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The Broadband Router
Features Guide
Basic Router Configuration
All broadband routers have DHCP servers built in.
This allows for automatic IP configuration of your computers. Some routers
do not give you much control over how the automatic configuration of your
lan works. Here are some things to look for
The Install
To make the install go easier, a few
manufacturers have started including setup videos, either VHS or CDROM’s
with Windows Media. Other routers include setup wizards in the HTML
interface itself. This is great for first time users.
IP Schema
Can you modify the default ip schema? Most
routers come configured to set your lan up in the 192.168.0.x range.
Routers that let you change at least the last two octets (192.168.x.x) are
much more useful as your network becomes more complex. There is also a
security benefit to changing your IP schema away from the default.
IP Range
Some routers allow you to specify a ‘range’
of IP address that get automatically served to your LAN computers. This is
useful for configuring certain computers with static IP address’. For
instance, the DHCP range could be set to 192.168.0.100 - .200. This would
allow you to statically configure servers web servers on your lan under
.100
Reserved IP Address’
Computers that run servers
should never have their IP address changed because the other computers may
not be able to locate the server. Some routers allow you to specify IP
address that will always be reserved and served to specific computers.
This is often done by reserving an IP address for a particular MAC address
or Host Name (computer name).
DHCP LOG
A DHCP log shows the computer names
(host names) of all the systems that have received IP address’ from your
DHCP server. This is important if your router has wireless capabilities.
If you check your log and see a computer name you don’t recognize, you can
assume that someone has broken into your network.
Dynamic DNS
Dynamic DNS support allows you to assign
a regular domain name (like my-domain.com) to your router and LAN even if
your Internet IP address changes from time to time. This is allows other
people on the Internet to find your computers easier for on-line gaming or
even running your own web server. Some routers have Dynamic DNS services
built in, but check the fine print - they are sometimes not free. Others
charge you after the first 6 months or year of use.
Firmware update process
Firmware is the software that runs on the router.
Firmware updates on routers tend to be very important because the add
whole new functionality and can fix security holes. It is very likely you
will be updating the firmware of your router on a regular basis –
especially if your router is a new model
Most firmware updates can be done from any kind of
computer. They are generally JAVA based programs built into the router or
TFTP based (trivial file transfer protocol, common on all platforms).
Occasionally you will find a manufacturer that insists the firmware update
be run from a Windows computer. Mac and Linux folks need to stay away from
these.
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