Some people are confused (or just have the wrong idea) about what a computer server actually is.

The technical definition is that a server is a computer dedicated to providing a specific service or services.

Concerning what you would use in the home, the most common example is a file server, i.e. a computer where its sole purpose in life is to store files you can upload or download at any time on your home network. Continued

The following assumes that your wireless networking card has been properly detected by Ubuntu and all you want to do is connect to your network at this point. I have an older Dell Inspiron 6000 and the Intel PROset wireless detects with no problem whatsoever. Other from-OEM wireless cards should also detect properly as well. If you have a USB-based wireless card, you probably will encounter problems having it detect. I strongly suggest visiting the wireless networking area of UbuntuHCL to see if your card is supported or not if this is the case. This is not a document about wireless networking card detection but rather how to use it once working.

Wireless networking is very easy to do in Ubuntu 8.04, but it may not be readily obvious where to go to set it up. In Windows XP what we’re used to doing is either using a third-party app provided by the wireless card manufacturer or having to dive into the Control Panel to get it working.

In Ubuntu you don’t have to do this. All the wireless networking setup can be performed direct from the Application bar.

By default you will see this:

Note the icon to the right of the speaker icon at the top. Your networking is there and ready to use but isn’t configured just yet, hence the small orange triangle.

If we LEFT-CLICK this icon, you see this:

Your wireless network may be listed unless you have your router name not broadcasted. Being that I don’t have my router name broadcasted, I click Connect to Other Wireless Network…

Above: Setting up the connection. You put in your network name, what type of wireless security you’re using and the password.

Note: You will get asked to enter in a "keyring" on a separate pop-up dialog. This is a password you enter in for that specific Ubuntu PC. I suggest making it different from the router password for security reasons.

Above: When connected you’ll see the network icon change to bars indicating signal strength. Your network connection is officially working at this point.

Above: Launch the Firefox web browser and it will land on start.ubuntu.com, a live internet site – proving (again) you’re connected to the internet.

If you can get to the point where your wireless card is detected, it is this easy to connect to your home wireless network.

The first step to getting into this field is to understand how it works. Here are some questions that I have found many people simply don’t understand:

• How does the internet work?
• When I put up a website, where does it go?
• When I enter a website address into my browser, what is happening?

I have talked to people about this and the confusion is definitely rampant. Most people have never really thought about where a website comes from. Its just the mysterious “they” who do it, I guess. Also, contrary to what Senator Ted Stevens said, the internet is not really a “series of tubes”.

So, let’s take a look at how this all works.

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In addition to hardware based firewalls (like routers) there are also software based firewalls. These typically come in the form of an anti-virus software package with a firewall built in.

Software based firewalls, while good, are susceptible to some issues. They may:

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This simple checklist of tasks should get you started on using your router to its best ability, enhancing your LAN security. These are generic features that should be on most routers out there; consult your router’s user manual if you have doubts about where to find these settings. If you are still in the market looking to buy a router, a good idea is to go through the online manual to see if these settings are available on the router in your budget. Some of these security settings are to be used in conjunction with others; some provide an additional layer of security to what another setting already provides.

1. Administrative password

Establish an administrative password, there are far too many users out there running their routers on the factory default password. Make sure you choose a strong password, remember if your router password gets compromised, your entire LAN could be compromised. On the plus side, even if you forget your admin password, resetting the router will default your password to factory settings (and will remove all your other configurations). If you are administering a LAN that is frequented by people whom you do not entirely trust (or it is your job not to trust them); make sure that you set your browser not to save your username and password to the router’s configuration page. In addition, it is good practice to clear the history and cache of the browser you use to configure the router – using this in conjunction with a router IP address that isn’t the factory default 192.168.0.1 (see 3. Router IP address) will add an additional layer of security.

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Having a secure home network is your best defense against unwanted intrusions from the internet. Two methods (with multiple options) can be used to secure your home network. The first is hardware and the second is software.

Note before continuing: All the hardware and software in the world you use to protect your home network will not protect you against ignorance. You need to use common sense when using the internet. If there’s an e-mail you think looks suspicious, don’t open it. If there is a web site you think is suspicious, don’t browse that web site, and so on.

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Some routers have special means of handling Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Other routers may require putting the client computer for the VPN in the DMZ, which has reduced security. VPN features vary widely from router to router, and many routers do not have any VPN-specific features at all.

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These features let you control what you let connect to your wireless network and what can pass through from the Internet to the local networks. By default, anyone and anything can connect to your wireless network, and there is no traffic from the Internet allowed to pass through to any computer on the local network.

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This section lets you configure the wireless part of the router. This usually includes the SSID, channel, and encryption settings.

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This chapter is a video presentation.

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Merging the computer with your home entertainment system on your home network is not only cool, it is one of the new things in the world of networking. Let’s look at how you can use some of those MP3 files and digital video and images that are sitting on your computer and stream them to your home entertainment system.

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Sharing a printer on your network is another very useful feature of a network. Allow all of your computers to use the same printer.

There are three ways to accomplish this:

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This chapter is a video presentation.

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Q: (Wired/Wireless) All my router’s lights are on and will not go off. When I try to connect to the router, no network connectivity is present. What should I do?

A: On all routers there is a “reset” option. It is a button physically on the router. If after a reset this does not work – power off the router, wait ten seconds and then turn it back on.

Q: (Wired) My router can’t seem to establish a connection to the internet or to my home network. All the lights are on but the data does not seem to be transferring. What can I do?

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This chapter is a video presentation.

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