Networking and Internet Set up

Hello there

I have a complicated one.

All machines involved are running XP Pro SP2.

On the ground floor of my house, I have a Verizon DSL modem which is
connected to a D-Link router. The router in turn feeds internet via-cable
one computer on the ground floor as well.

From the router I also four other cables running up to four different rooms
up-stairs. In one of the four rooms up-stairs, there is another D-Link
router, this one wireless to split the internet connection via-cable between
a desktop (cable) and a laptop (wireless).

I am interested in isolating this one room. From the cable coming from the
router downstairs, I am getting the internet feed. Other than that I would
like to the desktop and the laptop to be networked and connected to the
internet but totally closed to any access from the other computers in the
house.

At present, for the desktop and the laptop, I have created a network with
another name than the default 'WORKGROUP'. This should prevent other
computers in the house from 'seeing' the desktop and the laptop. Am I right
or is there a way to insure this?

I have also set the wireless router with 128 Bit WEP encryption, changed the
name of the wireless network (I picked a different name from the network
between the desktop and the laptop) and disabled the SSDI broadcasting.
Is this enough to ensure no one can access my wireless connection and the
network? What can be done to insure this?

Sorry about the length of this post. Hope it is clear and thank you in
advance for you help.

Mike,

Your problem is not uncommon, but you could have explained it in a way that
excluded some details.
However, you have some part of your network which you wish to isolate from
the other part. These parts are connected via
a D-Link router/bridge.

Your solution for the wirless latop is sufficient; but hidding the beacon
does not give you more security. Setting up a distinct
network with a distinct key is the best you can do, really. This will only
prevent that machine from connecting to the other wireless network

Now, for this network in general, which these two computers attached, you
have a slightly different problem. You don't want them to see the other
computers.
In the D-Link administration page, you should be able to configure the
firewall. You may be able to list each machine and specify that there will
be no allowed access from any machine from this network to any machine in
the other networks, except for the machine which serves as the router. The
firewall rules might look something like this:
Rule #1: Allow All Traffic To Internet Gateway Device
Rule #2: Deny All Traffic that does not meet Rule #1

You'll need to be a little network saavy to do this with the D-Link
administration utility, but between trying using this utility and testing
connectivity with the "ping" utility, you should be able to see whether or
not you have really created a firewalled region.

Brian

--
Brian Wehrle
(E-Mail Removed)
Software Test Engineer/Wireless Networking
Microsoft Corp.

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello there
>
> I have a complicated one.
>
> All machines involved are running XP Pro SP2.
>
> On the ground floor of my house, I have a Verizon DSL modem which is
> connected to a D-Link router. The router in turn feeds internet via-cable
> one computer on the ground floor as well.
>
> From the router I also four other cables running up to four different
> rooms up-stairs. In one of the four rooms up-stairs, there is another
> D-Link router, this one wireless to split the internet connection
> via-cable between a desktop (cable) and a laptop (wireless).
>
> I am interested in isolating this one room. From the cable coming from the
> router downstairs, I am getting the internet feed. Other than that I would
> like to the desktop and the laptop to be networked and connected to the
> internet but totally closed to any access from the other computers in the
> house.
>
> At present, for the desktop and the laptop, I have created a network with
> another name than the default 'WORKGROUP'. This should prevent other
> computers in the house from 'seeing' the desktop and the laptop. Am I
> right or is there a way to insure this?
>
> I have also set the wireless router with 128 Bit WEP encryption, changed
> the name of the wireless network (I picked a different name from the
> network between the desktop and the laptop) and disabled the SSDI
> broadcasting.
> Is this enough to ensure no one can access my wireless connection and the
> network? What can be done to insure this?
>
> Sorry about the length of this post. Hope it is clear and thank you in
> advance for you help.
>
>
>
>

Thank you for your reply Brian. Yes you are right, I suppose I am too
anal...
As for your suggestions, I am not sure I am following. It's already too
technical for me when it comes to ping!

However to clarify, the part of the network I wish to isolate comprises a
wireless router connected to two computers (one of them being a wireless
laptop). That router gets an internet connection from a primary router
(which is connected to the Verizon DSL modem) which is not wireless.

The computer I would like to isolate should be closed to external eyes. I am
not as much interested in disabling those two computers from seeing the
other computers on the rest of the network.

Thank you in advance for any additional thoughts you may have Brian.




"Brian Wehrle [MSFT]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Mike,
>
> Your problem is not uncommon, but you could have explained it in a way
> that excluded some details.
> However, you have some part of your network which you wish to isolate from
> the other part. These parts are connected via
> a D-Link router/bridge.
>
> Your solution for the wirless latop is sufficient; but hidding the beacon
> does not give you more security. Setting up a distinct
> network with a distinct key is the best you can do, really. This will
> only prevent that machine from connecting to the other wireless network
>
> Now, for this network in general, which these two computers attached, you
> have a slightly different problem. You don't want them to see the other
> computers.
> In the D-Link administration page, you should be able to configure the
> firewall. You may be able to list each machine and specify that there
> will be no allowed access from any machine from this network to any
> machine in the other networks, except for the machine which serves as the
> router. The firewall rules might look something like this:
> Rule #1: Allow All Traffic To Internet Gateway Device
> Rule #2: Deny All Traffic that does not meet Rule #1
>
> You'll need to be a little network saavy to do this with the D-Link
> administration utility, but between trying using this utility and testing
> connectivity with the "ping" utility, you should be able to see whether or
> not you have really created a firewalled region.
>
> Brian
>
> --
> Brian Wehrle
> (E-Mail Removed)
> Software Test Engineer/Wireless Networking
> Microsoft Corp.
>
> "Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hello there
>>
>> I have a complicated one.
>>
>> All machines involved are running XP Pro SP2.
>>
>> On the ground floor of my house, I have a Verizon DSL modem which is
>> connected to a D-Link router. The router in turn feeds internet via-cable
>> one computer on the ground floor as well.
>>
>> From the router I also four other cables running up to four different
>> rooms up-stairs. In one of the four rooms up-stairs, there is another
>> D-Link router, this one wireless to split the internet connection
>> via-cable between a desktop (cable) and a laptop (wireless).
>>
>> I am interested in isolating this one room. From the cable coming from
>> the router downstairs, I am getting the internet feed. Other than that I
>> would like to the desktop and the laptop to be networked and connected to
>> the internet but totally closed to any access from the other computers in
>> the house.
>>
>> At present, for the desktop and the laptop, I have created a network with
>> another name than the default 'WORKGROUP'. This should prevent other
>> computers in the house from 'seeing' the desktop and the laptop. Am I
>> right or is there a way to insure this?
>>
>> I have also set the wireless router with 128 Bit WEP encryption, changed
>> the name of the wireless network (I picked a different name from the
>> network between the desktop and the laptop) and disabled the SSDI
>> broadcasting.
>> Is this enough to ensure no one can access my wireless connection and the
>> network? What can be done to insure this?
>>
>> Sorry about the length of this post. Hope it is clear and thank you in
>> advance for you help.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>