Wireless Setup for Bed and Breakfast

[BBTS]

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I have a bed and breakfast with 8 rooms in two buildings and have used Linksys WRT54G (old versions with Hyperwrt firmware) and WEP 128 bit security for our guests. The second building has 3 floors and is about 90 feet from the main router. Over time I added access points, one in each building to reach low signal points, but people would try to connect to different AP's and not realize they needed to put the HEX password in for each AP they connected to. So I got a range expander for one building, but it has failed. (A lot of power outages and I always had to remember to reset the AP's and range expanders after the main router would reboot). I have Comcast with 54MB service and am using a Comcast cable modem. I had a different WRT54G (new version that is not patchable) that I tried to setup last night as a repeater, but am worried about compatibility and whether it really is an effective solution.

So, I am ready to start over with something that is very robust, appropriately secure for both business travelers with company laptops and your more typical guest running around with their home laptops.

Replace cable modem and Linksys router with ? , keep current router? or get a newer router?
Use range expanders or properly configured AP's to reach all floors in both buildings?
Is WEP 128 bit secure enough for this purpose?
IF one suggests WPA or WPA2, will most versions of Windows and laptops have that support in your opinion?
I broadcast the SSID as so many guests try to connect with no help? Is this really a terrifically big no no?

First post in this forum and look forward to continuing to learn!!

Cheers,
Byron

 

[BBTS]

Will change to WPA

Okay, catching up on your tutorials about WEP (Weak Encryption Protocol) and will change to WPA. It will be interesting to see how many of our older / retired guests that bring their laptops will have problems with this.

Cheers,
Byron

 

[valentin]

Do you really need to protect the access points? May be it is completely OK in your case to have open access points, unless the service is paid.

Then, there is nothing better than the cable. I would put a cable between the two buildings, if they are next to each other - either put it down, or between the roofs.

I am very disappointed with the wireless. Even in one apartment, where I live.
I placed cables in the floor along the rooms, and did not connect one room, get tired of digging in concrete. Few months later, after having so slow connection to the PC in this room, and numerous problems with 2 different wifi usb adapters, put a CAT 5e cable to that room, and now I am happy. I use the wireless only occasionally, when using a laptop in the kitchen.

They still advertise on the boxes - 10x the range, 15x the speed of 11g, complete lies.
EDIT:
There is nothing like the cable connection.
________
GLASS BONGS

 

[thiggins]

If you set all APs to the same SSID and WEP key (or WPA passphrase), users should not have to reauthenticate.

Most wireless hotspots run with no wireless security and rely on a captive portal to authenticate users. If you don't care about authentication (to keep non-guests) from using the network, there is no reason to run WEP or WPA.

You must, however, separate the "guest" network from your own computer network. If you don't do this, you run the risk of getting your network infected with whatever nasties your guests bring with them.

The simplest way to do this is to use multiple routers as described here. You can also do this by putting the access points on a separate VLAN.

If possible, you should use multiple APs connected via Ethernet. But if that isn't feasible, you could try a "mesh" setup. The least expensive way to go is OpenMesh, but Meraki and the PepWave Mesh Connector are other alternatives.

Keep in mind, that any mesh or repeating scheme will cut available bandwidth in half for each "hop" (repeater that a signal passes through). So for 802.11g, the best throughput you will get will be 8-10 Mbps.

 

[scotty]

Tim's advice is spot on.

To add, you could also go a little higher end if you choose and get a proper Wireless Distribution system controlled by a central control unit. D-Link, for example, sells these kinds of units. They're not typically cheap compared to a couple access points (usually around $1000 for the central unit, $100-$400 per AP), but that's the top-drawer solution if you want a truly centrally managed, distributed wireless solution. Combine that with either WPA or a captive portal and you're looking good. But Tim's methods will work fine. I've noticed when you do this though (multiple AP's with the same SSID, etc), Windows isn't usually smart enough to associate with the strongest signal strength point, so this isn't necessarily perfect, but it will usually do.

A captive portal might also be easier than implimenting a WPA key. Reason being, it's easier to control individual users or access in general, and you can put up custom splash pages with your B&B info, etc. If nothing else, it would be far easier to change the access password versus logging in and changing 5 or 10 individual AP's. Just a bit of a fancier (but still easy) way to do it.

And as Tim mentions, segregation from your network is essential.

 

[scotty]

Okay, catching up on your tutorials about WEP (Weak Encryption Protocol) and will change to WPA. It will be interesting to see how many of our older / retired guests that bring their laptops will have problems with this.

Cheers,
Byron

I haven't seen a laptop in the past 4 or 5 years that doesn't support WPA. Virtually any new'ish laptop that's reasonably up to date should support WPA without issue. Nowadays I doubt you'd see many laptops come through that dont support WPA. Heck, XP SP3 adds native WPA2 support now.

(But again, a captive portal might be a bit of an easier way to control access)

 

[BBTS]

Wow, thanks!

It will take me a bit to digest this and start to implement,

Thanks very much and I look forward to reporting back (or asking more questions lol).

Cheers,
Byron