Section 81. Configure Remote Management


81. Configure Remote Management

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Access Router Configuration


When you first installed and configured the WiFi router, it was necessary to attach a computer with a "wired" network card directly to the router. The configuration of the router was then handled from the directly attached computer. Using a computer that is "wired" to the router as the configuration console for the router actually makes good sense in terms of security because only the directly attached computer can be used to access the router's configuration, even if the router administrator's password becomes known by someone other than the administrator.

However, sometimes you have to take a look at security practices and determine whether a particular practice has become an inconvenience rather than a security asset. You can configure your router for remote access, meaning that the router can be accessed by any computer or the Internet. You can choose to specify the IP address of the computer or computers that can access the router's configuration page remotely, or you can allow all computers to access the router's configuration. Of course, anyone attempting to log on to the router must provide the login name and the correct password.

The router is actually accessed remotely by the "real" IP address that the router is provided by your Internet service provider (the router gets the IP address automatically when it's connected to the DSL router or cable modem). The complete IP address and the port number extension that must be typed into a web browser for access to the router over the Internet is actually provided on the configuration page where you set up remote access. The port number 8080 must be included with the IP address to make the connection to the router. So, if the IP address of the router is 192.168.1.1, I would type 192.168.1.1:8080 in my browser address box. I would then enter the login name and the password to access the router's configuration.

Although remote access certainly can be useful in terms of sitting down at any computer and quickly configuring the router, it also opens up the router to another possible avenue of attack. If hackers "hijack" the router's configuration, they could change the password, allow "outlaw" computers to access your network, and turn off the WiFi radio signal feature completely, shutting down your network. So, you must decide whether remote access is a good thing or not. You certainly are not required to set up remote access if you think it will turn out to be more of a problem than a convenience.

If you decide that the conveniences of accessing your router remotely outweigh the security concerns, follow these steps to configure your router for remote management:

Configure Remote Management


Access Remote Management Settings

Log on to your router as the administrator using your web browser; type the URL for your router in the browser's Address box and then provide the login name and password for the router when prompted for this information. You can find the URL for your router in the documentation that came with your router; alternatively, go to the router manufacturer's website and download the information.

From your router's main configuration page, click the Remote Management command (for my Netgear router, this command is on the left side of the router's configuration page; other routers will have a similar command on their configuration pages). The Remote Management page opens.

Turn Remote Management On

Click the Turn Remote Management On check box to enable remote management.

Specify IP Addresses for Remote Management Access

By default, all IP addresses on the network (everyone) can potentially access the router (meaning you can access the router over the Internet from any computer on the network). If you want to specify a single computer for remote access, click the Only This Computer option button and then enter the IP address of the computer. If you want to access the router remotely from several computers, click the IP Address Range option button and then enter the starting and ending IP addresses in the range

Tips

If your computers aren't in a consistent range, power off the router and use the ipconfig/release command to release the current IP addresses Then turn off the computer. Turn on the router, wait a moment for the router to get up and running, and then boot up each of the computers. The router should provide new IP addresses to the computers, and the IP address range should be sequential (see Use Command-Line Tools for more about the ipconfig command).


You will need the "real" IP address of the router's public interface (the one connected to your broadband Internet device) to connect to the router over the Internet. If you look at the Remote Management configuration page for your router, you will find that the remote management address is listed there. You must enter this address as shown, and also include the 8080 suffix that is used to open the HTTP port on the router. Enter this information in the address box of your web browser. For example, if the public IP address was 192.5.6.7, type http://192.5.6.7:8080 to access the router remotely.

Apply Remote Management Settings

After you have configured your remote management settings, you must save them to the router's configuration. Click the Apply button to do this.



Home Wireless Networking in a Snap
Home Wireless Networking in a Snap
ISBN: 0672327023
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 158
Authors: Joe Habraken

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