Finally decided to revisit my home network – LAN and Wireless, especially with respect to wifi security.

My setup essentially is this: a private Gigabit Local Area Network [LAN] using 192.168.0.x ip address range served by a dhcp server running off Smoothwall Express – an open source based excellent firewall program. I downloaded the iso from here, and installed it on a hardly used old but trusty Dell Poweredge 2300 server. My main server – running Windows 2008 has a static ip address and runs on a Dell Poweredge SC430. The 10/100/1000 gigabit switches – mainly cisco/netgear – enable me move large 3d rendered graphics files and family video files been edited across my server to/fro my prime Quad-core windows 7 64bit 8gb workstation.

For wireless – l gave away my old linksys a/b router – this router supports only WEP which is easily hackable. Retained my Dlink DIR-625 wireless router – set to 172.168.0.x ip address range, with the ethernet input from the smootwall green output. Smoothwall setup was Green+Red – Green is for the internal LAN while red represents the external network/internet interface from usually a home cable modem. I use WPA2-PSK for security at 802.11n wifi speed. The main reason l got this particular wireless router is – it offers parents the ability to lock out kid internet access at specific time. You simply reserve specific ip address for say kid x’s PC. Set a rule such as : internet off from 9pm to 5am workdays.

My 2nd wireless router is the Buffalo Airstation Turbo G WHR-G545  – 802.11g which l set at 172.168.16.x ip address range, with security set at WPA-PSK, key set to renew every 60mins. It supports TKIP as well as AOSS also. Installed at the 2nd half of the home, this gives adequate wireless coverage to any laptop that can authenticate with the right password.

Lingo:

A PSK is a 256-bit value, known to every device in the WLAN. That PSK is usually generated by combining the WLAN’s name (Service Set Identifier, SSID) (define) with a passphrase (an ASCII (define) string, 8-63 characters.)