PC Pals Forum

Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: jww41005 on October 31, 2008, 12:14

Title: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on October 31, 2008, 12:14
Hello pals,

I'm thinking about moving my PC.
It'll be about 10 yards from the router, on the other side of a wall. My first question is; do wifi cards usually work well under these circumstances?
I'm also thinking about getting a remote keyboard and mouse. These will be resonably close to the PC. Apart from having to change the batteries from time to time I imagine that I won't have any problems with these.
The monitor will still have a cable connection. Any remote monitors out there, apart from my wife.... :rofl:

John

Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on October 31, 2008, 14:35
Hi John,

Wireless networking should work all round a house, so there shouldn't be any problem with it 'seeing' through walls.

Personally, I've never seen the point of wireless mice and keyboards, as you can't take them away from the screen.  The only advantage I can see, is one of tidiness, or perhaps if your computer is wired up to your TV.

On the subject of wireless monitors, I don't think they are here just yet, but may not be on the too distant horizon.  Wouldn't like to guess on the price of them though!
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: sam on October 31, 2008, 15:38
does depend on the material in the wall too... generally houses are fine though.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on October 31, 2008, 16:36
Thanks fellas

The wall is an interior wall which is about 30/35 years old, so it's quite thin with no sort of insulation.
The actual PC is going to be in a cupboard (well ventilated) with the monitor and power cable running out the back. I'll be able to use the monitor on a nearby table with the cordless/remote keyboard and mouse.

Anyway, I'll put a wifi card in first and move the PC to the other room and see what happens before I splash out on a monitor.

I'll post what happens

Cheers :thumbs:
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 04, 2008, 17:55
Did it!

I had to reset the router because it wouldn't talk to my wifi card. The card was picking up signals from two other sources apart from my own.

Working fine....

John
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 04, 2008, 18:11
Just checking, have you secured the wireless connection, John?
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 05, 2008, 09:37
Hello Simon,

Well, the Windows firewall is activated, and I also have Norton Intenet Security 2008, up-to-date.
I have read a bit about changing the access password after establishing the initial setup, but I'm not too sure how to do that. I hate playing with the configuration etc. The setup was done with a CD Rom from the provider, which, to put it mildly, doesn't do what it is supposed to do very well.

Anyway, I assume that this isn't enough, so please tell what else I could do.

Cheers
John
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 05, 2008, 11:33
Ideally, you should change the access password, and SSID of the router, and use WPA security, with a 63 character passkey.
 
I may not be able to tell you how to do it, but if you let us know what router you have, I expect Rik, or someone else, would be able to help.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 05, 2008, 18:07
Thanks Simon,

I'll get back to you on this in a day or two.

Cheers
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 10, 2008, 10:48
Ok, I've got some free time.

Change SSID....

I have what is called an 'ADSL Kit', which came with the server install CD Rom. Everything was done automatically, more or less.  The router is a 'Telefonica zyxel'.

I've had a look around the internet connections configuration, but I can't find anything regarding the password. The connection is done as soon as I boot up the PC.

Any step by step help for a dummy?

Cheers
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 10, 2008, 11:38
I'm not familiar with that router, John, so hopefully Rik, or someone else, will be along soon.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Rik on November 10, 2008, 11:42
Me neither. :(
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 10, 2008, 11:48
Any useful links, Rik?  :dunno:
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Rik on November 10, 2008, 15:10
Not really. Kitz doesn't list the Zyxel and I'm guessing it's a Spanish model, so the best I can offer is their site:

http://www.zyxel.es/web/index.php
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 10, 2008, 19:18
Thanks fellas

Yeah, it's Spanish.

I'm working on it.

Let you know what happens

Cheers

Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 10, 2008, 23:52
Sorry we couldn't be of more help, John.   :blush:
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on November 13, 2008, 09:11
No problem.

I've recently found out that the job of two of my students is to maintain the internal internet for their company. Routers etc....

I've already started to pick their brains a bit.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on November 13, 2008, 10:20
Let up know how you get on, John.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on December 05, 2008, 18:37
Hello Pals,

OK. I got around to doing it!

I typed http://192.168.1.1  in the browser.

A window asked me for user name and password, so I typed 1234 - 1234, and that got me to the zyxel site. From there I changed the password. Is that enough?

I also saw some security options:

 Telnet   Telnet traffic is blocked from the WAN to the LAN
 FTP   FTP traffic is blocked from the WAN to the LAN
 TFTP   TFTP traffic is blocked from the WAN to the LAN
 Web   Web traffic is blocked from the WAN to the LAN
 SNMP   SNMP traffic is blocked from the WAN
 Ping.   Ping traffic is blocked from the WAN

Should I tick any of these?

Cheers
John
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Simon on December 05, 2008, 20:57
I'm not the one to answer this, John, but Rik should be around in the morning, unless anyone beats him to it.  :)
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Sandra on December 06, 2008, 00:16
If you tick those you will only be able to talk from pc to pc on your LAN, ie internal local network and not access the internet.
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: Rik on December 06, 2008, 09:35
Sandra did. :)
Title: Re: Remote items
Post by: jww41005 on December 07, 2008, 10:44
Ok

Got it :thumbs: