Thanks for helping me out with this wireless network project.
I understand the difference between the hardware firewall and the software one, now. The Netgear setup showed the unit hooked to a desktop through a NIC and that threw me off. I thought that the settings were changed from a computer that was hard wired in - but found that it was done wirelessly.
I moved the modem and router to a different position, that was actually farther away from the shop but had two fewer 24" stone walls in the path. The signal strength in the shop went from low to very good and claims to be running at 11 to 24 Mbps. Much mo betta.
I tried setting up the MAC addresses for the four boxes that are on this network but hosed myself when I told the router to only allow access from those addresses - before changing the settings on the computers. Suddenly - no mo access.
Did a hard reset on the router and got access back but decided to do some more RTFMing before continuing. I used to love reading manuals but now wish that folks like Netgear provided a little more handholding in setting up and changing the defaults - 'cause life is short and manuals are long.
Thanks again.
(watson - who wishes that manuals were written by English speaking folks, instead of Engineers.)
Regards, Tom.
Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.) tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)