Enabling temporary wireless entry
What follows are six router problems that, quite frankly, I discover essentially the most annoying. I looked intended for potential options, and whereas I did not find one router that addressed all my considerations, I did discover features — and routers — that would craft issues a lot easier.
The problem: How long does it usually take you to arrange your router? What time was the last time you have been in a position to create it right on the first try? The things regarding while you needed to add a new PC toward your wireless network? And the way concerning getting your wireless printer to connect to your network?
Let’s face it: Every community is totally different, and getting the appropriate mixture of settings could be confounding. For instance, even some reasonably skilled PC hands might not understand the differences between safety settings or know that WPA-2 provides better safety than WEP and abnormal WPA.
These and different hitches are why organising any router can nonetheless be vexing, even toward an experienced computer customer. Some, like because the Buffalo AirStation Wireless-N 300Mbps Cable Router WHR-HP-G300N ($fifty three), retain crowded menus by multiple layers that fashion navigation painful. Others, like as the Netgear RangeMax Twin Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 ($one hundred seventy), rely on a protected setup that comes with a long series of instructions that should be followed toward carry a brand new PC on your network.
Possible options: Various distributors obtain tried to generate issues easier by straightforward-configure CDs or one-click connection buttons, but they can’t cowl each doable circumstance. Buffalo’s and Netgear’s setup instructions go the extra mile by system of explicitly detailing the order in which it’s good to you plug all the pieces in earlier than you run the CD. (Cable modems particularly should be powered on earlier than you connect your router to them.) That is a nice touch — but it assumes you’ve learn the printed directions that came through the router. What time was the last time you learn the manual earlier than you plugged in your new system?
Almost all routers receive Net-primarily based configuration screens, and so long as you bear in mind the machine’s IP handle, default username and password (which you must have changed whenever you set it up), it is top to be capable to lead to into the setup screens and produce any adjustments you need. It is only a matter of determining which adjustments are necessary.
The Cisco Valet M10($one hundred), a component of Cisco’s not too long ago introduced Valet line, comes with an USB core that comes with the configuration software on it. When you set up one PC on your community, you employ the important thing to run the configuration on some other PCs or Macs (the key additionally contains Mac software program) without having to jot down down the wireless encryption core or other information.
Cisco includes also made it quite a bit simpler to set up other gadgets, akin to wireless printers, via offering a summary screen by all the related information about your wireless network you could print out for straightforward reference once you run the configure applications on the USB foremost.
Buffalo involves a pleasant diagnostic routine that checks to see if you have Web connectivity and that your router is configured properly. You run it from the Net configuration console.
Apple’s AirPort Specific ($ninety nine) is simple toward arrange and contains some neat options, together with the ability to share USB printers and toward share audio across the community toward a connected stereo receiver. You can even prolong the range of your present AirPort base station, which is something that the majority Wi-Fi routers cannot easily do. However if you’ve bought a Windows PC, you’ve got to install Bonjour, and adding a brand new PC to an present community is not as easy as it might be.
The issue: Why spend money on a separate community-hooked up storage (NAS) unit at the things time you should use your router intended for sharing information? Assorted routers come with USB ports to which you can connect an exterior USB drive for simple backup or file sharing.
Sadly, although plugging in an external drive must be as easy as — well, as just plugging within the drive — getting that drive set up isn’t all the time straightforward. The Linksys WRT610N Wireless-N Router ($200), for example, contains a complex setup screen that you should fill out when you attach an USB drive toward it.
It could be nice toward receive software that allows the sharing without loads of setup hassles. It should be easy to connect the computers throughout your network toward this shared storage, by utilizing both the router’s SSID title or IP address. You also need to be able to password-defend your shared drive so that it’s not open designed for anybody who’s related toward the network.
Potential options: Varied routers include USB ports, equivalent to these from Linksys, Belkin and Netgear.
It’s all a matter of what software is used toward setup the USB drive and whether you need the rest on the Windows or Mac client end to hook up with the shared drive.
Greatest out there routers: The Belkin N+ Wi-fi Router ($one hundred twenty) has a separate software program configuration utility that works meant for both Home windows and Mac techniques and must be run solely as soon as to set up the external shared drive. As soon as that, you possibly can connect with the shared drive through getting into its IP address, comparable to \\192.168.1.1\sharename. The merchandise isn’t excellent, although: There isn’t an approach to password-defend the information on the shared drive.
The Netgear RangeMax doesn’t require any further software program and can password-protect the files. It also provides all kinds of entry methods, including FTP and Net sharing, from its setup screen.
The issue: Router firmware is an important first line of safety defense on your community and needs toward be saved as much as date. However discovering firmware updates on a vendor’s Website just isn’t for everybody, and many vendors don’t form it effortless.
You get to deliver up your browser, go to the vendor’s support web site and attempt to monitor down the current model in your explicit router model. You then have to obtain the file toward your PC and add it to your router in the suitable place in the router’s Web management panel screen.
To complicate issues, vendors typically have a number of completely different variations for every router model, as a result of they generate frequent improvements to the router, often altering chip units but keeping the version quantity the same.
Attainable solutions: Make the replace automatic or a minimum of easily selectable, so you don’t have toward go through the tortured process of downloading and uploading the file.
Check the firmware replace part in every router’s Net configure screens toward see so long as the router can automatically upgrade itself.
Finest out there routers: Belkin’s N+ Wi-fi and Netgear’s RangeMax each possess a menu-selectable software program swap to allow the updates. As soon as this is set, you can neglect about it and be assured that you’ll always own the newest firmware.
The problem: In case you have visitors or needy neighbors, do you actually need them toward own everlasting access toward your complete network? Even in the event you trust them on your network, have you learnt how good their very own safety is? (For example, will your neighbor’s notebook end up within the hands of his teenager?) If you happen to simply make available a visitor your router password, then you definitely in all probability want to vary this information when he leaves your house or office — which is an actual pain.
Possible solutions: A good idea would be toward offer them temporary guest entry that provides them just an Web connection and nothing else in your network, such as shared drives or printers.
Vendors possess begun to enable this on their routers in a series of ways. Belkin, for example, has an possibility it calls “Lodge-fashion,” that means that users are directed toward a Net touchdown page where they enter a special guest password. Other vendors generate it simple to arrange separate wi-fi networks only for guests. (If you happen to cost Apple’s AirPort Express, then again, you are out of luck — there’s no guest access.)
Finest obtainable routers: The USB core you can form via Cisco’s Valet can help right here as well. It’s good to run an automated setup routine from the USB key (fairly than from the Web UI) on each of your guest computers. When you do, it’s going to set up a separate wireless network through a special title and password that only permits Web access.
The issue: Just since you assume your network is safe does not imply that it is. It’s in all probability a good idea toward repeatedly test to see who is using your router — especially as long as you possess not modified your router’s default password. Nevertheless, in a world where it’s arduous sufficient to remember to again up your computer, it’s unlikely that most of us own the time or inclination toward usually check who consists of been on our networks.
And even if we want to, it is not always straightforward. Usually, a good number router Web UIs point out who’s at present linked, however discovering this out requires digging by system of numerous menus. Typically the distributors cover this data underneath a title such “DHCP shopper listing” and/or provide you with simply the IP addresses and host names of present connections.
Wouldn’t it’s useful in case your router notified you every time somebody linked? Even higher, how about a historic view that shows you once and who linked to your community during the last week?
Attainable solutions: There are many enterprise-class wi-fi monitoring instruments, such as AirMagnet however, worth-smart, these are typically out of the reach of home and SMB people.
Take a look at the screens which can be usually called “Attached gadgets” or “DHCP shopper list” to see who’s connected and using which IP addresses. Some corporations, corresponding to Buffalo, clearly present how various clients have connected and the things wi-fi gadgets they are using.
Finest obtainable routers: At the things time Cisco bought the company Pure Networks, it acquired a chunk of software referred toward as Community Magic. The Windows model of Community Magic will show you a fairly map together with a more useful community histogram timeline revealing who includes related once.
For some cause, Cisco consists of this software in some of its Linksys routers but not the Valet M10 series. You should buy a license designed for as much as three PCs for $24 that can provide by way of any router. (The Mac version doesn’t own the maps or histograms.
The problem: As soon as you’ve got arrange your network, you in all probability don’t present your Domain Title Approach settings any additional thought. If you have a cable or DSL modem, you hook it up and it mechanically will get its DNS settings from the cable or cellphone firm’s DNS servers. (Should you’re running a large enterprise network, typically you could have your own internal DNS server to offer this service.)
Home and small-enterprise users may want to look into discovering an alternate DNS provider. Why bother? Two good causes: better browsing performance and better security against recognized phishing and malware-infected domains. (Your actual efficiency will fluctuate extensively, relying in your Internet supplier and, in case you are utilizing a cable modem, how congested your cable line is.)
Possible solutions: Individuals and smaller businesses now have several alternative suppliers which are value contemplating, together with OpenDNS and Google Public DNS, amongst others.
Getting your router vendor to support these servers is typically tricky. A number of routers, equivalent to 2Wire’s House Portal 3000 sequence that comes if you order service from AT&T U-verse, do not even help various DNS settings. Making issues more difficult, many of the automated configure routines that routers embrace don’t will let you enter your personal DNS provider.
So should you’ve decided to go along with an alternative, original be sure your router supports various DNS settings. When you’re undecided, see when you can enter your individual DNS handle in your router’s Web-primarily based configure screens as an alternative of simply utilizing what your Internet provider offers you.
Then attempt it out, together with installing its software to optimize your individual PC, before messing by any of your router’s settings. As soon as you fashion the change to your DNS, there is a Java software that may test your velocity toward see as long as it makes a difference. Depending on the technique you’re connected toward your Web provider, it could possibly help either so much or not a lot at all. As long as it does not assist, contemplate going again to your original settings.
Take into account that the on the whole effective wi-fi router that will fulfill the above requirements is a Linksys. Performing Linksys router setup is straightforward in case you comply with your router’s set up tutorial. People getting ready for the CCNA certification test may need to be able to configure Linksys routers.
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