Subject: [NEXTEL-1] How to Hook Up (Wi-Fi)

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 03:33:43 -0400

How to Hook Up

A step-by-step guide to building your own network.

By Paul Boutin

GETTING STARTEDAll it takes is a broadband connection, a few hundred dollars, and a
willingness to pull
the plugs.

1. Get a base stationWhen it comes to buying equipment, think g, not b. New 802.11g
hardware is nearly five
times faster than 802.11b gear, and it will interoperate with that as well.

If you're a PC family, try the Linksys WRT54G 802.11g base. It will work on almost any Net
connection, and the
company often gives out software upgrades. It has a built-in firewall to stop hackers from
plucking your credit
card number from the airwaves, and a throughput jack lets you hardwire other computers via
Ethernet cable.
These should cost about $150.

If you're an Apple household, get an AirPort Extreme, about $200. It's prettier than
earlier AirPorts, and newer
Macs come with the software to run it.

2. Buy a client cardLinksys' 802.11g card (in both laptop and desktop versions) is a good
deal for PCs. At about
$75, it's 10 bucks more than the old cards yet will enable you to use the faster 802.11g
bases.

For Apple owners, go to the Apple Store and buy whichever card the company offers for your
computer: AirPort
Extreme for top machines, AirPort 802.11b for the lower end. One of the newer PowerBooks
has the card built in,
and some new Macs come with the Extreme card.

3. Turn on the networkSimply plug your Internet connection into the base station and
install the client card in
your computer or laptop. Then turn on the base and your now-wireless computer. Wait as
they find each other.
Open a browser and try to go to a favorite site. If it works, congratulations: You've got
Wi-Fi. If it doesn't, you
most likely have to enter some ISP information into your base station's setup program.
Check your manual.

Finally, rename your network. There's nothing more confusing than when two neighbors both
have a network
named "default" or "linksys." Pick something easy to remember, as users of older Windows
laptops will need to
enter it every time they join in.

EXTENDING RANGESmart placement of your gear and investment in a powerful client card will
increase
by a few yards the distance you can roam from your base station.

1. Avoid obstaclesUsually, just moving the base from behind a wall or raising it higher
off the ground will help it
to reach all corners of your house. Keep it away from metal tables and dense filing
cabinets, which can block radio
waves.

Also, the signal strength of most bases and laptops isn't the same in all directions, but
rather radiates along a
plane that may not be pointing the right way for your needs. If your base has the usual
"rubber duck" antennas,
try tilting one straight up and one sideways, to cover different planes. If you have an
AirPort or another unit with
an internal antenna, stand it on end to see if it works any better.

If those simple steps fail, and you've got a Linksys 802.11b base, the company's $80
plug-in signal booster
extends its range enough to cover most homes.

2. Move your laptopThe more powerful your Wi-Fi card, the better. Most models run on 30 to
100 milliwatts.
Hot-rodders go for the 200-milliwatt Engenius Ultra Long Range card. It's the most
powerful card for sale in the US
that meets FCC approval. Not only does it transmit farther, it's more sensitive to
incoming signals.

As with the base, the card's antenna signal and receptions are strongest in one particular
plane. You can often
get a better connection by slightly tilting your laptop or facing a different direction.

3. Futz with the antennaYou've likely heard about people attaching a Pringles can to a
base station or a laptop
client card. And you've probably seen photos of "war-driving" teens with 3-foot antennas
attached to their
notebooks, looking to share someone else's network. Let them. You can try adding a smaller
external antenna for
about $100, but it may provide only a 10 to 15 percent range boost indoors. Spend your
money on a more
powerful card instead.

BEING SECUREWith enough encryption, even the CIA would have trouble reading your email.
But
additional safeguards can slow your network. Fortunately, there are some simple things you
can do to keep out
all but the most determined hackers.

1. Create a passwordIf all you want to do is keep neighbors and passersby from hitching a
free ride, you can
close the network. Your base station's setup menus include an option to establish a
mandatory logon password
that everyone must type to connect.

To prevent anyone else from reconfiguring the base station, change its default password,
too. Many base stations
come with passwords like "admin" or "default," both of which are hardly original and easy
to guess.

Closing your network won't prevent a dedicated hacker from breaking in or sniffing your
online-shopping traffic for
credit card numbers, but your home network is an unlikely target. Worry more about locking
the car.

2. Use encryptionIf you intend to send sensitive email and spreadsheets containing
confidential data, encrypt
your data traffic with the Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol. As its name suggests, it's
meant to make Wi-Fi as
secure to use as a network cable.

The rub: Installing it can be tedious, so it's most suitable for businesses with IT staff.
WEP works much like a
basic network password, but logging on may require users to type in four
computer-generated, 26-character
cryptographic keys - gibberish like 0x4B90CD37BA128367F2A25AE527. Be prepared to assist
visiting salespeople
and other office guests.

WEP also has known security holes, so it will be phased out around the end of 2003 in
favor of Wi-Fi Protected
Access, a more robust encryption method with a user-friendly interface.

3. Install a VPNThe most secure way to connect via Wi-Fi is a virtual private network,
which creates an
encrypted pipeline from your computer (through your base station) to an Internet gateway
under guard at your
ISP or company's server room. But you'll need an expert to set up and maintain this
gateway. Ask your office IT
staff if it has a VPN. Or, if you need security for personal use, Boingo includes one in
its consumer-grade service
plans.

The downside: Compatibility issues may keep you from connecting to your VPN through some
wireless networks.
Also, help can be hard to get on the road. At those times, you'll have to surf bare - if
you dare.

SHARING YOUR NETWORKYou may be eager to include your neighbors and passersby. If your ISP
permits sharing, remove the password from your network. Then these few extra steps will
make your gift go
farther.

1. Turn off passwords and encryptionMake it easy for others to get on. This will be scary
for some people, but
liberating once you realize potential eavesdroppers aren't interested in you. They want to
use the bandwidth, not
read your email.

2. Insist on securityIf you'd like to keep a password and/or encryption on the network,
set the network names
to the URL of your homepage, e.g., www.paulboutin.com. Put contact info there for Wi-Fi
users, who can request
the password from you.

3. Position your base station appropriatelyRemember, signal strength decreases as the
distance between base
station and laptop increases. Place your base as close as possible to a street, patio, or
chairs where others will
sit.

4. Register your hot spotMany Wi-Fi users go online to 80211hotspots.com, WiFinder.com,
and NetStumbler.com
to find hot spots, but the databases are only sparsely populated: Finding a hookup in,
say, rural Maine could be
tough. Submitting your network to these sites will make you a star.

TAKING IT ON THE ROADFinding networks is easy if you have the right tools and do your
homework.

1. Sniff with softwareWindows XP and Apple's Mac OS X automatically build and update lists
of available
networks. But you'll get a lot more information by downloading software from
NetStumbler.com, or its Apple
counterpart, MacStumbler.com. These free programs tell you not just the names of available
networks but how
strong their signals are and whether they have encryption turned on.

2. Sniff with hardwareIf you're wary of whipping out your precious laptop in strange
places, carry iDetect's
WFS-1 Wi-Fi Sniffer, a credit card-sized pocket device with LEDs that light up in the
presence of a network. It's
also good for walking around the room to find the strongest signal point before you settle
down to work.

3. Don't take no for an answerStaff in hotels, coffee shops, and offices are often unaware
there's a base
station hidden right behind them. Double-check for yourself by touring the room with
NetStumbler software or
Wi-Fi Sniffer. If you can't find a signal in a hotel you know is networked, change rooms
to get closer to a base.

4. Dare to look stupidJust like a cell phone, your wireless notebook is a radio with a
built-in antenna. If you need
to lock onto a weak signal, a little body movement can get you online while others are
pounding their keyboards in
frustration. Turn slowly in circles, raise your laptop up and down, hold it above your
head like the Ten
Commandments - hey, it beats taking a cab back to the hotel.

5. Stop and smell the coffeeFind a Starbucks, where you can get T-Mobile service - 2,000
hot spots and
counting. The cost: a $6-per-hour charge to your credit card.

MAKING MONEY If you're hoping to get rich off your home network, forget it. But if luring
business
travelers through your door is how you make a living, Wi-Fi can bring in extra customers
and keep them there.
They may even pay for the privilege.

1. AdvertiseMost businesses hide their base station in the back room. Why not set it out
front in plain sight, with
a clearly visible sign? Internet access may be just what shoppers rushing past are looking
for.

2. Give it awayIf you're a retailer looking to maximize foot traffic, take the simplest
route: Set up an open
network with no password, so anyone who walks in can get online instantly without your
staff's help. Once they're
logged on and settled down, they're yours.

3. OutsourceIf you're bent on charging for Wi-Fi, hire somebody to run the operation.
Boingo offers a
plug-and-play solution for small businesses, while Surf and Sip may even come in and set
up the system. These
companies handle sign-ups, tech support, and billing, then send you a cut of the monthly
take.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/unwired/network_pr.html

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 09:00:57 EDT

Very nice article.  I'd like to disagree with one point, and that deals with 
the card.  Virtually everyone that I have talked to, as well as my own 
personal experience, is not to use a PCI card.  Use a USB card instead.  You 
need to get the unit outside of the computer housing for decent reception for 
many desktop systems.

Alan Tilles