Wireless router as WAP only?

At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.

We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).

Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
PC[s])?

-=-
Alan

What cable company, where, has that kind of restriction???

Mike Schumann

"Alan Beagley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
>
> We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
>
> Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
> firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
> sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
> exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
> router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
> solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
> PC[s])?
>
> -=-
> Alan
>

"Alan Beagley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
>
> We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
>
> Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
> firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
> sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
> exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
> router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
> solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
> PC[s])?
>
> -=-
> Alan

From my experience working with Cisco ubr7200 and 7100 series CMTS's and
various cable modems...

They can see how many CPE (customer premisis equipment) devices are
connected to the cable modems. And they can lookup the MAC address of the
CPE to see who the manufacturer is, in your case Linksys. Beyond that, I
doubt they can tell, for cetain, it is a router.

If it were me, I wouldn't tell them and use the router any way. Are they
going to guarantee the security of your data? I doubt it.

Who and where is this cable ISP providing "service"?

"Alan Beagley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
>
> We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
>
> Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
> firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
> sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
> exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
> router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
> solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
> PC[s])?
>
> -=-
> Alan
>

But if you still want to use your Wrouter as an AP connect it to you cable
modem as in Second Step in the following:
http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

Bill Brannon

Yes, I am using a WRT54G as just a wireless access point today.

Just turn of DHCP Server and give the WRT54G a fixed IP address on your
local network.

"Alan Beagley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
>
> We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
>
> Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
> firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
> sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
> exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
> router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
> solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
> PC[s])?
>
> -=-
> Alan
>

Sorry for the delay in replying: I was out of town for a while and
without decent ng access.

The ISP with this restriction is Charter in W. Michigan.

-=-
Alan

On 09/10/03 03:28 pm Mike Schumann put fingers to keyboard and launched
the following message into cyberspace:

> What cable company, where, has that kind of restriction???

>>At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
>>and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
>>
>>We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
>>up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
>>to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
>>router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
>>
>>Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
>>firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
>>sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
>>exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
>>router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
>>solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
>>PC[s])?

The answer to your question is a good news/bad news proposition.

Yes, you =should= be able to use your wireless router as a WAP (with a
built-in switch). Try setting it up using these instructions from Linksys:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?B580637B5

Basically, you will disable the router's DHCP server and then connect it as
a switch, completely bypassing the router by not using the WAN port.

The bad news is that you are bypassing the NAT router, thus loosing it's
firewall-like properties.

You can and should install firewall software on each PC (even when using the
router). I use Zone Alarm free on all of my computers, even though I'm
behind a NAT firewall. If nothing else, it gives me outbound control for
any baddies that my wife or the kids might unknowingly load.

Hope this helps,

Bob



"Alan Beagley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bm3j1i$hnndm$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sorry for the delay in replying: I was out of town for a while and
> without decent ng access.
>
> The ISP with this restriction is Charter in W. Michigan.
>
> -=-
> Alan
>
> On 09/10/03 03:28 pm Mike Schumann put fingers to keyboard and launched
> the following message into cyberspace:
>
> > What cable company, where, has that kind of restriction???
>
> >>At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> >>and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.
> >>
> >>We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> >>up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> >>to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> >>router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).
> >>
> >>Anyway, can I still use the WRT54G as a WAP only? What about the
> >>firewall/security features the router offers? (Various security checking
> >>sites have assured me that they cannot detect that a computer even
> >>exists at my IP address.) Are those features available if I use the
> >>router as an AP only? If not, what other "black box" firewall/security
> >>solutions are available (as opposed to running firewall software on the
> >>PC[s])?
>

Alan Beagley <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> At present I am using a Linksys WRT54G to connect one wireless machine
> and some wired machines to a cable modem. All seems to work OK.

> We are likely to be moving to a location where the cable company serves
> up three IP addresses per connection and prohibits the use of a router
> to enable the use of more than three computers (They say that use of a
> router is grounds for termination of service; can they tell?).

With my Cable connection to Mediacom, they only allow one MAC address to
connect to the cable, and they only provide one DHCP address. They don't
care if I use a router. I can either "register" the MAC of my router, or
clone the MAC of the PC that they used to install the service.

Beyond that, NAT uses recognizable ports for the address translation. They
could certainly ascertain that you are using those ports, and most likely
using a router.

Would they care? Not likely, unless you are using lots of traffic.

Charter seems to be very progressive in their support of the internet, and
I know I've seen some pages about the cable modem and routers on
the charter.com site.

http://www.charter.com/products/inte.../security1.asp

I scouted around, and I found support pages for cloning the MAC address of
your PC into a router. I found pages about Home Networking.

I think it's odd that you are prohibited from using a router, and I think I
would ask someone else, or review the customer agreement.