Allowing a Guest onto my home network

[fjules]

Hello all,
I have a home network consisting of a linksys WRV54G router. I have home computers wired to this router and I also have a couple of laptops that access my network of the wireless capability of the router. I want to allow guests to my home wireless access to the internet but I do not want them to be allowed to access any of my computers. Any ideas?
Thanks!!

 

[CiscoGuy33]

fjules,

With only one device I do not think anything will be perfect!

I have a much more complex home network and I seperate guest computers both wireless and hardwire connected that I am working on with a Linux firewall (IP Cop) on an old Dell P3 500 with 4 nics and 2 different routers/APs attached to 2 seperate networks (LANs) and the firewall lets everyone get to the Internet(WAN) but keeps the 2 local LANs seperate.

For you - I think the best bet would be a software firewall like Zone Alarm (Free version should work) on each of your computers as well as assigning them static IP addresses.

Then you just tell the ZA firewall to only "trust" a certain range of IPs - not perfect but it should work to keep honest guests out.

I do not think I would do this if I did not at least trust the guests a little - in other words I would not want to open the AP to anyone nearby!!

Hope this helps!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[fjules]

Ciscoguy, Thanks for the response. I think I solved the issue. I purchased a new Linksys WRV200 router. This router supports VLANs. I created a seperate vlan with its own SSID. All guests are wireless so I just give them this SSID when tha wan access and they cannot see any of my local network wich is all on another vlan. Works great!