Dual wireless adapters - one for internet, one for lan access? (advice wanted)

[hippovsmouse]

Hey folks, well I have a networking question:

I have a laptop (1) that I connect to the internet with, through a network used by other people in my apartment building, so it's not my private network.

I have a laptop (2) also connected to the above-mentioned network. I am preparing to connect a 3tb storage hard-disk to this laptop.

I want to connect a router to laptop (2) to make a simple lan - I have a usb wireless adapter that I can connect on laptop (1) to connect to this router/lan.

So on laptop (1) I would have 2 wireless adapters - the internal built-in one, for accessing the internet through my apartment's network - then the usb wireless adapter, for accessing my storage drive on laptop (2) /lan.

Should this work out ok?
If so, what I want to avoid, is any sharing of my storage hard-disk's contents, over on the public network I connect to for internet access.

Basically I am doing this to have access to my storage drive without needing to have it physically wired to my main laptop (1)

So will this be fairly simple to do or is it more complicated than I realize?
Thanks alot

 

[Fardringle]

Have the router connect to the shared wireless network in the building, and then connect all of your devices to the router. That will make it so all of your devices can communicate with each other and access the Internet, but they will not be visible to anyone else using the public wireless in the building.

 

[hippovsmouse]

Fardringle - thanks for the reply - the way you explained that seems as though it should be pretty common knowledge for someone with networking experience - unfortunately mine is basic at best.

I know a router can broadcast a signal that devices can connect to - but how would I get the router to connect to the public wireless network? Would I have to change the mode of the router to repeater mode or something?

What is this type setup called, and do you know where I can do some further reading on it? I imagine it takes some configuration to set up right & secure, and I don't want to bother anyone here with 80 questions
thanks

 

[JoeMcJoe]

You need a router that connects to the public wifi (ex: SSID = PublicNet), then also gives out a private SSID (ex: PrivateNet).

Then you would connect to the PrivateNet via wifi, giving you internet and LAN access, and no one else your LAN access.

Not many routers will provide this option, not without flashing third party firmware.

What might be easier for you to do, get one of these and connect it to the WAN port of any regular router.
This connects as a client to your public wifi.
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nano..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1F2J3RBMKF5RYJBATK7C

Then connect your NAS to a LAN port of your router.
Your router has your own private SSID.

Make sense?

 

[hippovsmouse]

Hey Joe - thanks for the reply - yeah it makes good sense. I can't remember now as I've not used that router in awhile but I think I flashed ddwrt to it - if not then I can, and I know it has a repeater mode because I've played with it before.

I hadn't even thought of that idea- thanks both you guys for the thoughts - we can call this solved then

 

[hippovsmouse]

Peripheral question - Re: security -
I know that when connected to a network that others are using there is always that question of wireless privacy. Would doing what you guys have described improve upon security when connected to a public or semi-public network?

I don't mean in terms of someone accessing your NAS but I mean as regards eavesdropping, spoofing etc
Thanks

 

[JoeMcJoe]

If you use repeater mode, it would repeat the public SSID. If wouldn't give you are own private SSID (network).

Here is something that might help you, as you are requesting to do what a lot of RV'ers do.
http://www.outsideourbubble.com/sec...making-a-better-park-connection-for-under-100

Always assume that any non-encrypted data can be accessed by other people, either wirelessly or on the internet.

 

[JackMDS]

While it might depends on how the Source Wireless Network is configured. The best solution is to create a Real hardware ""Repeater"".

I.e., Use a Wireless Router configured as a Wireless Client Bridge to get the signal from the source. Feed the signal from one of the LAN port of the Bridge via short CAT6 cable to the WAN port of a second Wireless Router and configure it to a Regular Wireless/wired Network with few Clients as you wish.

 

[hippovsmouse]

If you use repeater mode, it would repeat the public SSID. If wouldn't give you are own private SSID (network).

Here is something that might help you, as you are requesting to do what a lot of RV'ers do.
http://www.outsideourbubble.com/sec...making-a-better-park-connection-for-under-100

Always assume that any non-encrypted data can be accessed by other people, either wirelessly or on the internet.

It seems like that I remember a tab in ddwrt where you could set up virtual SSIDs, it's been awhile since I played with it, maybe that didn't work in tandem with repeater mode - i'll have to get the router out and start working with it again to refresh my memory.
Thanks for that link i'll read up D:

 

[Mushkins]

Get repeater mode out of your head, it's not what you want here You are not Repeating anything, you're securely Bridging two networks.

The technical term for what you want is Wireless WAN. Instead of your router connecting to a hard-wired modem from your ISP for its WAN connectivity (aka your connection to the public internet), you are connecting the WAN link to a wireless network. The internal firewall of the router and regular old NAT segments and protects your internal LAN from anyone else connected to the WAN network exactly the same way it would if it were a wired connection.

 

[hippovsmouse]

Get repeater mode out of your head, it's not what you want here You are not Repeating anything, you're securely Bridging two networks.

The technical term for what you want is Wireless WAN. Instead of your router connecting to a hard-wired modem from your ISP for its WAN connectivity (aka your connection to the public internet), you are connecting the WAN link to a wireless network. The internal firewall of the router and regular old NAT segments and protects your internal LAN from anyone else connected to the WAN network exactly the same way it would if it were a wired connection.

Mushkins - thanks for the reply - in ddwrt, is "repeater bridge" what i'd be wanting to do?
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

Also, if the primary router is using wireless n, can it still work out if my router's wireless g?
thanks alot

 

[hippovsmouse]

I've been working with this some - the router has dd-wrt on it.

I can get my router to repeat the apartment's signal in both client bridge, and repeater bridge modes (both bridged modes)
But cannot get it to work in client, or repeater modes.

Basically, it works fine as a transparent range extender so long as the main router is doing dhcp, but will not work to pick up a wan ip from the main router and do dhcp itself (which is what I want, so I can have my own private subnet)

Anyone have any thoughts? Strange it will work in the bridged modes but not the unbridged

 

[JackMDS]

This http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

Vs this - http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode

You want the latter.

Or just do what I suggest in my previous post.