OT: ping WiFi gurus ;-(

[T i m]

Hi All,

I have been trying to sory *my* wireless network out recently and have been asking some questions on alt.internet.wireless but the replies are intermittent and the information sparce ;-(

So I thought I'd sneak a question in here and if anyone is 'up' on all the lastest WiFi stuff maybe you could reply off list if you can help please?

Basic scenerio:

Belkin WiFi cable router (F5D7230-4) connected to NTL providing mainly wired access to home PC's.

Wireless access via Belkin using WPA-PSK.

A 'remote link' (down the workshop) provided by a pair of Netgear ME102's (local one in AP mode, remote one in 'client' mode). All working fine except only 128b WEP (they don't support WPA).

The remote PC (old laptop) is connected to the remote 102 via 10m of Cat5 (ap can then sit just behind the window for good signal). USB / PCMCIA devices not suitable.

I've picked up an Asus WL-300g that was supposed to be 'flexible' (would even take Netgear router firmware etc) in the hope that it would replace the remote netgear AP, connect directly to the Belkin router and also use WPA. However, Belkin suggest that in Bridge or WDS mode WAP isn't supported (not part of the WDS standard) so I'm wasting my time trying (although I do think it actually connected as I hoped at one point but I can't get back to that position again )?

So, what actual bit of kit do I need (make / model) that would act as a remote, Ethernet 'node' that *should* connect to the Belkin router (as if it was a std WiFi client (USB dongle etc)) AND support WPA-PSK (or possibly Radius) please?

All the best ..

T i m

[Rusty]

alt.computer.hardware should have more experts, especially US

Wireless networks are somewhere between a rock and hard place IMHO.

rusty.

[T i m]

Thanks for that fella .. I'll take a look over there ..

I did also consider uk.telecom.broadband but again felt that was more network than wireless ?

All the best ..

T i m

>

[Derek ^]

Try uk.comp.home-networking

DG

[dennis]

ME102s also support point to point mode where they will only talk to the other one of the pair. This is much more secure than WEP alone.

If the ME102 security is still worrying you then this should do what you ask (I don't have one)

[T i m]

Cheers fella .. ;-)

T i m

[dave stanton]

Wifi does crop up on there frequently.

Dave

[dennis]

I doubt if there is more than a handful of people that could actually spoof the remote me102 and join the network. It is possible to monitor the traffic with the right kit. But its also possible to monitor WPA and decode the data if you are willing to expend the effort and/or have enough computing power (shh don't mention SIS). I doubt if anyone would bother (you aren't a terrorist or similar are you?).

[Ian Stirling]

Alt.internet.wireless is your bunny.

[T i m]

Erm, thanks Ian but that's where I started ;-(

However I seem to have had a few answers to the last version of basically the same question now so could be getting somewhere ;-)

The frustrating thing is that yesterday evening I got working what I think was suggested shouldn't work (Asus connecting to the Belkin using WPA .. surfing the net over the link etc) and this morning everything looks ok (getting DHCP over the link and can ping google etc) but no surfy the net . from IE or Firefox ...?

Ho hum ..

T i m

[T i m]

I'm looking at trhe 'operational mode' options on the local 102 now and have 3 choices.

1) Access point 2) Access point client 3) Wireless bridge

My local one is set to AP and I think I had to set the remote one to Bridge to get any sense out of the link?

I have some ;-)

I just happen to have a Cray II ;-)

Not for a while now ;-)

All I'm trying to do is protect my network from abuse as much as is reasonably and easily possible without having to spend a fortune?

There are quite a few wireless networks round here and the possibility of some 'script kiddies' that might just enjoy the challenge of getting in ..?

Like car / house alarms .. I thought the idea is to make yours a more complicated target than one down the street ..?

All the best ..

T i m

[CluelessBOB]

I've found wireless to be a bit of a pain in the proverbial at times I've never tried these myself but, if you're having to use a stretch o cat5 to the laptop anyhow, might you be just as well to try somethin along the lines of this:

would eliminate any signal issues and would also make your networ harder to casually eavesdrop (not that it's all that likely in th first place). Would also stop your Belkin router interfering with radi

4 as my one does (means t'internet has to go off when the missus want to listen to the archers!).

I'm seriously thinking of ditching my wireless to go with somethin like this

-- CluelessBOB

[Gary]

If you can ping google.co.uk then surfing should work, unless there is a problem with the DNS that the browser is using. Try putting the returned ping address into the browser - for google.co.uk try http://216.239.59.104 to confirm. Gary

[dennis]

You worry about wireless interfering with radio and then recommend shoving RF down mains. I think you should investigate before buying them.

2.4G 802.11g shouldn't interfere with radio 4 so I suspect your radio is duff.

[dennis]

I expect that to fail. He appears to have working DNS as he can ping google. What I suspect is that he has a proxy set and either his DNS doesn't resolve the proxy or the proxy is duff.

HTH.

[manatbandq]

It has nothing to do with the network signal. Almost any electronic kit can interfere with radio if it isn't designed and filtered properly. There's bound to be some kind of processor running at some 10s or 100s of MHz in there.

MBQ

[dennis]

The two I had were both set to bridge. Nothing else saw an AP.

[dennis]

I don't recall ASUS being mentioned. The Wl-330 has a bridge mode in it to do just what you want (I just downloaded the manual).

The lack of surfing tends to imply your proxy has gone duff.

[T i m]

Ah, I have a followup for ya ..

Moved laptop from 'remote' (well 1m remote ) to main Belkin router and still no web browsing. Plugged laptop straight into cable modem ..(after 30 sec reset) same result?

Remembered my main PC (still working ok) was using my mates gateway (I was testing some stuff last night, it's hard wired ) and that was why my machines ok (doh).

Checked the network status page on my ISP and all was supposedly well , but a phone call found that my cable modem had been left registered on another server (or summat) ;-(

So, they give you good modem lights, DHCP and let you ping anywhere (and hence also give DNS) but won't let you actually browse anywhere .. other than their registration server possibly!

Just what you want when you are conducting some other tests .... ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

So would that provide more security then .. ? I assume you would still only have to get an AP (some usb dongles and other 'nodes' no doubt can work in that mode) get the WEP and spoof the mac and you could connect?

All the best ..

T i m