Wiring Set-up for Linksys Router

Would appreciate some comments on this.......

I just had Time Warner install Roadrunner Cable Internet. I have 2
computers - a desktop and a laptop, which has a wireless adapter card
installed. Whereas I would have expected the man to wire the cable wire to
the cable modem and then the cable to the router, and lastly wire the router
to the desktop, he wired the cable modem to the desktop (UBS connect), and
cable modem to the router. In other words, router does not go to the
desktop,

Everything seems to work OK, at least I think so. When I called Linksys
tech support and told them that everything seemed OK, he told me to leave it
alone, but change it if I started having problems.

What are the consequences of the way it has been hooked up? Comments?

--
Have a great day, except you spammers
To email, remove the obvious

.......

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:08:14 GMT, "Les"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Whereas I would have expected the man to wire the cable wire to
>the cable modem and then the cable to the router, and lastly wire the router
>to the desktop, he wired the cable modem to the desktop (UBS connect), and
>cable modem to the router. In other words, router does not go to the
>desktop,

Think you got an incompetent installer. Path should be Cable Modem
--->Router-->Wired PC. Does the cable modem have an Ethernet port you
can use to connect it to the router?

John Jones, Detroit

Desktop does NOT have ethernet port but does have USB port.

--
Have a great day, except you spammers
To email, remove the obvious

.......
"John Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:08:14 GMT, "Les"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >Whereas I would have expected the man to wire the cable wire to
> >the cable modem and then the cable to the router, and lastly wire the
router
> >to the desktop, he wired the cable modem to the desktop (UBS connect),
and
> >cable modem to the router. In other words, router does not go to the
> >desktop,
>
> Think you got an incompetent installer. Path should be Cable Modem
> --->Router-->Wired PC. Does the cable modem have an Ethernet port you
> can use to connect it to the router?
>
> John Jones, Detroit

"Les" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:yAZte.2972$(E-Mail Removed):

> Would appreciate some comments on this.......
>
> I just had Time Warner install Roadrunner Cable Internet. I have 2
> computers - a desktop and a laptop, which has a wireless adapter card
> installed. Whereas I would have expected the man to wire the cable
> wire to the cable modem and then the cable to the router, and lastly
> wire the router to the desktop, he wired the cable modem to the
> desktop (UBS connect), and cable modem to the router. In other words,
> router does not go to the desktop,

Most modems have two connection types now of days. It may have the USB
but it may also have the RJ45 too. The RJ45 connection type will allow
the cable with RJ45 jacks on both ends to be connected to the modem and
to the WAN port on the router. You may need to add a NIC (Network
Interface Card) to your desktop computer that uses the RJ45 connection
type so that you can connect a cable from the LAN port on the router to
the NIC on the computer.

If the modem doesn't have the RJ45 connection type, then get one form the
ISP or you may have to buy one. If you buy one amke sure the modemn is
one that's on the ISP's approved list.

>
> Everything seems to work OK, at least I think so. When I called
> Linksys tech support and told them that everything seemed OK, he told
> me to leave it alone, but change it if I started having problems.
>
> What are the consequences of the way it has been hooked up? Comments?

You need to support your own setup as the ISP is not going to do it for
you.

The way you have explained things, the router doesn't seem to be
protecting the desktop computer at all and the desktop is directly
connected to the Internet facing attacks while the wireless sits behind
the protection of the router.

You should check with you ISP about MAC provisioning. A MAC is a unique
number that all devices use that access the Internet. You should ask the
ISP if they are only using the MAC on the modem, which is on the plate
somewhere next to the serial number or are they using the MAC on the
desktop's USB connection that allows the connection to ISP's network.
You'll need to know that to give them MAC to use when you change things
around. The router has a MAC too.

The link should help you see the picture for the connection that's
needed.

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/about-NAT.asp

Duane

Les <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I just had Time Warner install Roadrunner Cable Internet. I have 2
> computers - a desktop and a laptop, which has a wireless adapter card
> installed. Whereas I would have expected the man to wire the cable wire to
> the cable modem and then the cable to the router, and lastly wire the router
> to the desktop, he wired the cable modem to the desktop (UBS connect), and
> cable modem to the router. In other words, router does not go to the
> desktop,

I think the installer did an acceptable job.
Most don't want to know anything about a router.
If I understand your description, your desktop has no ethernet port, and it
is connected to the modem via USB.
The router is connected to the modem via ethernet.

Some installation packages would have added an ethernet port to your
desktop, which would be better, because it would protect you from the
internet a bit. You could add one pretty cheaply. I've even seen
USB-ethernet adapters for $10. That would use your existing USB, but let
you connect to the router.

Your desktop and wireless laptop can both access the internet.
Can they share files, or do you care?

You might be unprotected from the internet. Some modems include something
resembling firewall blocking, but it is more likely that you are connected
directly to the internet. If that's the case, you need a firewall on your
PC, and might already have acquired any number of viruses.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/scan should be run on your laptop and
desktop. If the results report does not show "healthy", you need to make
some changes. If you are connected to the internet, it will not say "TCP
all: filtered".

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

>
> I think the installer did an acceptable job.
> Most don't want to know anything about a router.
> If I understand your description, your desktop has no ethernet port,
> and it is connected to the modem via USB.
> The router is connected to the modem via ethernet.

If you're talking about taking a the USB connection from the modem and
connecting it to the router with a conversion kit, then how is that
possible? The USB needs a driver, which is most likely instlled on a
computer. The driver cannot be installed on the modem and it cannot be
installed on the router the last time I looked.

I must be missing something here.

Duane

Duane Arnold <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> If I understand your description, your desktop has no ethernet port,
>> and it is connected to the modem via USB.
>> The router is connected to the modem via ethernet.

> If you're talking about taking a the USB connection from the modem and
> connecting it to the router with a conversion kit, then how is that
> possible?

I didn't say that, and neither did the OP.

Modem - USB - Computer (with driver).
Modem - Etherenet - Router.


--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote in news:d9a7bj$nbq$(E-Mail Removed):

> Duane Arnold <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> If I understand your description, your desktop has no ethernet port,
>>> and it is connected to the modem via USB.
>>> The router is connected to the modem via ethernet.
>
>> If you're talking about taking a the USB connection from the modem and
>> connecting it to the router with a conversion kit, then how is that
>> possible?
>
> I didn't say that, and neither did the OP.
>
> Modem - USB - Computer (with driver).
> Modem - Etherenet - Router.
>
>

If that computer is facing the Internet and is not sitting behind the
router, then it's a worthless set-up as the computer should not be the
gateway device. It should be the router connected to the modem and
computers wire or wireless sitting behind the gateway router. The current
set-up that tech person did was pitiful. Why have routers with the
protection they have sitting behind the computer? The tech person did what
he had to do and went on to the next appointment and left the OP hanging.

Duane

Duane Arnold <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> If that computer is facing the Internet and is not sitting behind the
> router, then it's a worthless set-up as the computer should not be the
> gateway device.

That's two statements with a conclusion on the middle.
The computer may be facing the internet. It's the way most cable
and DSL installations are set up. No router needed. A software firewall
is installed. I don't think that's worthless. The computer isn't a
gateway, if the OP was stating the setup correctly.

> It should be the router connected to the modem and computers wire or
> wireless sitting behind the gateway router.

There's no ethernet in the computer.

> set-up that tech person did was pitiful. Why have routers with the
> protection they have sitting behind the computer? The tech person did what

The router isn't sitting behind the computer. It is a peer.

> he had to do and went on to the next appointment and left the OP hanging.

I think he did more than the normal tech. He hooked up two devices, not
just the USB-PC connection. The OP didn't complain about being left
hanging, and I don't see that it is obvious that he is hanging.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> Duane Arnold <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> If that computer is facing the Internet and is not sitting behind the
>> router, then it's a worthless set-up as the computer should not be the
>> gateway device.
>
> That's two statements with a conclusion on the middle.
> The computer may be facing the internet. It's the way most cable
> and DSL installations are set up. No router needed. A software firewall
> is installed. I don't think that's worthless. The computer isn't a
> gateway, if the OP was stating the setup correctly.

There would be no way that I would do a direct connection of a computer to
the Internet with a PFW solution running at the machine level, because such
applications or solutions can be and are attacked at the machine level by
malware and taken down by them exposing the entire machine to the Internet
just like they can attack the O/S. And it doesn't take much with the user
that has the happy fingers clicking on unknown links or emails with
attachments leading to the compromise. A router is a stand alone device and
cannot be taken down by malware since the software running on the NAT
router is not running with the O/S on the computer.

>
>> It should be the router connected to the modem and computers wire or
>> wireless sitting behind the gateway router.
>
> There's no ethernet in the computer.

Then the OP goes and buys one and puts it into the computer and does the
right thing to better protect the computer. What a ethernet NIC cost all of
$15? He or she goes and and buys a modem that has the ethernet connection
or request that the ISP provides a modem with the RJ45 connection type so
that the router can be used properly and protect the network.

>
>> set-up that tech person did was pitiful. Why have routers with the
>> protection they have sitting behind the computer? The tech person did
>> what
>
> The router isn't sitting behind the computer. It is a peer.

It's a moot point. The NAT router is not providing the protection to the
machines on the network like it should be as it is not the gateway device
for the entire network like i should be.
>
>> he had to do and went on to the next appointment and left the OP hanging.
>
> I think he did more than the normal tech. He hooked up two devices, not
> just the USB-PC connection. The OP didn't complain about being left
> hanging, and I don't see that it is obvious that he is hanging.

Well most thec(s) only come out and set-up the modem and connect a computer
to the ISP's network and that's it and are e done with it. Most ISP(s) will
tell the user off the top of the bat that they do not support routers.

In this case, if the OP truly wanted that kind of set-up, then the OP should
have gotten a switch or a hub and got a WAP device and not a router or two
wireless NIC'(s) using AD-Hoc and ICS on the machine connected to the modem
and be done with it. It's ridiculous to have a NAT router sitting there and
not have it connected properly so that it provides the protection for the
network.

The OP should do the right thing and implement the protection of the NAT
router fully and not be messing around with some half baked solution type
of setup, IMHO.

Duane



>