Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (
More info?)
gary,
I should qualify my comments by telling you that the slower
performance may be due to using my notebook on our new
deck, where signal strength drops to around 50% (as opposed
to 70% range in the house). A month ago, when the deck was
put it, I didn't notice slower throughput, but it's shown up lately.
No, I haven't changed anything recently. So I'm also looking
for a way to boost signal strength on the deck. There is a
concrete (basement) wall between the 2nd floor deck and the
router. Is it possible to replace the wireless router with an
access point and then run an ethernet cable to the router
after moving it to the other side of the house which is closer
to the deck?
Thanks!
Scott
gary wrote:
> "Scott" <golden@uslink.net> wrote in message
> news:4128E54C.B85B0AEC@uslink.net...
> > gary,
> >
> > I enabled encryption again today, and performance is acceptable,
> > albeit slower. It makes me feel a lot better, since my neighbor's
> > D-Link router is now showing up as an available network.
> >
> > I'm also going to change the SSID and disable SSID broadcast.
>
> There's controversy about this. SSID hiding technically violates the
> standard, but it's almost universally supported by vendors. My position is
> that it's relatively innocuous, but adds very little in the way of
> security - especially if you use encryption. The argument against is that by
> hiding your SSID, you make it difficult for neighbors to know that you are
> running a net. If you don't hide SSID, your net and channel will show up in
> their site survey, allowing them to choose a different channel.
>
> >
> > My notebook is a Gateway 400SP with 2.0 Ghz Celeron, so I
> > don't think that's the problem. By a newer wifi adapter, do you
> > mean the wireless PCMCIA card? While my router is a Linksys,
> > the wireless card is an SMC 22mbps card (just a year old). Might
> > a Linksys wireless card be faster?
>
> Hmm. I'm a little surprised you see any performance penalty. Yes, I'm
> talking about the PCMCIA card. Major wifi chipset vendors like Broadcomm and
> Atheros have integrated the encryption into silicon. These chipsets are
> mostly available in 802.11g adapters, which of course are back-compatible
> with 802.11b routers.
>
> I'm still surprised you see any performance hit at all with a 2G processor.
>
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Scott
> >
> > gary wrote:
> >
> > > "Scott" <golden@uslink.net> wrote in message
> > > news:41282BD1.10894CB0@uslink.net...
> > > > gary,
> > > >
> > > > Yes, it was a drop-down menu. Thanks for pointing it out. Linksys
> > > > says enabling encryption will cause performance to suffer, and,
> > > > indeed, it does slow down the throughput. I'm going to look at
> > > > allowing only specific MAC addresses to access the network.
> > > > Is this a viable alternative to encryption? Where I live, in the
> > > > country, I don't believe hackers are a problem.
> > >
> > > In my opinion, relying solely on MAC filtering is not security at all.
> This
> > > is almost trivial to defeat. You're the only one who can assess how
> likely
> > > it is you will be hacked. It depends on your personal comfort zone with
> > > risk. I would suggest that, if you plan to run an open network, disable
> all
> > > shared resources, or at least password-protect them. I would also
> recommend
> > > a wifi firewall. And assume at all times that *everything* you transmit
> that
> > > is not on a VPN, https, or other secure encrypted connection is
> potentially
> > > being logged and understood by somebody.
> > >
> > > If performance is suffering because of WEP, then the encryption is being
> > > done in the driver (newer chipsets do it all in silicon), and your wifi
> > > client doesn't have much CPU headroom. You could fix that by getting a
> newer
> > > wifi adapter or a faster computer. Or maybe you can kill some
> unnecessary
> > > app that's eating cpu. Check your task list.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Scott
> > > >
> > > > gary wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I just looked up the manual at the Linksys web site. Security Tab.
> See
> > > > >
> > > > >
ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/wrt54gv1.1_ug.pdf
> > > > >
> > > > > page 28. Doesn't show it, but it looks like there is a dropdown menu
> > > with
> > > > > alternate keylength choices. Select key 1 in the row of buttons
> above
> > > the
> > > > > "WEP Encryption" field.
> > > > >
> > > > > You can either enter a key manually (just fill in the key 1 field)
> or
> > > use
> > > > > the passphrase generator. If you use the generator, type a
> completely
> > > random
> > > > > sequence of characters, not an easy-to-remember dictionary word. If
> you
> > > > > manually type the password, pick a *random* sequence of hex digits,
> not
> > > an
> > > > > easy-to-remember string. Whatever is in the key 1 field must also be
> > > entered
> > > > > in the key 1 field of the SMC config utility.
> > > > >
> > > > > "Scott" <golden@uslink.net> wrote in message
> > > > > news:412821AB.2DA81320@uslink.net...
> > > > > > gary,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'm trying not to sound dense here, but I've gone through every
> > > > > > setting on the Linksys router, and there is none for enabling or
> > > > > > disabling WEP. Shouldn't it be obvous?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks!
> > > > > > Scott
> > > > > >
> > > > > > gary wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > You need to enter the same WEP key on your Linksys router. I'm
> not
> > > sure
> > > > > what
> > > > > > > your neighbor's WEP-enabled D-Link has to do with it, unless it
> just
> > > > > > > reminded you that WEP was available.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > "Scott" <golden@uslink.net> wrote in message
> > > > > > > news:41281C8E.A0326C78@uslink.net...
> > > > > > > > I'm looking for some basic information on setting up
> encyption.
> > > > > > > > I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless router hard-wired to
> > > > > > > > several PC's, plus a notebook with an SMC wireless card.
> > > > > > > > Outside on our new deck, I just noticed a D-Link router
> > > > > > > > under Available Networks. We live in the woods with a
> > > > > > > > vacant lot between us and both neighbors. The D-Link
> > > > > > > > has WEP enabled. So I enabled WEP under Device
> > > > > > > > Manager on my notebook and then set up a 10-digit network
> > > > > > > > key and enabled encryption on the SMC Cardbus Adapter
> > > > > > > > pgm on the taskbar. After this, I am "not connected to
> > > > > > > > network", even after re-booting. I want encryption enabled
> > > > > > > > on my notebook, but I must be missing something basic,
> > > > > > > > because when I do it, it stops my internet access. I have
> > > > > > > > all hard drives set up for "sharing" on my PC's in the house.
> > > > > > > > Do I need to worry about them? The Linksys router firewall
> > > > > > > > is enabled.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Thanks!
> > > > > > > > Scott
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> >
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