. I'll
never learn this stuff otherwise.
The Comcast cable guy is coming tomorrow to install a cable modem at my
house. All I really want him to do is install the modem, then register the
MAC and make sure that the modem is working with Comcast's network. After
that, I want to set up a wireless AP and connect four computers to it to
share Internet access. I've already installed the four wireless network
cards, and all four have detected the router; the signal strength is
anywhere from "good to "excellent," depending on where the individual
computer is located in the house.
What I *don't* want to happen is for the Comcast guy to install Comcast's
software onto the computer that will be temporarily hard-wired to the router
(a Linksys WRT54G) for installation/configuration purposes. Instead, I want
to use Linksys' router-/network-config software (or simply log onto the
router via http://192.168.blah.blah and do it manually by entering all the
needed info into the required fields). The Comcast guy will of course have
to give me the information that I'll need (IP address, mail and news server
names, etc.)
After I'm sure that everything is working, I'll change the SSID and enable
WEP. I think I'm supposed to do something with DCHP, too, but even after all
the online searching I did, I'm still not 100 percent sure precisely what it
is and how I'm supposed to use it. There is also a MAC address for each
wireless card, and I understand that I can somehow restrict access to the
network to only those addresses.
I really want to set everything up manually, but if anyone has any advice
(especially pitfalls that I should avoid), please post a reply. After I get
up to speed with wireless networking and become proficient with it, I'll
return the favor for other newbies.