Total networking newbie, but I'm a quick study. Could use advice...

[LeeTaisho]

I am finding this site to be extremely helpful as I take my first baby steps with the whole network thing. Trying desperately to get off Comcast's finicky and expensive rental gateway. Already have a solid modem and just ordered an AC1200 TP-Link Archer C5. So away we go...

My first concern is firmware replacement so I'm starting there. So far Gargoyle and OpenWRT are the only two compatible firmware options I can find. Anyone know of any other options or have a pros and cons or preference on the two mentioned? I really want to do this right from the start, but honestly I am already getting lost in numbers and terminology.

That brings me to my other question. As a neophyte (not counting my trusty old WRT54G that everyone has set up at some point) I could really use a basic resource to start my real education. Like from square one resources. Like doesn't know WAN from LAN, Networking for Idiots level instruction. That would be a HUGE help to me and my sanity.

Thanks in advance. This site is just awesome and I truly appreciate the time you fine folks put in and the educated answers and opinions I've gotten so far. You are doing a wonderful thing for intimidated amateurs like myself. Bravo!

 

[Nullity]

Why do you want to replace the stock firmware?

 

[LeeTaisho]

Why do you want to replace the stock firmware?

The only knock I've seen across the board on the C5 was the security of the firmware and length of time between updates. I figure if there is a valid and secure option, especially at no extra cost, it is worth using that option. Not to be paranoid, but there have been serious documented issues with their firmware on earlier models. General opinion seems to be that not much has changed and software is still not a priority for the company. It just seems like the right move, if only for my peace of mine.

 

[Nullity]

Regardless of software security vulnerabilities, the user is usually the biggest threat to a system's security.

Security is important, but know your threat vectors.

Feeling secure (peace of mind) and being secure are very different things. Personally, I feel more secure when I stress myself about useless crap, but I logically know that offers me no actual security. I guess it is the difference between the psychological, human philosophy of security and the mathmatical, computer science of security.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

What model modem are you planning to use with Comcast ?

 

[L&LD]

That brings me to my other question. As a neophyte (not counting my trusty old WRT54G that everyone has set up at some point) I could really use a basic resource to start my real education. Like from square one resources. Like doesn't know WAN from LAN, Networking for Idiots level instruction. That would be a HUGE help to me and my sanity.

What I did (so many years ago) was read every article this site offered. Along with reading every single post, every day (forum-wide) since then. With quick trips to Wikipedia, and daily immersion in network 'jargon', I am now pretty familiar with the basics, to say the least.

When I joined snb just over two years ago, and was actively participating in discussion (offering what I knew and other times just waiting and seeing how well I thought I knew something), my knowledge increased even more.

I did not find anything 'out there' short of a boring technical school program that would offer what I know and have learned right here. But, your goals or expectations may differ.

 

[LeeTaisho]

What model modem are you planning to use with Comcast ?

Picked up an Arris TG862 gateway because Comcast has it listed as most compatible with Blast. It works great as a modem but has lousy range as a router, thus the need for a router.

 

[LeeTaisho]

I did not find anything 'out there' short of a boring technical school program that would offer what I know and have learned right here. But, your goals or expectations may differ.

That's what I am finding. My goal is to learn enough to set up and maintain a reliable and efficient home network to start. From there I'd like to delve more into the settings and security and tweaks for ultimate performance. My needs are modest, though, especially to start. I'd like to simply get off Comcast equipment and be able to do my computer work from my basement office and upstairs bedroom.

My main concern is "bricking" the router somehow. The only step in the process that really concerns me is that I want to go from TP-Link firmware to Gargoyle or OpenWRT firmware. That's where I'm getting anxious.

 

[LeeTaisho]

Regardless of software security vulnerabilities, the user is usually the biggest threat to a system's security.

Security is important, but know your threat vectors.

Feeling secure (peace of mind) and being secure are very different things.

I agree totally. This was just the only possible weak spot in the equipment that I can find. Since there are other, safer options it seemed like a no-brainer to me to swap it in before I set anything up. Am I wrong in that thinking?

 

[LeeTaisho]

Personally, I feel more secure when I stress myself about useless crap, but I logically know that offers me no actual security

That is totally part of this. It seems like whenever I fret and stress over something new, it turns out to be way less awful that I anticipate. When I am feeling pretty confident in my knowledge and ability seems to be where I run into trouble. Maybe its because I dig deeper and longer into the subjects that I am less comfortable with, so I actually end up being better prepared. Or I could just be daffy.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

Picked up an Arris TG862 gateway because Comcast has it listed as most compatible with Blast. It works great as a modem but has lousy range as a router, thus the need for a router.

Ok just checking to make sure you had at least a 8x4 channel modem. Comcast is making a lot of modems docsis 2 and 4x4 and some 8x4 docsis 3 modems End Of Life.

 

[Nullity]

...
That brings me to my other question. As a neophyte (not counting my trusty old WRT54G that everyone has set up at some point) I could really use a basic resource to start my real education. Like from square one resources. Like doesn't know WAN from LAN, Networking for Idiots level instruction. That would be a HUGE help to me and my sanity.
...

What sort of resources are you interested in? Books, forums, online courses, etc?

Books:
TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1 (good visualizations)
Internetworking with TCP/IP, Vol 1
CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide (great intro, but very Cisco-centric, though most of the knowledge is universal)

Those are good intros.

Computer Networks (Tanenbaum) & Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach are reference books that have everything in them, like how cable modems & wifi work, at a low-level.


There are lots of free books & websites, like: http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current/html/
That page is great and very up-to-date. My interest was in congestion control & queueing back when I found it, and he explains it better than many other texts I read.


Sites like stackexchange are great for concise explanations when you have trouble understanding a certain aspect.


Learning how to use tcpdump will give you a much better idea how packets are constructed. tcpdump works well with the TCP/IP Illustrated book.

 

[LeeTaisho]

What sort of resources are you interested in?


There are lots of free books & websites, like: http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current/html/
That page is great and very up-to-date. My interest was in congestion control & queueing back when I found it, and he explains it better than many other texts I read.

Mainly I was looking for a starting place to educate myself, preferably web based. The intronetworks site sounds like exactly what I was hoping to find. Gonna check it out when I get done work. Thanks a bunch!

 

[LeeTaisho]

There are lots of free books & websites, like: http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current/html/
That page is great and very up-to-date.

This site is amazing! Exactly what I was looking for and now it is bookmarked in my laptop and Kindle. Thanks so much. Perfect resource.

 

[Nullity]

This site is amazing! Exactly what I was looking for and now it is bookmarked in my laptop and Kindle. Thanks so much. Perfect resource.

Contact the professor & thank him! I probably should have, long ago.

I hadn't visited the site in many months, but as I revisit the site, yeah... he does a great job of presenting these complex topics in a concise & easily understood way.