Providing wireless internet to customers?

msr399 · 09-18-2005, 09:37 AM

I wanted to provide unsecure wireless access for customers of my friends coffee shop. He has a few computers running windows 98 connected in a peer to peer network with a Linksys router. He has a verison DSL connection and wanted to allow his customers to access the internet through a wireless connection, but doesn't want anyone to have access to the rest of his network. What would be the best way to achieve this in the most inexpensive way? Thanks for your input!

**keymaker** · 09-18-2005, 02:10 PM

hmm....im not an networking expert but probably a software firewall like zonealarm.

**johnwill** · 09-18-2005, 04:29 PM

I think if you check the terms of service of your service, you'll find that you can't share your Internet with another person or business.

DVOM · 09-18-2005, 04:49 PM

As johnwill says, your friend will need to get things straight with his ISP.

With that said, I'd just daisy chain a wireless router to his existing router. Leave DHCP enabled on the wireless and that'll separate it into 2 networks.

**Terrister** · 09-19-2005, 01:23 PM

A wireless access point would be better than a router in this case. It has tools to make this sort of setup easier.

msr399 · 09-20-2005, 08:40 AM

I checked with my friend and he said that he has a business DSL??? line through verison. He thought he would be able to provide wireless internet in his coffee shop with this service, due to he is paying lots more mony for this business line than he pays at home for DSL. He is going to check just to make sure.

DVOM, thanks for your input. I like your idea about daisy chan the wireless router to the existing router, but even with DHCP enabled on the wireless router wont it assign IP to the wireless users with the same subnet as the wired network? Which would still allow the wireless users to gain access to the wired pc on the network.

**johnwill** · 09-20-2005, 12:18 PM

Actually, if you want to restrict the wireless customers to the Internet only, you put that router directly connected to the DSL line. You then connect the WAN port of the second router with your protected network to one of the LAN ports on the first router. You'll have the NAT firewall between you and the coffee shop users, and they will not have access to your network.

msr399 · 09-21-2005, 09:40 AM

Thanks Johnwill, it was very helpfull. I'm waiting on my friend to make sure from verizon that it is ok for him to provide WiFi to his customers. Then will try and set it up.

Very Helpfull - a hundred thank-you's to you.

msr399

**Fox** · 09-21-2005, 11:07 AM

You can do anything you want (within the law) with a business class DSL line.

How many customers does he have at any given time? If he has a lot, and they all have laptops, he might want to consider multiple Access Points.

msr399 · 09-22-2005, 02:18 PM

Fox - He said that there wont ever be more than 8 to 10 people max at any given time.

**Fox** · 09-22-2005, 02:25 PM

Yeah, and if you've ever used a single AP with 9 other people you'll understand how slow it can get.

Not saying he should install two APs right off the bat, but if people mention that it's slowing down, he may want to consider it.

**johnwill** · 09-22-2005, 03:56 PM

Since 802.11b/g is half duplex, and the bandwidth is shared, by the time you get to 8-9 users, it's got to be running like a snail! I've had three users on an 802.11g connection, and that sucked!

Fausttt · 09-23-2005, 05:13 PM

depends on the service he got from verizon. the new verizon internet is running in 5, 15, and 30 Mbps speeds. any of those speeds wouldnt be bad for only 8-10 users of an internet cafe.

**johnwill** · 09-23-2005, 05:33 PM

Fausttt, you obviously miss the basic point. It's not the bandwidth of the Verizon connection we're talking about, but rather the bandwidth of 802.11g with many connections to a single AP.

09-18-2005, 09:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
msr399 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Providing wireless internet to customers? I wanted to provide unsecure wireless access for customers of my friends coffee shop. He has a few computers running windows 98 connected in a peer to peer network with a Linksys router. He has a verison DSL connection and wanted to allow his customers to access the internet through a wireless connection, but doesn't want anyone to have access to the rest of his network. What would be the best way to achieve this in the most inexpensive way? Thanks for your input!

09-18-2005, 02:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
keymaker Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,154 OS: windows xp	hmm....im not an networking expert but probably a software firewall like zonealarm. __________________ AVG Spybot SpywareBlaster Adware CCleaner Diskeeper ZoneAlarm

09-18-2005, 04:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,787 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	I think if you check the terms of service of your service, you'll find that you can't share your Internet with another person or business. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

09-19-2005, 01:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,098 OS: Xp	A wireless access point would be better than a router in this case. It has tools to make this sort of setup easier. __________________

09-20-2005, 08:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
msr399 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5 OS: XP	msr399 I checked with my friend and he said that he has a business DSL??? line through verison. He thought he would be able to provide wireless internet in his coffee shop with this service, due to he is paying lots more mony for this business line than he pays at home for DSL. He is going to check just to make sure. DVOM, thanks for your input. I like your idea about daisy chan the wireless router to the existing router, but even with DHCP enabled on the wireless router wont it assign IP to the wireless users with the same subnet as the wired network? Which would still allow the wireless users to gain access to the wired pc on the network.

09-18-2005, 04:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
DVOM Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 11 OS: xp	As johnwill says, your friend will need to get things straight with his ISP. With that said, I'd just daisy chain a wireless router to his existing router. Leave DHCP enabled on the wireless and that'll separate it into 2 networks.

09-20-2005, 12:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,787 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Actually, if you want to restrict the wireless customers to the Internet only, you put that router directly connected to the DSL line. You then connect the WAN port of the second router with your protected network to one of the LAN ports on the first router. You'll have the NAT firewall between you and the coffee shop users, and they will not have access to your network. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

09-21-2005, 09:40 AM	#8 (permalink)
msr399 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Thanks Johnwill, it was very helpfull. I'm waiting on my friend to make sure from verizon that it is ok for him to provide WiFi to his customers. Then will try and set it up. Very Helpfull - a hundred thank-you's to you. msr399

09-21-2005, 11:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	You can do anything you want (within the law) with a business class DSL line. How many customers does he have at any given time? If he has a lot, and they all have laptops, he might want to consider multiple Access Points. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

09-22-2005, 02:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
msr399 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Fox - He said that there wont ever be more than 8 to 10 people max at any given time.

09-22-2005, 02:25 PM	#11 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Yeah, and if you've ever used a single AP with 9 other people you'll understand how slow it can get. Not saying he should install two APs right off the bat, but if people mention that it's slowing down, he may want to consider it. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

09-22-2005, 03:56 PM	#12 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,787 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Since 802.11b/g is half duplex, and the bandwidth is shared, by the time you get to 8-9 users, it's got to be running like a snail! I've had three users on an 802.11g connection, and that sucked! __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

09-23-2005, 05:13 PM	#13 (permalink)
Fausttt Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2 OS: XP	depends on the service he got from verizon. the new verizon internet is running in 5, 15, and 30 Mbps speeds. any of those speeds wouldnt be bad for only 8-10 users of an internet cafe.

09-23-2005, 05:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,787 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Fausttt, you obviously miss the basic point. It's not the bandwidth of the Verizon connection we're talking about, but rather the bandwidth of 802.11g with many connections to a single AP. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience