The simplest way to set up a home network, including both computers with wired connections and computers with wireless connections, is to set up a wireless router immediately following your DSL modem or Cable modem. Sometimes, a DSL modem even has the router built into it.

In this setup, all the computers are assigned their IP addresses by the DHCP server that is built into the router. All are on the same logical network. However, their ability to share files, printers, and otherwise communicate between each other will depend on your settings in each computer.

In order to share files, you have to tell Windows (or Linux, etc.) to enable file and printer sharing, identify which directories should be shared, and have the computers on the same Windows Workgroup (or Windows domain, if you're a very advanced user running a Windows domain controller). You'll also have to tell the firewall programs on each computer to allow the sharing with the other computers — or the firewall will block the data.

A wireless router can be used along with a wired router, if you like. You can use it to add additional wired ports (wireless routers usually have 4 LAN (Local Area Network) ports as well as wireless ports. You can configure it so that you can share files and printers among the wired and wireless machines.

In order to have a combined network so you can share files and printers, you must only have one DHCP server running — either on the wired router or on the wireless router, but not on both. You will need to use an Ethernet cable to plug one of the LAN ports on the wireless router into one of the LAN ports on the wired Cable/DSL router.

In this one-network configuration, you will need to turn off the DHCP server that is built into the router. Although you don't have to, you should set a static IP address in the wireless router, just so you'll be able to find it with your web browser when you want to change its configuration.

Then, go back to the wired router and exclude the address (that you just assigned to the wireless router) from the range that the wired router's DHCP server manages. Otherwise, you might find that the wired router assigned that address to another computer — which would interfere with the connections of that other computer and all your wireless computers.

Once all the connections work, don't forget to set up the wireless security settings on your wireless router and your computer.

Related articles:

• Wireless Security
• Setting Up Your Router

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In a variation on wireless networking, you can use the wireless router to provide Internet access and file & printer sharing between wireless computers, while isolating the wireless network from the wired network

By changing the order in which the wireless router and the wired router are connected, a wireless router can be used to segregate wireless computers from wired computers in your network. In this manner, you can prevent file and printer sharing and any other type of direct contact between the wired and wireless computers.

You might want to do this for security reasons. For example, if you normally connect a laptop computer using an Ethernet cable, you could set segregate the networks in case someone manages to gain unauthorized access to your wireless network.

The first part of trick to segregating the networks is to connect the WAN (Wide Area Network) port on the wireless router to a LAN (Local Area Network) port on the Cable/DSL modem. That's the same connection you'd make with a wired router, if you were only using it or were wanting to protect the wireless computers from the wired computers.

This connection will cause the Wireless router to get its IP address assigned by the upstream network's DHCP server (typically, a cable Internet Sevice Provider or a DSL provider).

The DHCP server within the wireless router should be ON for this setp, as we'll use it to assign IP addresses to the wireless computers and to the wired Cable/DSL router.

Then, connect the WAN port on the Cable/DSL router to a LAN port on the wireless router. This will make the Cable/DSL router get its "upstream" (WAN) IP address from the wireless router.

The DHCP server within the wired Cable/DSL router should also be turned ON. It should also be set to a different IP address range than that being used by the Wireless router. Linksys normally has these set differently by default: the wireless router uses 192.168.1.x/255.255.255.0, while the wired router uses 192.168.0.x/255.255.255.0.

The bottom line of this configuration is that the wireless computers will be unable to route any connection attempts past the WAN port on the wired router. The wired computers should not be able, but may be able, to initiate connections to (and get responses from) the wireless computers.

3.  My Computer Security Software Recommendations

Anti-Virus

I'm often asked about several other popular anti-virus or anti-virus combination packages. Yes, I realize that they are not in my recommendation list. "Enough said..."

For the last five years, until very recently, my personal choice has been ESET's small, fast NOD32 anti-virus program, which offers a FREE 30-day evaluation license. I consider NOD32 one of the best in anti-virus protection. Unlike some of its competitors, ESET offers multiple-year licenses also, and includes program updates in the multiple-year license.

Now, I've changed from my long-time programs NOD32 (antivirus) and CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks.

Read more about anti-virus programs on my web site.

Related articles:

• Anti-Virus Programs and Online Scanners
• Free Online Antivirus Scan
• NOD32 Anti-Virus Review - A Look at NOD32
• VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review

Click here for more information about VIPRE.

Firewall Software

While the Windows XP firewall is much better than no firewall at all, don't count on the Windows XP firewall to meet your needs. You need a two-way firewall, which the Windows XP firewall is not!. Microsoft woke up and supplied a two-way firewall with Windows Vista.

The Windows XP firewall does not control outbound communications originating from your computer — and you should want to have control if adware/trojans/spyware or even commercial products want to talk to the Internet. Whether they are calling home or spewing spam, you want to be able to control your computer.

Do you want Windows Media Player to call home every time you play something? It does! Do you use the Search function in Windows Explorer to find things on your hard drive? Did you know that every time you search, Windows Explorer talks to Microsoft?

I didn't know that when I ran ZoneAlarm, but the Sunbelt Personal Firewall flags that to me, and I can stop it or allow it to happen. Many other programs try to call home when you run them, too.

I recommend my choice for a firewall program, which is Sunbelt Personal Firewall.

You can try the full-featured "paid version" of Sunbelt Personal Firewall free for 30 days — after that, you can register it or, if you're using it on a home non-business computer, you can let it revert to the free, lesser-function license.

Sunbelt Personal Firewall is regularly $19.95 (with discounts for multiple computers and/or multiple years!) for a non-expiring license for the program and includes one year of their updates subscription.

Related articles:

• The Internet Versus You
• Do I Need a Firewall Program?
• My Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware Software

CounterSpy, from Sunbelt Software, has received many kudos from the computer press for its always-running and periodic full system scans. It has been my personal choice for my PC's and my family's PC's.

Sunbelt's CounterSpy v2.5, both improved CounterSpy's performance against malware and reduced its impact on system resources and responsiveness when its scanning.

Sunbelt continues to release updated program versions — the current version is v3.1. Nicely, they do NOT install the updated programs automatically. You have to use the Update process in the program, which means that you'll know that something significant has changed.

Now, I've changed from my long-time programs NOD32 (antivirus) and CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. My computer seems to have much more pep and power than it had previously. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks.

Related articles:

• Fighting Against Spyware & Malware
• My CounterSpy Review
• My VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review

Anti-spam Software

In today's Internet world, the question is not "if" you will get spam, but "how much will you get?"

I use and now I recommend POPFile as my first choice for handling spam. POPFile sits on your computer, between your email program and your ISP mailbox, and handles emial as it downloads.

POPFile uses a different approach to handle spam than some other programs do — it does nothing to reduce spam. It is designed as an email classification tool — you train it to recognize spam and any other type of email that you want to classify. These classifications can help you sort your emails into appropriate folders in your email program.

Sunbelt Software, who makes the anti-spyware program CounterSpy (which I use and recommend) and the firewall that I use and recommend (Sunbelt Personal Firewall) also has a well-regarded, award-winning anti-spam program called iHateSpam for Outlook and Outlook Express. Since I don't use Outlook or Outlook Express for email, I haven't tried iHateSpam.

Mailwasher Pro would be my first choice to handle spam before it ever gets into your computer's Inbox. Mailwasher Pro uses on-line Realtime Black Lists mail servers sending spam recently, "training" by you of what you think is spam, and your own "friends" and "blacklist" lists. Note: I found that PopFile generally meets my needs and stopped using Mailwasher Pro, even though PopFile works AFTER the emails have been downloaded. If I used a dialup connection, I would be more interested in Mailwasher Pro.

Mailwasher Pro can even bounce spam messages, as if your email address was not valid, although the usefulness and appropriateness of this is questionable. There is a free version called "Mailwasher," but it omits the functions that I consider critical for this purpose -- such as safely previewing the emails safely before they ever get to your email inbox.

Related articles:

• Spam Filtering
• Keeping spam out of your Inbox
• Getting Control of Your Inbox
• How Can I Prevent spam?

Cable/DSL Router

If you have a cable modem or a DSL modem, you need to have another layer of inexpensive protection between you and the Internet. A cable/DSL router isolates your computer from direct connection to the Internet. Your computer can easily request your email, web pages, etc. through the router. The responses come back to the router and are smoothly routed to your computer. But, someone on the Internet side of the router can not initiate a connection to your computer — they can only respond to your request.

Even if you only have one computer to connect to your cable or DSL modem, I recommend that you purchase and use a cable/DSL router because of the protection it can give you against attempts to attack through some flaws in Windows itself.

A router isolates your local network, whether it is only one computer or several, from the Internet by actually making it a separate network. The router gets the "public" IP address and handles all your outbound communications and the responses to them. But, it blocks computers on the Internet side from being able to initiate communications with your computer! This will prevent you from falling prey to many worms that try to attack security holes in Windows itself.

For a wireless router, I recommend the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. I'm using the relatively new version 6 of this router.

If you don't want wireless, I recommend the Linksys BEFSR41 wired router, which I also use. Either way, based on my experience, I recommend Linksys routers for price, reliability and Linksys' habit of releasing updated firmware for their products..

See these related articles:

• Wireless Security
• Wi-Fi Hotspots and Computer Security
• Wireless Networking Problems & Wireless Networking Security

A wireless router can also be used to segregate wireless computers from wired computers in your network. In this manner, you can prevent file and printer sharing and any other type of direct contact between the wired and wireless computers.

Why would you set a network up this way? Sure, you can keep the wired computerrs from accessing the wireless ones, but what does that accomplish? Add a comment or answer in my blog

You won't be able to use any of the printers on the wired network from a computer on the wireless network or vice versa. Similarly, you won't be able to share files either way.

You set up this network very similarly to the way you would to protect the wireless computers from the wired computers. You just reverse the order of the wired and wireless routers.

The first part of trick to segregating the networks is to connect the WAN (Wide Area Network) port on the wired router to a LAN (Local Area Network) port on the Cable/DSL modem. That's the same connection you'd make with a wireless router, if you were only using it or were wanting to protect the wired computers from the wireless computers.

This connection will cause the Wireless router to get its IP address assigned by the upstream network's DHCP server (typically, a cable Internet Sevice Provider or a DSL provider).

The DHCP server within the wireless router should be ON for this setp, as we'll use it to assign IP addresses to the wireless computers and to the wired Cable/DSL router.

Then, connect the WAN port on the wireless router to a LAN port on the wired router. This will make the wireless router get its "upstream" (WAN) IP address from the wired router.

The DHCP server within the wireless Cable/DSL router should also be turned ON. It should also be set to a different IP address range than that being used by the Wired router. Linksys normally has these set differently by default: the wireless router uses 192.168.1.x/255.255.255.0, while the wired router uses 192.168.0.x/255.255.255.0.

The bottom line of this configuration is that the wired computers will be unable to route any connection attempts past the WAN port on the wireless router. The wireless computers should not be able, but may be able, to initiate connections to (and get responses from) the wireless computers.

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