Re: Re: Travelling with a pocket pc

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From: Sooner Al (SoonerAl_at_somewhere.net.invalid)
Date: 08/14/04 

Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 17:11:21 -0500

With your relatively small requirements (I was not sure at first how big of an operation you were
talking about), personally I see no problem with a consumer grade wireless access point versus the
more expensive hotspot appliance I pointed to earlier as long as you take precautions to isolate, as
much as possible, your guests from your private network.

Personally I use a Buffalo Technology WBR-G54 4-Port Broadband Router/802.11b/g Wireless Access
Point in my 2700 sq. foot home. I did add an external antenna for added coverage because of where
the device is sited in my home. I bought that WBR-G54 device for $65 or so on sale from CompUSA. It
was very easy to setup, offers both b and g wireless, WPA support, etc. The newer version is the
WBR2-G54...

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=11&categoryid=6

You could look at these sites for product reviews...

http://www.homenethelp.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.timhiggins.com/

You also might run firewall software on your private machines to preclude guests accessing them by
accident or on purpose. If the machines are running XP, the new SP2 Windows Firewall is easily
configured for File & Print Sharing between your private machines only...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;windowsxpsp2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/sp2_wscintro.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/sp2_wfintro.mspx 

-- 
    Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)
Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...
"René" <garbagejunkandcrap@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:pDvTc.346$EN6.108@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
> Sven, MVP-Mobile Devices wrote:
>> Configuring a new PC Card that you supply is probably as difficult as
>> re-configuring the one they already have.
>
> Not if you give them a 3Com 3CXE589ET. Drivers are included in Windows 98, Me, 2000 and XP. Plug 
> it in before you boot up the laptop and it will install itself and fetch an IP address from the 
> DHCP server automatically. In the case of 2000 and XP even without having to reboot again.
>
>> I'm not a security guru, but I would suppose you could just provide
>> guests a WEP key if they request one, and change it often.
>
> That's an idea.
>
>> I would ensure that the guest LAN is distinct from your hotel LAN
>
> Affirmative. Two different, separate workgroups.
>
>> With careful placement though, you are not going to get too
>> many folks sitting outside your hotel and using your bandwidth.
>
> Nothing to fear from the locals. This is a small, back-water swamp town ;)
>