HOW-TO: Wireless Dial-up

[Torin_Darkfligh]

I have wireless dialup configured on my laptop via my main desktop, but the setup I'm using doesn't require a wireless router. Instead, I bought an inexpensive ($20) USB WiFi adapter, plugged it into my desktop, then connected my laptop and desktop using Ad-Hoc. I then used ICS to share my desktop's dialup connection through the WiFi, thereby allowing my laptop to connect to the internet wirelessly. Here's a crude diagram I made that kinda visualizes my setup for those who might wish to replicate it:



I didn't want to rely on the "dial on demand" feature built into Windows, because this would result in the annoying issue of my desktop trying to connect to the internet every single time a program on my laptop tried to access it (Such as my antivirus trying to update myself). I prefer more control over when the internet connection is opened or closed. So, I wrote a pair of programs, a daemon that runs full-time on the desktop, and a client that runs on the laptop whenever desired. The client tells the daemon what to do (Connect or disconnect from the internet), and the daemon does it, thereby providing me full control over when the internet is connected or disconnected. It's rather crude the method the client and daemon use to communicate (I have yet to figure out how to do true network communications in Visual Basic), but at least it works.

[Mdubz]

Very nice guide. This should really help out a lot of people.

[mich43L]

Originally Posted by amd-xile

Finally, once I'd followed all of mich43l's directions, I had to figure out how to put the McAfee firewall back up while not blocking the client computers. I did it by telling the firewall to allow all transmissions from the IP addresses for the two client machines, XP's ICS (which again is the unalterable 192.168.0.1), and the router's IP address. I don't know whether this is the best method, but it certainly works.

I've updated the guide to include how to configure ZoneAlarm free for ICS and LAN.

Glad to see that it's working out for people.

[amd-xile]

Originally Posted by mich43L

I've updated the guide to include how to configure ZoneAlarm free for ICS and LAN.

Awesome. The stupid McAfee firewall -- you have to input each IP address one-by-one, you can't enter a range -- I think I've finally convinced my parents to ditch it. But I'm glad to know that ZoneAlarm can be configured using a range wildcard.

[Jwolf24601]

Well I recieved my router WRT54Gv6 and while trying to update the firmware it crashed. Next day I found out how to force it into management mode fixed the firmware and got it all set up for networking. Here's how I did it...

First you’re going to need to connect one computer to the router and restart it. Once it’s restarted open your Internet Explorer and go to the address http://192.168.1.1.
You will be prompted for a username and password. Leave the username blank and input admin as the password.
Once you arrive at the setup page you’ll need to change the LAN IP address of the router to one that corresponds with your network. For example, Windows ICS uses the IP address 192.168.0.1 by default, so for this example we’re going to make the routers LAN IP Address 192.168.0.254.
Click Apply and restart your computer.
Once the computer has restarted you’ll need open Internet Explorer again and input http://192.168.0.254, or whichever LAN IP you gave the router.
You’ll be prompted for a username and password. Leave the username blank and input admin as the password.
Once you arrive at the setup page of the router, click on the DHCP tab.
Once the DHCP page appears, go ahead click the option to disable. Once you’ve disabled it, click Apply then Continue.
Once the router has been configured in the said manner, connect your ICS Server to one of the numbered ports. In this example we’re using Port 1. Once you’ve done this connect any remaining computers to the router and restart them

This is from the linksys website. I also had to set the IP's for each computer manually...

- IP Address: 192.168.0.2(.1 for primary pc.3 for third comp)
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
- Gateway: 192.168.0.1
- DNS: 192.168.0.1
- Click Apply then Continue

restarted them all with ICS enabled and everything worked. enabled firewalls, still worked, enabled WPA and set the passwords on all the computers and again it works, everything going well now

[oilfieldhottie]

Re: Wireless dialup

I guess I am a little confused about the setup procedure. You say to configure the router and then when you are done to connect the ethernet cable from ICS PC to LAN on router. But if the cable isn't connected you cannot log in to the router. Am I supposed to have another different PC wired to the router in order to config it and then connect the ICS host computer or am I supposed to use the wireless connected PC to config router? I only have 2 machines, the ICS that is already connected to the router from NIC and the one that connects via wireless adapter. Is there a reason the ICS comp has to be unplugged from router when I config it or can I just leave it plugged in the whole time?

Thanks 4 your time,

oilfieldhottie

[mich43L]

Originally Posted by oilfieldhottie

Re: Wireless dialup

I guess I am a little confused about the setup procedure. You say to configure the router and then when you are done to connect the ethernet cable from ICS PC to LAN on router. But if the cable isn't connected you cannot log in to the router. Am I supposed to have another different PC wired to the router in order to config it and then connect the ICS host computer or am I supposed to use the wireless connected PC to config router? I only have 2 machines, the ICS that is already connected to the router from NIC and the one that connects via wireless adapter. Is there a reason the ICS comp has to be unplugged from router when I config it or can I just leave it plugged in the whole time?

Access the router to configure it anyway you want/can (wired or wireless). The reason I said to configure the router first before enabling ICS on the desktop is because if ICS is enabled before the router is configured, you might not be able to access the router from the desktop (because of an IP address confilict).

[oilfieldhottie]

O.K. I have not enabled ICS on my host PC yet so I will config router with it and just leave it connected to the LAN port on my router and then reboot and then setup ICS on my dial-up connection. Just wanted to be sure that when you said to connect the ethernet cable after changing router settings that it wasn't imperitave to the success of the configuration. Also, I read another post about how "Obtain an IP automatically" is not one of the choices in the Internet Setup of the router but I didn't notice a reply to it. Is that the same thing as "Obtain DHCP automatically" which is the way it is worded in my router also? Only other options for connection type are Static, PPPoe, PPTP or something like that. Do I need to change anything on the tab that asks something about NAT filtering or redirection (something like that)? Sorry about all the questions but I just wanna make sure I do it right the first time. I too have a Linksys WRT54G so I'm sure it will work just fine.

Many thanks,

oilfieldhottie

[mich43L]

Originally Posted by oilfieldhottie

Just wanted to be sure that when you said to connect the ethernet cable after changing router settings that it wasn't imperitave to the success of the configuration.

Correct. The setup on the desktop and the router are not dependent on eachother.

Also, I read another post about how "Obtain an IP automatically" is not one of the choices in the Internet Setup of the router but I didn't notice a reply to it. Is that the same thing as "Obtain DHCP automatically" which is the way it is worded in my router also? Only other options for connection type are Static, PPPoe, PPTP or something like that. Do I need to change anything on the tab that asks something about NAT filtering or redirection (something like that)? Sorry about all the questions but I just wanna make sure I do it right the first time. I too have a Linksys WRT54G so I'm sure it will work just fine.

Yes. They're the same thing. (The reason why I circled that "Obtain IP automatically" is because I was planning to describe an alternative configuration where that would have to be changed but later decided not to)

Don't change anything other settings (other than I've described) from the default settings of wrt54g. It'll work just fine.

[oilfieldhottie]

Success! My shared dial-up is working with no problem. I just wish it wouldn't have taken me so long to search out this forum with these EASY setup instructions. I spent probably 100 hours looking for a way to do this and up until now I only read that it was either impossible to do or extremely complicated-STRANGE???-it couldn't have been any easier. Even Linksys says it can't be done, I wonder why? Oh well, I see in the following post that you assigned static IP addresses to all connected PCs. Does it work better that way or is that just optional?
Thanks so much again for the simple setup that worked perfectly the first time. You guys are awesome!

oilfieldhottie

Originally Posted by Jwolf24601

Well I recieved my router WRT54Gv6 and while trying to update the firmware it crashed. Next day I found out how to force it into management mode fixed the firmware and got it all set up for networking. Here's how I did it...



This is from the linksys website. I also had to set the IP's for each computer manually...

- IP Address: 192.168.0.2(.1 for primary pc.3 for third comp)
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
- Gateway: 192.168.0.1
- DNS: 192.168.0.1
- Click Apply then Continue

restarted them all with ICS enabled and everything worked. enabled firewalls, still worked, enabled WPA and set the passwords on all the computers and again it works, everything going well now

[Jwolf24601]

was the only way it would work for me, i was getting incompatible ip address errors.

[valmore]

I also have the same unit thanks for the advice
Do you suggest I update now? also should i change the default
address? in order to make it more secure?
again I find your information very helpful

[DDDa]

Yes, update the firmware and tweak it a bit changing the defaults. I don't think that any change of the default IP would help (not an advocate of 'security through obscurity'), but certainly changing the ssid and everything else would.

[mark_jump2top]

really? i didn't know this was possible.

have to try this myself.

thank you for the post.

[R.PERIYASAMY]

nice