Need help networking (the proper way)

[Kobushi]

Hey all,

I get the privilage of using my school's super fast internet connection at home (pretty much still on campus). I'm guessing it's gigabit as the last 54MB OSX upgrade I downloaded only took about 9 seconds. Anyway, they don't (officially) allow wireless access points (to me and my AirPort express's dismay). However, upon speaking with one of their IT guys he said it's because people don't hook them up right and make them "ad hoc". He said I could hook up as long as I did it right and my base station didn't start routing traffic (however that happens). He didn't know anything about AP Express.

So long story short (sort of), I want to have my desktop hooked up directly to take advantage of the really high speed and have a little more security than wireless, but have a wireless availabilty for my new ibook.

Equipment I already own from previous apartments:

Netgear 4 port (wired) router (doubt it's gigabit capable)
802.11g card in both the desktop and ibook.
airport extreme base station.

I thought about using the internet sharing on the desktop under the sharing prefs, but it gave me a warning about how this can affect the network and I should contact the admin. Is this what's considered ad hoc?

Worst case, I guess I can just use the Base station and have wireless to both computers, but do I need to set it up to (not) do anything in an effort to please the IT guy? Is the express even capable of what this guy's talking about?

BTW I know very little about networking so um....baby steps please

 

[Mechcozmo]

He just wants you to disable DHCP on your Airport Base Station. That way, your Airport doesn't try to take on the role of assigning IPs to the computer on the university network and messing stuff up for them.

Should be an option in the setup utility... I don't have an Airport, so that's just a guess.

 

[edesignuk]

He just wants you to disable DHCP on your Airport Base Station. That way, your Airport doesn't try to take on the role of assigning IPs to the computer on the university network and messing stuff up for them.

Should be an option in the setup utility... I don't have an Airport, so that's just a guess.

I think he's right, and this is where you turn DHCP off

 

[Kobushi]

I think he's right, and this is where you turn DHCP off

thanks! I just found that panel and was going to post the same thing with questions

so,

I should uncheck the "Distribute IP address box" to avoid using DHCP at all?

If so, the message at the bottom of the window says I'll have to configue my computers manually. Do I just cut and paste the IP addy, subnet mask into the appropriate places in the network prefs on those computers? Or will will they just communicate without?

 

[edesignuk]

I would assume that your school network already has a server dishing out IPs (DHCP server) to each machine, so all you want your AirPort to be is a wireless access point in to the existing network. Switching off DHCP on the AirPort should make it exactly that - nothing more than a way for you to connect in wirelessly to the schools existing system, and there by get issued an IP from that existing DHCP server.

 

[Kobushi]

That makes sense.

I unchecked the box and uploaded the changes which caused the base to reset. Now my airport utility can't seem to find the station to configure it

Also, it's still ok that the base itself is configured to received one these dished out IP's from the school server, right? (My only other choice is to configure TCP/IP manually, so it must be ok)

Thanks,

K

 

[Kobushi]

Nevermind that last post. Once I turned off my airport card and restarted, I can access fine. AND I'm happy to say that I'm writing this post from my ibook wirelessly

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Kobushi]

Sorry, one last question.

I've got the desktop online wirelessly now. I know this sounds less climactic than it was--the school has some sort of registry that won't let you in their network unless you register your computer. I think I ended up registering my base station too. All three have different IP addy's now.

Anyway, I was curious if anyone had an answer for my first question: In my ideal situation of hooking up the desktop directly to the wall (to exceed 54MB/s and increase security), and then opting to share my internet connection via the wireless port (in sharing prefs pane) for the ibook, does this violate my agreement with the IT guy? (i.e. don't do it ad hoc and don't let the base rout traffic and mess up the network)

I guess I'm a little fuzzy on what ad hoc means specifically regarding networking. (I didn't understand all the achronyms that came up in the google search )

 

[Mechcozmo]

An ad-hoc wireless network is usually a network that is transmitted from a laptop for other laptops to join. It is just that-- spur of the moment, temporary, and not really designed for long periods of time.

And I doubt that you will be getting more than 54Mbps from your internet connection anyways... it may be fast, but that's VERY VERY fast. (Airport Extreme gives you 54 Megabits, not 54 Megabytes. 8 bits = 1 byte)

 

[edesignuk]

And I doubt that you will be getting more than 54Mbps from your internet connection anyways... it may be fast, but that's VERY VERY fast. (Airport Extreme gives you 54 Megabits, not 54 Megabytes. 8 bits = 1 byte)

...and unless you're actually sitting with your laptop bolted to the side of the AirPort, you'll get no where near the full 54mbps anyway (In terms of speed, wireless still sucks IMO).

 

[Kobushi]

...and unless you're actually sitting with your laptop bolted to the side of the AirPort, you'll get no where near the full 54mbps anyway (In terms of speed, wireless still sucks IMO).

Exactly. That's why I want to be taking advantage of the fast connection by NOT having wireless on the desktop (i.e. run CAT 5 directly from the desktop to the wall). My issue is coming up with a way to have the desktop wired to the wall, while creating a wireless access point for the laptop.

From Mechcozmo's post, it sounds as if my previous idea of just having the desktop connected to the wall and opening up it's internet sharing via the airport card kinda falls into that ad hoc category that the IT guy told me not to do. ...and if it's meant to be temporary, I guess I'd rather not do it that way anyway.

So it sounds like to accomplish this "best of both worlds" scenario, I would have to have some sort of (non-wireless) router wired to the wall. Use 1 port to wire the desktop (giving it fast non-wireless access). Use a second router port to wire the airport base station to provide the wireless access point for the laptop. Does this sound right? And do routers try to dish out IP addresses (something I would need to turn off)?

Thanks again for your help guys.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Exactly. That's why I want to be taking advantage of the fast connection by NOT having wireless on the desktop (i.e. run CAT 5 directly from the desktop to the wall). My issue is coming up with a way to have the desktop wired to the wall, while creating a wireless access point for the laptop.

Well, unless you do a lot of transferring of big files I'd say just keep it as is. Big files are the place that you'll see issues with speed, but with normal 'net browsing and downloading of videos, you won't see a difference with a cable or without a cable.

 

[matticus008]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the fact that you will want to disable access to your router for anyone else. The best way to do this is to restrict your router to only the MAC addresses of your own wireless devices.

Otherwise, you are potentially redistributing the university's network resources, and in addition to being responsible for anything anyone does through that connection, you are in violation of almost every university in the world's policies about reselling/redistributing network access. It also helps to disable SSID broadcast if you're at a larger uni, because the most common way that campus IT finds out about unauthorized networks is by browsing the names of available wireless networks and then tracing them, and not everyone is necessarily going to approve of your wireless network (some people are real bastards about that sort of thing).

 

[trainguy77]

Turn on "create a closed network" this make it so people can't "see" your wireless base station. But make certain you remember the base station name, you will need this to connect by using the other in your airport menu. As it will not be listed.

 

[Kobushi]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the fact that you will want to disable access to your router for anyone else. The best way to do this is to restrict your router to only the MAC addresses of your own wireless devices.

Otherwise, you are potentially redistributing the university's network resources, and in addition to being responsible for anything anyone does through that connection, you are in violation of almost every university in the world's policies about reselling/redistributing network access. It also helps to disable SSID broadcast if you're at a larger uni, because the most common way that campus IT finds out about unauthorized networks is by browsing the names of available wireless networks and then tracing them, and not everyone is necessarily going to approve of your wireless network (some people are real bastards about that sort of thing).

Turn on "create a closed network" this make it so people can't "see" your wireless base station. But make certain you remember the base station name, you will need this to connect by using the other in your airport menu. As it will not be listed.

Yup, I did both of these when I first got the basestation (for a different network in different apartment). I guess I'm just paranoid that way
Thanks for the reminder, tho.