Wireless Access Points

[groovin]

a few years ago I set up Wavelans... really nice access points. But since I havent touched anything besides SOHO wireless routers like linksys ones.

now, we want to add some wireless for our laptop users.

What I prefer is for the access point to be:

-pretty secure with some effort (not familiar with WPA or WEP but i see it get ragged on alot) so i can prevent wardrivers!
-have time access rules so a wireless connection is available during certain hours only.
-have wireless-g support or be upgradable to it
-be upgradable past wireless-g in the future.
(this is all whatd id 'prefer', not rigid requirements)

This thing will not service more than a handful of users at a given time. i noticed many of the SOHO wifi routers act as DHCP, NAT, VPN, firewall, all-in-one appliances. I just want this thing to provide wireless access to the netowrk, not be network! i dont know if any of these SOHO routers have the features i would like either.

i was looking at Cisco Aironet 1100's... they are around $400, but other than that I dont know of whats out there... any suggestions? thanks

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'll just suggest that any wireless devices you purchase support WPA if you're interested in security. With a long enough key, it appears that WPA is reasonably secure, much better than WEP, which is easily defeated.

 

[JackMDS]

SMC just came out with 802.11g AP that supports WAP.

EZ Connect? g 2.4GHz 54 Mbps Wireless Ethernet Bridge.

 

[groovin]

will the WPA keep random people from grabbing an ip off our network>

 

[JackMDS]

Random Innocent? Yeah.

It will make it even Much Harder than the current measures.

However if you have around a knowledgeable and very insistent ?Hacker?
there is no ?full proof? with regular hardware..

The current state of the Art in full proof cooperate Security might cost you $25,000.00 or more.

Link: Wireless Security for the Home User.

 

[9ball]

I just put up a Cisco 1100 at work (internet only), so far the only thing i've done is hide the SSID. I won't trust wireless for anything else yet.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

WPA will be pretty effective at keeping the poachers at bay. If you use a long key, by the time they have figured out one key, it's already switched to a new one.