Aaron Weiss

Not too long ago, we were promised a world in which virtually every electronic gadget could connect to a network, talking to one another, exchanging data, joking and laughing and basically enjoying the fruits of an electronic utopia. We were also promised flying cars. Where is my flying car!? We’re inching our way there. Networking […]

You can disable 802.1X authentication in Windows XP by going into your Control Panel, Network, and opening the Properties page for your wireless connection. Look for the property tab labeled Authentication — its exact location may vary. Uncheck 802.1x authentication.   Story courtesy of PracticallyNetworked.

In Part 1 of “Creating a Wireless Network” we considered which equipment you’d need to meet your goals for speed, range, and security. Gear in hand, let’s set up the hardware and walk through a few simple configuration steps to bring your wireless network to life. For the purpose of this guide, let’s assume you […]

It’s no secret by now that wireless networking is quickly replacing tangled messes of cables in many homes and small businesses. No more fishing wires through walls, no more tripping over wires laid across doorways, and no more yelling at Fido or Fluffy when think Ethernet cables are chew toys. What people love most about […]

One of the more exciting developments for networking enthusiasts has been the evolution of open-source firmware replacements for certain popular, inexpensive routers (usually the famed Linux-running Linksys WRT54G). While replacement firmware offers the promise of significantly expanded features, greater customization and mondo-tweakability, it also carries some risk. Should misfortune strike, you might, oh, let’s say, […]

Not so long ago network routers were all rather the same, providing basic “Internet sharing” functionality. But as broadband use has become more popular for a wider variety of activities, today’s routers often have specific personalities targeting one type of user or another. Netgear’s ProSafe FVG318 wireless router aims to find a niche somewhere between […]

The modern networked office requires a certain degree of vigilance, and not just from midnight burglars. Thanks to increasing network safety consciousness, you probably already have a router firewall on your broadband connection and anti-virus software on all of your PCs. The D-Link NetDefend DFL-CPG310 bundles these, wireless security, VPN , and many other network […]

Earlier this month we looked at NetStumbler, an application for surveying wireless networks. While NetStumbler is the most popular tool of its kind for Windows machines, users of Linux, BSD and Mac OS X have Kismet, a roughly analogous – though some would say more thorough – utility for discovering wireless networks. Kismet detects the […]

Once upon a time 802.11b wireless networking appeared, freeing us to roam around at 10Mbps, and it was good. Actually, it was just OK. So hardware vendors whipped up 802.11g — 54Mbps of bandwidth goodness. The people rejoiced and then said, “Got anything faster?” One day we’ll have 802.11n, but until that day comes, vendors […]

With the release of Windows XP, Microsoft tried to make configuring and connecting to wireless networks easy for everyone. They partially succeeded. The Wireless Zero Configuration service is the “brains” behind managing wireless connections with Windows. Unfortunately, WZC does not always make sane decisions, which can cause sensations of frustration and annoyance, not to mention […]

The story of the Linksys Wireless-G Router (model WRT54G) and how you can turn a $60 router into a $600 router is a little bit CSI and a little bit Freaks & Geeks. It’s also the story of how the open source movement can produce a win-win scenario for both consumers and commercial vendors. What’s […]