Re: Need help using a wireless printer

mohead@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Chuck wrote:
If you are going to broadband, and have no current home network, it would be
much simpler to wait until you have a broadband modem and router. Otherwise
you will end up undoing whatever you do now, and complicate the broadband
setup. If you have the router, or a modem router, in theory, you could
setup the "LAN" side now, and the internet side when the broadband
connection is installed and operational.
It's not really a good idea to setup a computer as an access point, due to
security considerations, unless you want to turn it into a server.

Thanks Chuck. Last night, I set up the network using the mobo's setup
utility and it let me complete it without the broadband connection. My
wife had to print something off, so I really had to get this thing set
up. The printer detected the network and I got it running fairly
quickly. The wizard I was using before wouldn't let me past the
internet connection step and had me stumped. It looks like it won't be
a problem to add the internet connection after the fact using the
utility.

Could you explain why it's not a good idea to use the computer as an
access point? I have encrypted the network.

Thanks,

-Trent


I'm not sure what you mean by a "soft access point." Most likely, what you have done is create an "ad hoc wireless network." There is nothing intrinsically "wrong" about doing this, except that IIRC, for ad hoc connections, you can only use WEP to encrypt the wireless communication link, and WEP is more vulnerable than WPA or WPA2. Note that "more vulnerable" doesn't mean "wide open." It just means that if you happen to be so unfortunate as to attract the attention of someone who really wants to break into your network, they will be able to do it in about 10 or 15 minutes rather than taking a number of days.

Once you get your broadband connection, you could just connect your computer directly to the broadband modem and leave the printer hooked up as is. You could even share the broadband connection with other computers via your wireless ad hoc network and Windows Internet Connection Sharing. I do not recommend this.

You should get a wireless router, hook that to your broadband modem, and then connect all of your computers and the printer to the router. Your main computer can be connected to the router via Ethernet (most all SOHO wireless routers have 4 Ethernet jacks in addition to the wireless capability) or wireless. The router provides an important layer of protection between you and the Internet, including both "Network Address Translation" (NAT) and a type of firewall. You will have to reconfigure your printer to use the router, but that isn't difficult. You will then be able to use WPA or WPA2 encryption.

I suggest that you buy a name-brand router. I also suggest that you do not spend the extra money on a "pre-N" router. Wireless spec 802.11n has not yet been ratified. Personally, I have had good experience with Linksys. Jack (www.ezlan.net), an MS-MVP who frequently posts in this ng, has recommended a Buffalo router (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833162134 ), which I understand is a "cut above" Linksys, Netgear, D-Link and the like.

--
Lem MS MVP -- Networking

To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
.

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