Sharing my wi-fi with a neighbour. Ramifications?

[Gareth]

Originally Posted by lordy

That wouldnt be the best way to do it as then you have to allow sharing between you own PCs but not anything the neigbour has. This would become a difficult to manage, especially if using DHCP. The best way would be to get another router and put your own network behind that.

Which was alluded to in the post that made no sense to you

Lordy

I'm curious as to why you think that you would have to enable file/printer sharing on one of the clients when using a software firewall, in order for AlizÃÃâ€*’©e to connect to the wireless AP? She would only be connecting to the AP and not to any other devices connecting to the WAN - why would she need or want to connect to the owner's PC anyway?

I'm also unsure why you think that using DHCP would be problematic and difficult to manage? The router uses NAT to handle IP assignment of all connected endpoints? Where's the problem?

Adding an additional router to the equation isn't the best way to do this, imo, as it's overkill. Why not set up a separate VLAN if you really didn't want her PC being on the same segment as another? Although, that too, imo, is going OTT.

---------- Post added at 15:11 ---------- Previous post was at 15:10 ----------

ps - Retrovertigo, does she have a webcam

---------- Post added at 15:12 ---------- Previous post was at 15:11 ----------

pps - hang on, my missus is French... leave my wife alone!

[Retrovertigo]

Originally Posted by Gareth

ps - Retrovertigo, does she have a webcam

I may well offer to buy her one if she is off work much longer

If she approches me again I may well let her have limited access to the net using parental controls as was suggested. That, plus explain that I will close down the router overnight to stop her leeching etc if she visits any warez sites or such. Because of course, there is the possibility her boyfriend is being canny and sending her to do his dirty work!

Plus I will explain how it is only a very temporary measure. I'll see how it goes next time I bump into her.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Retrovertigo

I may well offer to buy her one if she is off work much longer

If she approches me again I may well let her have limited access to the net using parental controls as was suggested. That, plus explain that I will close down the router overnight to stop her leeching etc if she visits any warez sites or such. Because of course, there is the possibility her boyfriend is being canny and sending her to do his dirty work!

Plus I will explain how it is only a very temporary measure. I'll see how it goes next time I bump into her.

Maybe you said this earlier, and I am just being lazey, but what router are you using?

[lordy]

Originally Posted by Gareth

I'm also unsure why you think that using DHCP would be problematic and difficult to manage? The router uses NAT to handle IP assignment of all connected endpoints? Where's the problem?

If you are going to have an untrusted IP on your same subnet you will need to set up your software firewalls to block it.

But if IPs are assigned via DHCP then you firewall rules will somehow have to to know which IP is untrusted.

Personally, depending on how many PC's you have to manage, I think its easier and simpler to put your own network behind a 2nd router. which all you have to do is switch it on and you are immediately protected from anything that may be going on the other side of the wall.

I personally would never put a neigbour on the same subnet as myself, and also expect to trust any machines on my subnet. People can set IPs manually and walk through your securiry. Alternatively , after a powerdown, DHCP might juggle all of your IPs around.


You might not agree, but to me that seems the right way to do it. Once you home network is a certain size its easy to have a centrally managed router/firewall than lots of "Software Firewalls" all over the place.

I will now stick my fingers in my ears.

I didnt even like having my Brother on the same subnet, when we shared a flat, but I taught him the dark arks of Firefox/Thuderbird/AVG and Kerio.

[Retrovertigo]

Originally Posted by Toto

Maybe you said this earlier, and I am just being lazey, but what router are you using?

I'm using a Belkin F5D7231-4 - and it works a treat I might add no messing, out of the box and my PSP and DS work with it just fine.

But more importantly for this current situation, it has parental controls, whereas my friend has just bought another model Belkin which is a cable/dsl hybrid, and contains no such feature.

[hjf288]

Provide limited access - Secure your shares and dont allow ICS... ensure that its provided through a proxied/secured connection with content filtering - Hell only allow access at certain times and certain sites but for free or something.

That way youve covered your keister and done a good favour :P

[Martyn]

yeh use ya router to bann certain sites/ ips, im sure theres a section for adult content, warez etc...