I own a small CPA firm - just me. The person I rent from approached me about using a Linksys router to tap into my internet service. My concern is - because I know nothing about these routers - security. I don't want anyone to have access to my clients files. Is this possible with one of these routers? Will this slow my internet connection (I have a cable internet provider) down? Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated
99mtamchamp 0 Newbie Poster
zeroth 171 Nearly a Posting Virtuoso
Hi Champ,
You can keep the other guy off your computer...you'll have to learn something about security but you should know about it if you're going to get a router anyway. DON'T let this guy administer the network for you...you learn how and do it yourself. It's not that hard, this is a simple network and the Linksys router not that hard to work with. If you have an issue, start a thread specific to the problem and someone here will help.
Yes, someone else using your internet service AT THE SAME TIME will slow down the amount of information that you can transfer over the internet. However, how much of the time are you both going to be using the internet at the same time. You haven't said which cable provider you're using but I have 9 computers running on this home network, along with cameras and printers all over the place and everything runs fine. You won't have a problem in that regard unless the guy is trying to download loads of porn or something. As administrator you can stop that.
You can find out exactly how to do it all on the web, just google...
zeroth
Duki 552 Nearly a Posting Virtuoso
Simply put, the Linksys router also has a switch built into it. This is how multiple people are able to access the same internet connection. The router transfers information back and forth to the built-in switch.
Unfortunately, this means that both of you will be on the same network. If you have any shared files and whatnot, anyone plugged into that switch could view them. Also, most new home-office routers have wireless built in. That means not only could someone plug into your router and be on your network, but they could also potentially connect from across the street without you even knowing it.
Not trying to scare you or anything, I just want you to be thoroughly informed especially considering it's not simply your personal data at risk, but also your clients'. There are many ways to protect your computer though, most of which are very simple.
The easiest way of course would be to say, "I'm sorry, but I have an obligation to my clients to protect their confidentiality, so I don't think we can share the same Internet connection." However, that doesn't sound like a good solution for you in this case (could be wrong).
If you DO decide to share your connection, reply here and I'll post some very simple security tips.
Also, regardless of if you decide to share your connection or not, you should consider purchasing a router. This can act as the first layer of defense between your computer and a hacker.
Hope this helped.
zeroth 171 Nearly a Posting Virtuoso
As for the router, you can set up different LANs if you design the network right. Here's a reference to start you off. http://compnetworking.about.com/od/homenetworkhardware/f/routervsswitch.htm You can ask for help but if you put in a little time it's not that hard to set up and all the references are easily found in a simple search. My advice is to turn this guy down if you're not willing to learn how to administer the system yourself.
From a legal perspective, what kind of account do you have with your ISP, personal or commercial? What kind of business does your landlord run or is his connection going to be a personal one? While a lot of people do use their personal network connection for this kind of activity, it's probably in your ISP agreement that you not share the connection in this way. A personal home network sharing between family members is one thing, one guy running his CPA operation probably fits this description partially as well but it's a gray area...two businesses sharing a connection...that's definitely against the rules. Is anyone going to come and get you? Probably not. But the ISP considers two commercial accounts as two higher cost sources of revenue to them...your call.
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