OT: new computer for eldest daughter

[SpaceBadger]

The time has come to get a new computer for my eldest daughter, and she wants a notebook PC with a wireless connection to our home LAN, so she can carry it around the house and not need a network cable connection. I haven't had any interest in wireless connections myself, so never have paid much attention to them, but I remember reading that people could get into your network remotely through the connection. How likely is this, and what can be done to guard against it? Also, what kind of range are we talking about - does someone have to be parked on the street outside your home to do this, or can they be a couple miles away? (We live out on a country road and random passerby looking for open wireless connections seem unlikely.)

Then once I get this worked out, I still need to figure out how to arrange her net access so that she can trade emails with friends and do research on the web, without opening her up to the vast cesspool of unrestricted internet.

Losing sleep over this. Any help/suggestions appreciated.

SpaceBadger

[Phoenix-D]

Originally posted by SpaceBadger:
Then once I get this worked out, I still need to figure out how to arrange her net access so that she can trade emails with friends and do research on the web, without opening her up to the vast cesspool of unrestricted internet.
SpaceBadger

The first issue- check the range on the box, it should tell you. And make sure you enable the security features on any cards and ports you do buy.

The second- hah. Good luck, because the only surefire route is to watch while she's using it. Filters are worth exactly jack; they do block some things, but not others. (incidently, most block the sites mentioning that a filter isn't perfect..)

[Narrew]

when you set up the wireless box, you will have the option to set up who can access it, I would suggest you use MAC address authorizing. Every network card has a unique MAC address so any unknown MAC address will be denied access to your wireless network. Of course there are some TCP/IP settings you will need to do, but I am sure you have some friend that can help you through it or I would imagin that the wireless set-up system you get might have good enough instructions.

My only issue is what Phonex touched on as far as limiting her access to some sites on the net, I would have a hard time letting ANY child of mine to take a computer into their room, this is their time to want privacy so I don't envy your posistion and good luck working that out, but I think a kid with a computer in their bedroom where they can close the door is a bad thing during their developmental years, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be a nazi parent, I just want it out in the public area of the house.

my 2 cents...

[SpaceBadger]

OK, I can see I need to study up on this wireless stuff, because I don't think I'm understanding what y'all are saying. I kinda thought it was some little gadget that would go in place of a regular network card, with a little radio in it to communicate to a base unit, and the base unit would have a newtwork card that I'd connect up to our LAN. If I'm understanding y'all, the wireless part is actually a little network all by itself, whcih I then connect to our LAN? Time for more reading.

Re access control. That is a large part of what I'm worrying about, and I agree that it would be good if we could watch all the time to see what she is doing. But I also know that she is a lot like me, needing some peace and quiet to be able to concentrate on stuff like writing or programming, and that peace and quiet are hard to get in our house (she has two little brothers and a little sister). Her room is her refuge from the noise and commotion, and she'd like to be able to write or play games in there. Hmmm, since she wants a notebook computer, I wonder if I can set things up so that she can use her computer or even connect to our LAN from her room or anywhere else in the house, but will need to be plugged in someplace public to connect to the internet? Yeah, I think I could do that...

I'm also hoping to find some software that instead of filtering will just block everything except what I specifically enable. If she wants to visit a site we haven't already approved, she would have to ask me to put it on the approved list. Same thing would be good for email - if I could make a list of email addresses she could send to and receive mail from. Not so sure about that part from any commercial product, might have to try coding it myself.

I can think of a lot of temporary measures that will work now, when she is 12, but not sure how well they will continue to work as she gets older and more experienced with computers. It isn't a battle that can be won once and for all, rather a continuing series of engagements that will continue and require adaptation over the years.

SpaceBadger

[DavidG]

Originally posted by SpaceBadger:
OK, I can see I need to study up on this wireless stuff, because I don't think I'm understanding what y'all are saying. I kinda thought it was some little gadget that would go in place of a regular network card, with a little radio in it to communicate to a base unit, and the base unit would have a newtwork card that I'd connect up to our LAN. If I'm understanding y'all, the wireless part is actually a little network all by itself, whcih I then connect to our LAN? Time for more reading.

I think you got it right. I believe what you need is a wireless router. This can be hooked up to your existing network. Than any PC with a wirless network card will connect to the router.

[geoschmo]

Assuming you already have a router for your exsisting LAN, like you would get with a DSL or cable hookup, and assuming the router has an open network jack available, what you are looking for is what's called a wireless access point. In effect it's how you described it, the access point jacks up to the LAN via standard network patch cord, and communicates directly with the wireless NIC card in your laptop. The limit is gonna be about 1000' feet under ideal conditions, less in the real world. Going through walls, etc, cuts down on the distance the signal can travel. Unless you have a neighbors house closer then that you shouldn't have any concern with squatters, but as Narrew says there are ways to eliminate any possibility of that. The software to do that will most likely come with the access point.

Geoschmo

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by Narrew:
when you set up the wireless box, you will have the option to set up who can access it, I would suggest you use MAC address authorizing. Every network card has a unique MAC address so any unknown MAC address will be denied access to your wireless network.

MAC addresses are set uniquely by most manufactuers, but the hardware usually supports later alterations on them, and they can be read off of the wireless network by anyone with the right software and the appropriet hardware. With MAC address restrictions, someone driving by with their laptop open is very unlikely to accidentally tap into your network that way, but if someone really wants to, they can. You can find a little more info on it here, if you like.

[Puke]

You are correct that the wireless device is the combination of a wireless NIC and a base station, that interface to your network. It is also correct that this opens up what can be thought of as an additional wireless network, that anyone may access.

Listen to Jack, he knows what hes talking about. MAC authentication does not do squat against a determined attacker. Newer wireless devices that support protocols other than 802.11b often have the option to use time based key protocols, that shuffle their authentication keys every few seconds (like most good IPSEC implementations). One example of such a protocol is TKIP. There are a handfull of them, mostly manufacturer specific, that each have their ups and downs.

Regarding range, regardless of the range of the base station, people can access from miles away using sensitive recievers and strong transmitters. Range cant save you, as such things can be made on the cheap with radioshack electronics and pringles cans.

Unfortuneatly, there are no easy answers for home wireless Users. there are more detailed answers for companies that have the time and money to spend protecting their network, but those solutions are largely outside of most peoples means. in terms of effort vs reward, if not in terms of money.

personal firewall software is ubiquitious these days, and that should be "good enough" to protect your home PCs. if you take the best security precautions that you are able, you will probably discourage most casual intruders. which is probalby good enough.

[Ruatha]

One idea about restricting the net would be to "post-police".
Tell her that she has access to all of the net, but that you'll check the logs from time to time and check what sites she's visited, and if you find any thing you don't think is appropriate discuss it.
This way you'll get alot of subjects to discuss
Before letting her out on the net give her a crash course on bad sites, what to avoid and what to close immediatly if she accidently strolls into the wrong place.
And install a pop-up stopper!!!

[SpaceBadger]

Thanks for the info, y'all. I've talked this over with her and she is being amazingly (and unusually ) reasonable in adjusting her wishes, and we've now dropped the wireless idea and may even be dropping the laptop in favor of a nice desktop PC.

I still have the internet access problem to deal with eventually, but it is not quite as pressing as the need for her own computer.

Thanks for your help.

SpaceBadger