Unique Small Office Network Setup

I originally set up a wireless network for our office that allowed basic file
and printer sharing, as well as a network printer. Since that time computers
and OS have come and gone, in my absence other techs have come in to get new
computers set-up, and it appears that the network is no longer secure. I
have been given the task of re-establishing a secure network, but the job is
a bit more complex than the first time I did this. Here is the scenario I
have to work with.

-There are 6 computers, both desktops and laptops, both XP and Vista.

-3 computers connect wireless (two desktop, one laptop -- one of the
desktops is -Vista).

-3 computers connect via ethernet cable.

-The "access points" are a Linksys wireless 54G router slaved off of a Intel
5-port Business Hub (I can go into more detail if necessary). HOWEVER, we
have a D-Link Xtreme-N Wireless Router sitting in the box, and this "problem"
may be the perfect opportunity to switch hardware.

-There are three printers in various offices that are wired to their PC's
and are set up to be shared.

-There is one network printer connected to one of the access points (not
sure which as I type).

-The hope is to have the wireless router be unsecure so as to allow anyone
coming in to access the net, yet have a secure small office network that
allows file and printer sharing between office computers that is not visible
to other users logged on to the wireless.

Make sense? If so, is there any way to accomplish this sort of going out
and purchasing a server?

Thanks!

Clifford

In a perfect world, I would setup VLAN so that the public wireless can't
access the secured LAN. Since this is small office and you have two routers,
you may put the first wireless router for the public access and connect the
second router behind the first router so that the second router or LAN can
access the public router to the Internet and the public LAN can't access the
secured LAN because the second router blocks it.

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Cappy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:8C864608-1630-4503-928D-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I originally set up a wireless network for our office that allowed basic
>file
> and printer sharing, as well as a network printer. Since that time
> computers
> and OS have come and gone, in my absence other techs have come in to get
> new
> computers set-up, and it appears that the network is no longer secure. I
> have been given the task of re-establishing a secure network, but the job
> is
> a bit more complex than the first time I did this. Here is the scenario I
> have to work with.
>
> -There are 6 computers, both desktops and laptops, both XP and Vista.
>
> -3 computers connect wireless (two desktop, one laptop -- one of the
> desktops is -Vista).
>
> -3 computers connect via ethernet cable.
>
> -The "access points" are a Linksys wireless 54G router slaved off of a
> Intel
> 5-port Business Hub (I can go into more detail if necessary). HOWEVER, we
> have a D-Link Xtreme-N Wireless Router sitting in the box, and this
> "problem"
> may be the perfect opportunity to switch hardware.
>
> -There are three printers in various offices that are wired to their PC's
> and are set up to be shared.
>
> -There is one network printer connected to one of the access points (not
> sure which as I type).
>
> -The hope is to have the wireless router be unsecure so as to allow anyone
> coming in to access the net, yet have a secure small office network that
> allows file and printer sharing between office computers that is not
> visible
> to other users logged on to the wireless.
>
> Make sense? If so, is there any way to accomplish this sort of going out
> and purchasing a server?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Clifford

Frankster,

By securing the wireless network and then simply supplying the password to
visiting individuals we still expose our shared files to those folks, which
even though they are in our office we still don't want to make the
information visible. Yes, it sounds kind of bi-polar, but we want to share
our wireless broadband liberally while keeping access to files quite secure.

"Frankster" wrote:

>
> "Cappy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:8C864608-1630-4503-928D-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I originally set up a wireless network for our office that allowed basic
> >file
> > and printer sharing, as well as a network printer. Since that time
> > computers
> > and OS have come and gone, in my absence other techs have come in to get
> > new
> > computers set-up, and it appears that the network is no longer secure. I
> > have been given the task of re-establishing a secure network, but the job
> > is
> > a bit more complex than the first time I did this. Here is the scenario I
> > have to work with.
> >
> > -There are 6 computers, both desktops and laptops, both XP and Vista.
> >
> > -3 computers connect wireless (two desktop, one laptop -- one of the
> > desktops is -Vista).
> >
> > -3 computers connect via ethernet cable.
> >
> > -The "access points" are a Linksys wireless 54G router slaved off of a
> > Intel
> > 5-port Business Hub (I can go into more detail if necessary). HOWEVER, we
> > have a D-Link Xtreme-N Wireless Router sitting in the box, and this
> > "problem"
> > may be the perfect opportunity to switch hardware.
> >
> > -There are three printers in various offices that are wired to their PC's
> > and are set up to be shared.
> >
> > -There is one network printer connected to one of the access points (not
> > sure which as I type).
> >
> > -The hope is to have the wireless router be unsecure so as to allow anyone
> > coming in to access the net, yet have a secure small office network that
> > allows file and printer sharing between office computers that is not
> > visible
> > to other users logged on to the wireless.
> >
> > Make sense? If so, is there any way to accomplish this sort of going out
> > and purchasing a server?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Clifford
>
> Robert L's reply is good. However.... what's wrong with just making the
> wireless part "secure" (I assume by this you mean encrypted and passcoded
> like with WPA) and just providing the passcode to visitors?
>
> -Frank
>
>

"Cappy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:46DE807C-BBDB-4A65-A041-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Frankster,
>
> By securing the wireless network and then simply supplying the password to
> visiting individuals we still expose our shared files to those folks,

No it does not,...unless you are setting the permissions on the File Shares
to allow anonymous access. Just because someone is given access to the
"wire" (includes Radio Signals) that does not mean they automatically have
access to other things on the same "wire". What would you do if you had a
particular group of users on the normal LAN that weren't supposed to have
access to certain things?....create a new IP Segment for every
situation?,..no way.

> even though they are in our office we still don't want to make the
> information visible.

Define "visible".


--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

>
> "Frankster" wrote:
>
>>
>> "Cappy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:8C864608-1630-4503-928D-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I originally set up a wireless network for our office that allowed basic
>> >file
>> > and printer sharing, as well as a network printer. Since that time
>> > computers
>> > and OS have come and gone, in my absence other techs have come in to
>> > get
>> > new
>> > computers set-up, and it appears that the network is no longer secure.
>> > I
>> > have been given the task of re-establishing a secure network, but the
>> > job
>> > is
>> > a bit more complex than the first time I did this. Here is the
>> > scenario I
>> > have to work with.
>> >
>> > -There are 6 computers, both desktops and laptops, both XP and Vista.
>> >
>> > -3 computers connect wireless (two desktop, one laptop -- one of the
>> > desktops is -Vista).
>> >
>> > -3 computers connect via ethernet cable.
>> >
>> > -The "access points" are a Linksys wireless 54G router slaved off of a
>> > Intel
>> > 5-port Business Hub (I can go into more detail if necessary). HOWEVER,
>> > we
>> > have a D-Link Xtreme-N Wireless Router sitting in the box, and this
>> > "problem"
>> > may be the perfect opportunity to switch hardware.
>> >
>> > -There are three printers in various offices that are wired to their
>> > PC's
>> > and are set up to be shared.
>> >
>> > -There is one network printer connected to one of the access points
>> > (not
>> > sure which as I type).
>> >
>> > -The hope is to have the wireless router be unsecure so as to allow
>> > anyone
>> > coming in to access the net, yet have a secure small office network
>> > that
>> > allows file and printer sharing between office computers that is not
>> > visible
>> > to other users logged on to the wireless.
>> >
>> > Make sense? If so, is there any way to accomplish this sort of going
>> > out
>> > and purchasing a server?
>> >
>> > Thanks!
>> >
>> > Clifford
>>
>> Robert L's reply is good. However.... what's wrong with just making the
>> wireless part "secure" (I assume by this you mean encrypted and passcoded
>> like with WPA) and just providing the passcode to visitors?
>>
>> -Frank
>>
>>