Which wireless manufacturer?

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Hi Chaps.

The time has come to utilise wireless for streaming around the house (video, music etc). I just bought a media pc as the main component. I already have a wireless broadband router (G) and all laptops are wireless enabled.

My plans involve:

Buying a terrabyte NAS as a hub and using this to contain all of the media. Since I have a few websites hosted with a hosting organisation I was wondering whether I could start to save a few pence by hosting my own? This has led me to think about security if the server is going to be connected to the net permanently. So, I guess a good physical firewall might be a good idea too. Now it looks like I may be best off starting with the network from scratch so my question is:

Which manufacturer should I be considering for the wireless components? They all seem to say that they will perform better if all adaptors are same manufacturer. I can see this is possible. I'm not going to change the laptops as they are onboard units but I guess the second or third media centre or server unit which goes on the other tv's in the house could have the appropriate manufacturer's units.

Is a wireless N router with a better firewall the solution to security? Or should I be looking at some other means?

All help much appreciated and beware - you may be bombarded with further questions! :O

[Saab Dastard]

If you are thinking of hosting your websites yourself, bear in mind that your broadband upload speed is probably only 10% of your download speed.

If that is adequate for the traffic you support currently - and in the future - then hosting your own websites is quite feasible.

Another issue is the IP address. Most domestic broadband connections are dynamically assigned by the ISP - when that changes, no-one can access your sites until the DNS entries are updated.

Two ways to address this - dynamic DNS or pay more for a static IP from your ISP.

Assuming you have dealt with these hurdles, you should consider connecting your webservers using copper rather than wireless, mainly because it is more reliable rather than because of throughput. Yes, you can have 100Mb (or even higher now) via copper, but your internet connection is the bottleneck, not the wifi speed.

Most domestic-grade broadband routers / wifi switches incorporate a reasonable firewall, which will provide NAT, address and port-based filtering and also stateful packet inspection, so will probably be adequate for your purposes.

Just set up the port forwarding to the internal server address(es) and allow that traffic through the firewall.

If your current device doesn't do this then it would be advisable to replace with something better.

Draytek and Linksys do good stuff, Netgear is adequate (IMHO). Avoid Belkin. Others will have their own recommendations.

I don't think it's necessary to have matched equipment - at least for the ratified standards (mainly 802.11b/g). Indeed I've had more problems with Netgear WAP and Netgear Laptop PC cards than success!

But for 802.11n it's probably wise to stick to one manfr, as a lot of the stuff was released to a draft spec.

Also, if you are attempting to get the high speed 108Mbps rates that some manfrs claim, these will be using proprietary extensions, so would need "compatible" if not single-vendor components.

HTH

SD

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Thanx for that SD - it does indeed help!

I have been looking at these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220313819580&ssPageName=ADME:X:eRTM:GB:1123)

Do I need one or would it help? They tell me that I need to install this in between the modem and the router but that would mean I should have to have seperates rather than a combined modem router.

Sorry to be a dummy but I am keen to learn and forge ahead!

Kind regards! :ok:

[Saab Dastard]

If your current firewall provides what I listed then I would say that is adequate for a hobby website.

If you are running a business or hosting confidential data then you might want to increase the security with a device such as you suggest.

It brings IDS to alert you to suspicious / malicious behaviour as well as higher layer packet inspection. The DoS protection could be useful if anyone feels strongly enough to launch such an attack - but why should they unless it's a commercial site?

It is unlikely that the VPN support is of much interest to you, unless you or others need to access your network from outside - other than the web services you are making available.

Still, for £20 it's maybe worth your peace of mind.

How you decide to implement it depends very much on your current equipment and security requirements / policy.

If you currently have a combined adsl modem / router / firewall / Wifi access point (WAP), that is probably the least preferable, in the sense that your current network will be "beside" the firewall-protected network rather than behind it.

Ideally it should be located between the modem and the existing WAP / router / Firewall, as it would then protect the entire internal network. You would use an existing WAP / router / firewall primarily as just a WAP, connecting its internet uplink port to one of the downlink ports on the new firewall. You might well have to experiment with the configurations to get everything working correctly.

Also bear in mind that only one of these devices should be a DHCP server, not both!

Depending on how the devices are configured, you may be able to put any servers in a DMZ separate from the rest of the home network, which could have advantages.

A thorough and careful review of the manual to understand the capabilities and options of the device is recommended!

SD

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Thanx SD

"A thorough and careful review of the manual to understand the capabilities and options of the device is recommended!"

Indeed! There is SOOooooooo much technology around at the moment and working out exactly what works with what is a veritable minefield IMHO. I have learnt this to my cost recently when trying to come up with a suitable comms/ entertainment option on my motorbike only to learn that just because all items are bluetooth 2 it doesn't mean they function together - in that particular case it was a2dp as a means of streaming that tripped me up. Who could have second guessed that one?????

In this particular case - my own website is hobby but I also use my hosting package to host my friends company websites so a little thought over security is appropriate. They don't do online booking and payments but nontheless their (and mine) emails are important. Additionally, if the server is on t'internet 24 hrs it was put to me that (since the same NAS is going to contain all my personal data) that IT should be well protected!

What are your thoughts?

[Saab Dastard]

If I were going into a commercial enterprise I would be inclined to install a second, separate line (cable or DSL) dedicated to the business and secured separately from my home network. It also makes accounting easier!

I would confirm with the ISP - either through reading their Ts&Cs or in conversation - that business use is supported and approved.

I would further be inclined to consult with / engage a professional if you are not sure about how best to set it all up.

SD

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Hehe! I sense you've detected the appropriate point to make a tactical withdrawal.........

Just in closing - I don't charge my friends, it will not be a commercial thing in any shape. The hosting I pay for at present costs me around £60 per annum and I upgraded to a business plan purely as a favour to these friends. In my own right I have two "hobby" domains. The NAS thing is borne purely from a desire to set up a home entertainment network and it was only by trawling ebay for suitable NAS equipment that one of them happened to mention "suitable for hosting your own website". That made me think of perhaps saving myself some cash over time which might help passing the statute when I am called before the chancellor of the exchequer.......

All advice hoisted aboard tho' :ok: