In-Reply-To: <200308142147_MC3-1-4817-C569@compuserve.com>
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Message-ID: <auto-000179361043@admin.nni.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 09:12:37 EST5EDT4,M4.1,M10.5
Sender: os2-wireless_users-owner <os2-wireless_users-owner@2rosenthals.com>
Reply-To: os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com
From:  "Stanley Sidlov" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
To:  "os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: [OS2Wireless] Secure router/DSL modem

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 03:18:15 EST5EDT4,M4.1,M10.5, Charles McCallister wrote:

>Anyway, I've been volunteered to get a secure wireless router. I'm looking
>for  one with the most highly configurable software, both flashable
>firmware and  upgradable firewall, that has the best of everything. For
>now, WEP 128-bit  encryption with a chipset capable of upgrading to v1.0
>WPA, specific MAC  filtering, and SSID cloaking.


Most wireless routers have what you are asking for except for the SSID cloaking. There are issues as 
with any product people complain about discounnects etc. 

It's one thing to have encryption and cloaking, but quite another for specific MAC addressing filters. 
You're going to ask lawyers for their MAC addresses (even if it is printed on the PCMCIA card)? What 
about when the wireless is builtin to the laptop? Who is going to go in and input that mac into the 
router? Does the router have to be rebooted to have the change take effect? What happened to the 
people already connected and so on. What about the guy that doesn't have a WPA capable firmware/driver 
(like OS/2)?

How good do you want the firewall part of the router to be, there are vast differences between brands. 
I have had Linksys, Netgear,SMC and Siemens routers. From those the Siemens had the best firewall 
protection wtih SPI but because it supported extensive tunneling options had the worst throughput (I 
have a full 10mb broadband connection) and was only able to pull 6mb due to it's preset MTU.

You may be best served by purchasing a real professional level wireless router and forgo the $99-250 
national brand ones. And that puts the answer out of my league. And if you are going to go with the 
new "G" standard you have to make sure that it complies with the standard which is only a few weeks 
old, so even the newest routers at this point may require updating. 

I was looking at www.dslreports.com  which is a broadband gathering place with hardware forums and the 
SMC2804WBR  will do everything that you ask including WPA according to what I'm reading in the posts, 
http://www.smc.com/drivers_downloads/library/SMC2804WBR1_DS.pdf.









Stan Sidlov

http://www.warpstock.org

 Warpstock 2003 in San Francisco! Weekend of October 18th! 


 







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