NTL Cable connection, just about to get wi-fi

I currently use my NTL Cable connection with a wired ethernet
connection to the cable modem.

I am going to be moving to using the Netgear Wi-Fi Router (54Mbs) so
then I can use the connection wireless from my main PC, and also from
the works laptop.

Could anyone answer these questions:
1. Do I need to establish my PC's MAC Address and use this on the
Netgear router?
2. Is it easy to set up only my router to establish a wi-fi connection
between the main PC and the laptop?
3. If number 2 is possible, if I buy a new PC, and move the network
card from PC1 to PC2, do I need to do anything to the router?

The router is about £70, and comes with a firewall. I currently use
Zone Alarm on the PC (still on 98SE) and it makes the PC quite slow.
Therefore, I don't know if the firewall on the router would be
sufficient to use without the software one.

Any advice would be appreciated.

On 22 Oct 2005 16:16:04 -0700, "Wotan" <(E-Mail Removed)>
scrawled:

>I currently use my NTL Cable connection with a wired ethernet
>connection to the cable modem.
>
>I am going to be moving to using the Netgear Wi-Fi Router (54Mbs) so
>then I can use the connection wireless from my main PC, and also from
>the works laptop.
>
>Could anyone answer these questions:
>1. Do I need to establish my PC's MAC Address and use this on the
>Netgear router?

I believe they have stopped this now and you can connect anything to
the modem as long as you down power it first, (I think).

>2. Is it easy to set up only my router to establish a wi-fi connection
>between the main PC and the laptop?

Yes, and no. The easiest way to do it is connect with no security at
all then gradually build up the layers of security turning things on
and goingf round and setting them up, e.g. turn SSID off, then enable
encryption etc...

>3. If number 2 is possible, if I buy a new PC, and move the network
>card from PC1 to PC2, do I need to do anything to the router?
>
Shouldn't do, assuming it's only a standard straightforward simple set
up.

>The router is about £70, and comes with a firewall. I currently use
>Zone Alarm on the PC (still on 98SE) and it makes the PC quite slow.
>Therefore, I don't know if the firewall on the router would be
>sufficient to use without the software one.
>
I would ditch ZA and get Kerio Personal Firewall.
<http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html> Smaller, faster and better.
--
Stuart @ SJW Electrical

Please Reply to group

"Wotan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> I currently use my NTL Cable connection with a wired ethernet
> connection to the cable modem.
>
> I am going to be moving to using the Netgear Wi-Fi Router (54Mbs) so
> then I can use the connection wireless from my main PC, and also from
> the works laptop.
>
> Could anyone answer these questions:
> 1. Do I need to establish my PC's MAC Address and use this on the
> Netgear router?

No, but the cable modem learns the MAC address of the attached device and
won't talk to anything else. You must reboot the modem (by turning the power
off then on again) for it to work with the router.

> 2. Is it easy to set up only my router to establish a wi-fi connection
> between the main PC and the laptop?

Usually you just need to set up the wireless network name (SSID), encryption
details (method and key), and (optionally) MAC filtering. This is normally
very straightforward and takes only a few minutes. It is simplest to use a
machine wired to the router to do this, and then sort out the wireless
computers.

> 3. If number 2 is possible, if I buy a new PC, and move the network
> card from PC1 to PC2, do I need to do anything to the router?

Not normally, apart from connecting the network cable with PC2 at the other
end of course.

> The router is about £70, and comes with a firewall. I currently use
> Zone Alarm on the PC (still on 98SE) and it makes the PC quite slow.
> Therefore, I don't know if the firewall on the router would be
> sufficient to use without the software one.

Any NAT router will prevent unsolicited incoming traffic from reaching the
LAN machines unless you specifically configure the router to forward ports
or set up a "DMZ" address. Assuming you don't do this, it is (arguably) more
important to keep client software (eg web browser, email client) up to date
and use antivirus software than it is to use a software firewall.

Alex

Wotan wrote:
<snip>
> The router is about £70, and comes with a firewall. I currently use
> Zone Alarm on the PC (still on 98SE) and it makes the PC quite slow.
> Therefore, I don't know if the firewall on the router would be
> sufficient to use without the software one.

One point to consider is that a hardware firewall device doesn't usually
prevent outward traffic. Well, maybe expensive corporate ones do, but
the more basic home ones don't (as far as I know). This means that if
you get a virus, or some other form of attack, that sends out e-mail
etc. there's nothing to stop it.
Hence there is still a place for a software firewall. I use Zone Alarm
but Kerio also gets good reports.

Thank you for all your responses

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...

> I would ditch ZA and get Kerio Personal Firewall.
> <http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html> Smaller, faster and better.

Discontinued from the end of the year.

Try Sygate Personal Firewall - as good as Kerio imho, and still getting
upgraded every so often.

--
AG

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