Very basic home networking question.

[wgscott]

Yeah, I just want something small and stable and no wireless broadcaster. If I can cut my daughter's iPhone internet connection off after midnight, that would be a huge plus.

 

Apple really dumbed down their router interface to the point where it is crippling.

[completeluxury]

the mikrotik has so many options you will likely be as dumbfounded as i was when i first logged into one

[wgscott]

Sounds like my daily experience.

 

I might get one at work too, as I think I should put a firewall between the new freeNAS and ISIL. (The freeNAS interface is thwarting my attempts to get it HTFU.)

[jabbr]

Yeah, I just want something small and stable and no wireless broadcaster. If I can cut my daughter's iPhone internet connection off after midnight, that would be a huge plus.

 

Apple really dumbed down their router interface to the point where it is crippling.

 

Sigh ... well you have to monitor LTE usage more closely though... thankfully the XBox doesn't have such connections...

[wgscott]

I solved that problem by moving to outer bf, where there is no cell phone coverage. Heh.

[jabbr]

I solved that problem by moving to outer bf, where there is no cell phone coverage. Heh.

 

Nice! I had to hang one of these from his wall to jam the connection at night: FBI Dirtbox Stingray spy plane program detailed | BGR

[Paul R]

That's what I was afraid of (and yes, I want to keep it that way).

 

 

 

Well, I have, but the Airport extreme is located about 15 ft away from the cable modem, which is only inches away from my ATV2 and Mac mini. (I don't/can't move the Airport extreme, and I don't want to pull more wires under the house.)

 

Well, I do agree that ideally, the best solution is simply to move the Airport Extreme close to the mac Mini and ATV2, and use the ports on the back of the Airport Extreme.

 

However, there are other ways.

 

For example, you can put in a small firewall/switch right at the cable modem, and allow it to manage the network. Then pop the Airport Extreme into bridging mode and be done with it. The AE will simply bridge the wired network to the wireless and Bob's your Uncle. The new switch would assign DHCP addresses and all that jazz, even to devices on the wireless network.

 

There are a couple other options too, but I am not sure of the reasons for not moving the AE, so they would just be guesses.

 

-Paul

[jcbenten]

With regards to your initial plan: if your cable modem is rented, do not ever rely on it to provide security. I have read (internet is the truth..right?) of cable companies sending updates out and resetting the password on the modem back to default.

 

Adding a firewall/second router is the way to go as has been suggested.

[wgscott]

I bought my own Cable Modem, but a few months ago Comcast (my Cabal company) tried to claim it was theirs, and I had to file a complaint with the FTC before they would back down. So to say that I don't trust them would be putting it quite mildly.

 

I decided to go for the small firewall/router. (My other option was to use one of those bifurcated ethernet cables that lets you use the four unsued (!) wires in the cable to route a second connection, but that + switch = new router + flexibility).

 

@Paul: The wireless router is near the center of the house and has several cables coming out of it going under the house that I would have to re-route (or would have to use another switch) if I put the wireless router in in the far corner cabinet where the cable modem resides.

[Paul R]

I bought my own Cable Modem, but a few months ago Comcast (my Cabal company) tried to claim it was theirs, and I had to file a complaint with the FTC before they would back down. So to say that I don't trust them would be putting it quite mildly.

 

I decided to go for the small firewall/router. (My other option was to use one of those bifurcated ethernet cables that lets you use the four unsued (!) wires in the cable to route a second connection, but that + switch = new router + flexibility).

 

@Paul: The wireless router is near the center of the house and has several cables coming out of it going under the house that I would have to re-route (or would have to use another switch) if I put the wireless router in in the far corner cabinet where the cable modem resides.

 

 

Comcast is just truly one of the most evil cable companies on the planet. They still owe me $40 for a cable box return in 1990.

 

Yeah, just adding a standalone firewall and setting the Airport Extreme to be a bridge will work great in your situation. Be sure to get Gigabit ports on your new firewall/router. Not a guarantee, but often a sign of a better designed and faster bus on the switch.

 

-Paul

[mansr]

I decided to go for the small firewall/router. (My other option was to use one of those bifurcated ethernet cables that lets you use the four unsued (!) wires in the cable to route a second connection, but that + switch = new router + flexibility).

 

Gigabit Ethernet uses all four pairs (eight wires).

[Paul R]

Gigabit Ethernet uses all four pairs (eight wires).

 

Interesting- so how does Power over Ethernet work on a Gigabit connection? i just never really thought about it until just now, but our phones all have Gigabit ports on them and are powered over the Ethernet cable.

[Audio_ELF]

Interesting- so how does Power over Ethernet work on a Gigabit connection? i just never really thought about it until just now, but our phones all have Gigabit ports on them and are powered over the Ethernet cable.

The same way phantom power for microphones work...

[mansr]

Interesting- so how does Power over Ethernet work on a Gigabit connection? i just never really thought about it until just now, but our phones all have Gigabit ports on them and are powered over the Ethernet cable.

 

Ethernet uses transformer-coupled differential pairs. You can put both wires in a pair at whatever level you like without affecting the communication.

[wgscott]

Sorry to take my own damn thread off-topic, but recently I was provided with an IP phone at work. (I have a phone phobia, so this thing is little better than an ugly rock on my desk that aperiodically intrudes on my otherwise zen-like tranquil existence.) We are supposed to plug the phone in to the ethernet jack, and then connect the other data hose to our computer. Can this in any way harm (a) my network connection, or (b) my Imac? (As you can probably deduce, I am not happy with this.)

[mansr]

Sorry to take my own damn thread off-topic, but recently I was provided with an IP phone at work. (I have a phone phobia, so this thing is little better than an ugly rock on my desk that aperiodically intrudes on my otherwise zen-like tranquil existence.) We are supposed to plug the phone in to the ethernet jack, and then connect the other data hose to our computer. Can this in any way harm (a) my network connection, or (b) my Imac? (As you can probably deduce, I am not happy with this.)

 

It's not clear which "other data hose" you're referring to.

[wgscott]

Sorry, I was being flippant. wall port > ethernet cable > phone > second ethernet cable > computer.

[mansr]

Sorry, I was being flippant. wall port > ethernet cable > phone > second ethernet cable > computer.

 

The phone most likely has a small built-in switch with two external ports and one internal. It's probably not very sophisticated, so performance might suffer a little under very heavy load. It might also prioritise traffic from the phone. Chances are you'll never notice it's there. Why do you think it would damage your computer?

[wgscott]

You know how the telltale signatures of cheap switching power supplies can creep in and contaminate one's data.

[Paul R]

Sorry to take my own damn thread off-topic, but recently I was provided with an IP phone at work. (I have a phone phobia, so this thing is little better than an ugly rock on my desk that aperiodically intrudes on my otherwise zen-like tranquil existence.) We are supposed to plug the phone in to the ethernet jack, and then connect the other data hose to our computer. Can this in any way harm (a) my network connection, or (b) my Imac? (As you can probably deduce, I am not happy with this.)

 

Nope- though it might slow you down a bit. If it really bothers you though, ask your phone guys if you can just put a softphone on your iMac. Works great for most phone systems.

[wgscott]

I would really prefer that. What would you recommend?

[jabbr]

If you start with neologisms then check your power supply likewise if you find yourself unable to think about what to say next

[jabbr]

I recommend lowering your glycemic index

[Bob Stern]

I expect the only reason the IP phone is designed to connect between the ethernet jack and the computer is that it is designed for environments in which the network bandwidth is limited, so the IP phone takes priority over the computer. I don't think the phone communicates with or controls the computer, it merely throttles data to the computer when the network bandwidth is insufficient to avoid dropouts in a phone conversation. That's obviously unnecessary given the high bandwidth of the university network. Therefore, I expect there's no need to connect the IP phone to your computer and that you can connect each to a separate ethernet jack.

 

If you don't have a second ethernet jack located where you can run a wire from it to your desk without someone tripping on it, use an ethernet switch to allow the Mac and phone to share the ethernet connection. Ethernet switches cost almost nothing nowadays.

 

(mansr already said the same thing a lot more concisely.)

[jabbr]

If that doesn't work you should try a "word regen" -- I suggest a pretty young blonde one, that way she can talk on the phone for you. Just don't feed her high glycemic index food either or else she will talk too much or also gain weight