2trax <2trax@salterprojects.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Ethernet cable routing at home is becoming a problem as we have
> lodgers who want broadband access in their rooms. At the moment, they
> just run cables to their rooms up the stairs and it's driving my
> wife & I nuts.
>
> Moving to a 54Mbit WiFi lan looks like a good solution... it
> certainly looks cheaper to set up an access point with DCHP/DMZ/ADSL
> capabilities than having builders come in and run ethernet cables
> from the garage, up 2 sets of stairs and through the rest of the house. It
> also means that those who have laptops could connect from anywhere in the
> house.

For permanent installations, I would really recommend a wired network,
possibly with an AP in communal areas.

You could purchase some plastic capping to route the cables through if
you don't want to run the cables through the walls etc, although there
may be building or fire regulations in your area which may say that such
works must be done by certified contractors.

I'd still recommend having a wired backbone at least. Noone ever
regretted having a reliable network.

You could go over to www.apple.com and have a look at some of the design
guides available on the Airport part of their website.

> Obviously WiFi will be a bit slower than the existing lan, and I was
> wondering how noticable this would be on my own PCs which run X over the
> lan? Has anyone tried using X over the new WiFi G standard?

I would _only_ think about recommending that if you can guarantee a
consistently high signal quality, otherwise, you'll really notice
dropped packets (much as you do with SSH).

> Also, I was probably going to locate the access point in the garage where
> the servers are kept, as it is a 2-hour fire rated construction and this
> way I won't have any cables in the house at all.

This is a very bad idea, you want to put the AP in the middle of the
coverage zone if possible. In your scenario you may need two, so get
something that does wireless distribution well. You'll want to connect
the APs with cable to the garage though.

> Does WiFi work
> acceptably well through 100mm blockwork?

No, and even worse through steel constructions.

> Finally, what's the current state of security on WiFi networks?

Moderately poor.

> Assuming I
> implement 128bit encryption, is that enough of a deterrent to prevent
> casual crackers in my street from getting in?

It will deter casual misuse of your network, but it won't deter the
more determined offenders. 128bit is just as strong as 48bit anyway, due
to a temporal flaw found recently.

>
> Thanks for any feedback,
>
> Sam.
>

--
Cameron Kerr
cameron.kerr@paradise.net.nz : http://nzgeeks.org/cameron/
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