broadband router 3

[vogue1]

I need a linksys router for my DSL. To have 2 computers on the same line. Several questions I would like to ask.

Would prefer a wireless but am curious if it lacks security. And whether a cable makes for better speed. I mean, is there a speed difference between wireless and ethernet cable?

Also, I saw 2 packages for the linksys on the shelf. One was a -B and less expensive than a -G. I couldn't tell by reading the package the real difference.

Thanks very much.

 

[dakota81]

maximum speeds:

network cable: 100mbit
wireless -G: 54mbit
wireless -B: 11mbit
dsl: 6mbit (usually 1.5mbit)

In other words, don't worry about which network interface you choose.


wireless does need security which is built into the routers, you just have to figure out how to enable it. By far the easiest security measure to set up is a mac address filter in the router.

 

[cdogg]

Just to clarify, Dakota's ethernet and wireless speeds above should be in MB/s (that's megabytes per second). The DSL rating is the only one that should be in mb/s (megabits per second).

Since the average DSL connection is only 1.5 mb/s, that only translates to 187 KB/s which is well within the range of even the slowest wireless option.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[Freestone]

Dakota's speeds are correct, if not his nomenclature.

Fiber, wireless and wired network speeds are expressed in bits-per-second, such as Gigabit (Gbps) and Megabits (Mbps).

 

[vogue1]

Another question, probably not too smart. Will I need a second virus protector for the additional computer? Anything else I need to add when doing this?
Thanks.

 

[cdogg]

Oops! I got it turned around. Thanks freestone, and my apologies dakota. Not sure how I got it mixed up. It's been a long week already I suppose!


vogue1,
It's always a good idea to have virus protection on every PC you use. The wireless router you buy will provide some security hiding your PC's behind a "hardware" firewall (more accuratly called NAT). This protects well against direct attacks on your IP address.

However, it does not monitor what you are doing. If you accidently install spyware, or download a file that's infected with a virus, it will get past your router. Therefore, you should have an antivirus app running along with a "software" firewall like Zonealarm Pro. The software firewall helps protect against trojans and spyware that try to take over your connection, many of which your antivirus won't catch.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[Freestone]

"Would prefer a wireless but am curious if it lacks security"

Wireless routers used to, and may still, come with security disabled, and many users plugged them in and started using them without reading the manual, thus they were unsecure.

The next issue comes from security based on WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). I'll not go into any long explanation here as the web is chock full of WEP insecurity informational sites. WEP is better than no secuirty, but a determined person can still hack in.

For home use, look for a router that supports WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre Shared Key). This will provide much stronger security than WEP.

This article provides a good overview of home wireless security:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/bowman_03july28.mspx

"...is there a speed difference between wireless and ethernet cable?"

Yes, as Dakota's numbers show, there is a speed difference. But does it matter? If you are only surfing the Web on your PCs, then no it doesn't. But if you plan on transferring a large amount of data between PCs, then yes, it does matter in terms of time. Wired is faster (and is the most secure) than wireless G, which is faster than wireless B. You have to make the decision based on your planned use.

"Will I need a second virus protector for the additional computer?"

Since the second computer would have its own connection to the Internet, I'd recommend virus protection on it.

 

[cdogg]

One last note about wireless security...

Actually, the easiest and one of the most secure options when setting it up is to use pre-defined MAC addresses. Since new PC's won't be coming and going very often as in other environments, you can hard-code the MAC address of each wireless card from your workstations into the router's DHCP settings. That way, only they will be able to gain access to your router.

I completely agree with freestone that for web connections, do not concern yourself about the option you choose (wireless-B, wireless-G, or ethernet). All are more than fast enough. The only time you should be concerned is if you plan on doing a lot of large-file transfers between PC's. If that's the case, do not settle for anything less than wireless-G.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884