[Hidden-tech] Security and coverage for shared WiFi

Jan Werner jwerner at jwdp.com
Sun Jan 10 09:15:36 EST 2016


Don't use the Comcast box as a router!

Most third part wireless routers will give you far better coverage than 
a combined modem/router and many of them allow you to set up one or more 
guest networks that are isolated from your main network.

You are probably paying a fee to Comcast to lease their modem/router box 
which you could amortize in a year or two by buying your own cable modem 
(You can find lists of those that Comcast supports on their website) and 
your own router.

Furthermore, Comcast's own routers are designed to let them be used as 
open access WiFI hotspots - if you ever wondered about how Comcast and 
Time Warner can offer thousands of free WiFi access points nationwide, 
that's how. So if you are worried about security, you should not use ae 
Comcast provided router in the first place.

Here's a link to an article you might find useful.

http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2014/06/want-to-use-your-own-modemrouter-with-comcast-heres-how/

If you Google, you will find plenty of other information online, and 
there was a recent discussion of wireless routers here as well.

Jan Werner
______________


Duane Dale wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear H-Techers:
>
> In advance, forgive me if these are naive questions or have been
> addressed previously.
>
> Consider this scenario:
> * A homeowner has a "mother-in-law apartment" which is rented to tenants.
>     Imagine that these parties don't know each other well.
> * The chosen internet option is Comcast.
> * A Comcast-provided cable modem-wireless router is the default option.
> * Because it's nominally a single-family house, Comcast says it's
> prohibited from providing two separate accounts.
> * Comcast says it could (for an additional fee, of course) install two
> separate cable modem-routers on the same account.
>
> The security question:
> * If the two parties share one WiFi account, is there a security risk?
>    (Assume, of course, that banking and other sensitive use is with
> https sites.)
> * If there is a security risk, how does it compare to risks at an airport?
>      ... in an apartment building (without shared WiFi access)?
>       ...drive-by "listening" to WiFi activity.
> * Would the second Comcast WiFi "box" reduce security risks?
> * Would hard-wiring a third-party wireless router into a single Comcast
> box provide a separate log-in? ...and would that reduce security risks?
>
> The coverage question:
> If the house is large enough to have coverage issues (or has
> out-buildings where coverage is weak)...
> * Is there a WiFi Extender device that anyone would recommend?
> * Would hard-wiring a third-party wireless router into the Comcast box
> -- with a long Cat5 cable to take that second box into the weaker zone
> -- help?
>
> Thanks!
> Duane Dale
>
>
>
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