Asking for some expert help with a home wireless network

I need to share files/printer over a home wireless network but at the same time
each computer on the wireless router needs separate access to the internet
through the same router.
I have a Netgear wireless router which has the landline internet connection and
each computer has either a usb Netgear wireless dongle, a Netgear pci card, or
in laptops their own built-in wireless connectivity. ( All are running XP Pro
SP2+ updates.)

Question:
At the moment all the computers have separate internet connection through this
wireless router quite happily.
The fixed computers could make a WLAN through the router I think, but is it
possible to make the WLAN separate from the internet connections through the
same wireless router? If file sharing for various folders is enabled, would
this automatically make these folders available to anyone on say a visiting
child's laptop who is allowed the password to use the internet temporarily in
the house, or even worse to the outside world though the internet?
Sorry to ask such a basic question but even the books seem to give no clear
answer to this, or how to do it and the wizards in XP dont cover this type of
setup, maybe for the reason that it is not possible, but nobody says so
anywhere, and it seems a perfectly normal thing to want to do!
Help from someone knowledgeable would be great, networks seem to be a complete
minefield unless one takes many many hours mugging up for something you want to
set up only once, as a user!
Charlie+


Charlie+

On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:59:11 +0000, Charlie+ <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I need to share files/printer over a home wireless network but at the same time
>each computer on the wireless router needs separate access to the internet
>through the same router.
>I have a Netgear wireless router which has the landline internet connection and
>each computer has either a usb Netgear wireless dongle, a Netgear pci card, or
>in laptops their own built-in wireless connectivity. ( All are running XP Pro
>SP2+ updates.)
>
>Question:
>At the moment all the computers have separate internet connection through this
>wireless router quite happily.
>The fixed computers could make a WLAN through the router I think, but is it
>possible to make the WLAN separate from the internet connections through the
>same wireless router?

File sharing is independent from WAN access through the router.

> If file sharing for various folders is enabled, would
>this automatically make these folders available to anyone on say a visiting
>child's laptop who is allowed the password to use the internet temporarily in
>the house, or even worse to the outside world though the internet?

If you are using the MS file sharing abilities on XP Pro, to access shared
resources every user must have an account and a password for that account, and
accounts must be granted access to each shared resource. A Guest won't need
*any* credentials to reach the internet via the common router, and won't have
access to *any* shared resources.

Also, note that when attaching access to a shared resource, "Everyone" means
"Everyone with a valid account on the hosting system" - not "everyone
connected to the LAN".

>Sorry to ask such a basic question but even the books seem to give no clear
>answer to this, or how to do it and the wizards in XP dont cover this type of
>setup, maybe for the reason that it is not possible, but nobody says so
>anywhere, and it seems a perfectly normal thing to want to do!
>Help from someone knowledgeable would be great, networks seem to be a complete
>minefield unless one takes many many hours mugging up for something you want to
>set up only once, as a user!
>Charlie+

/daytripper

On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:52:42 -0500, daytripper <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote as underneath my scribble :

Thanks very much for your relply - that clarifies quite a bit, - now I have to
find how to set it up so that it works! I am assuming WAN means Wireless Access
Network..
Charlie+

>File sharing is independent from WAN access through the router.

>If you are using the MS file sharing abilities on XP Pro, to access shared
>resources every user must have an account and a password for that account, and
>accounts must be granted access to each shared resource. A Guest won't need
>*any* credentials to reach the internet via the common router, and won't have
>access to *any* shared resources.

>Also, note that when attaching access to a shared resource, "Everyone" means
>"Everyone with a valid account on the hosting system" - not "everyone
>connected to the LAN".
>/daytripper

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:42:31 +0000, Charlie+ <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:52:42 -0500, daytripper <(E-Mail Removed)>
>wrote as underneath my scribble :
>
>>File sharing is independent from WAN access through the router.
>
>>If you are using the MS file sharing abilities on XP Pro, to access shared
>>resources every user must have an account and a password for that account, and
>>accounts must be granted access to each shared resource. A Guest won't need
>>*any* credentials to reach the internet via the common router, and won't have
>>access to *any* shared resources.
>
>>Also, note that when attaching access to a shared resource, "Everyone" means
>>"Everyone with a valid account on the hosting system" - not "everyone
>>connected to the LAN".
>>/daytripper
>
>Thanks very much for your relply - that clarifies quite a bit, - now I have to
>find how to set it up so that it works! I am assuming WAN means Wireless Access
>Network..
>Charlie+

Never assume anything ;-)

WAN refers to "Wide Area Network", the domain that exists on the far side of
your router, as opposed to the LAN ("Local Area Network") which is on the near
side of your router, and which includes the WLAN ("Wireless Local Area
Network")...

Cheers

/daytripper

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:25:01 -0500, daytripper <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote as underneath my scribble :

Well it was a question really, as you realised! Thanks a lot for answering!
Charlie+

>Never assume anything ;-)
>
>WAN refers to "Wide Area Network", the domain that exists on the far side of
>your router, as opposed to the LAN ("Local Area Network") which is on the near
>side of your router, and which includes the WLAN ("Wireless Local Area
>Network")...
>
>Cheers
>
>/daytripper