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Setting up Network on Public WIFI network

Locked

Hi wondering if anyone can suggest a way to do this.
I am on my building public WIFI network that i have no control over. I dont like the idea of anyone getting into my computers.
I have a linux ubuntu box that i use as a file server, htpc etc. This machine has a ethernet card and a WIFI card. For now the ethernet is connected to my router and the wifi is connected to public wifi. I also have other computers and laptops. I want to use this linux box as my firewall/proxy through which all my other computers connect wirelessly to the internet without losing much speed. If needed i can move from linux to windows 7 too.

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Clarifications

In reply to Setting up Network on Public WIFI network

Clarifications

Make sure your routers are LOCKED down with a secure password..

In reply to Setting up Network on Public WIFI network

Lock down your routers with a secure password, that way you should be safe behind your routers. Make sure ALL of your computers point and connect towards your routers before accessing the public network.

does answer my question

In reply to Make sure your routers are LOCKED down with a secure password..

my router is locked. what i am trying to know if how i can use my own wireless router to connect to the public wifi network. If i could do this, all my computers connect to my router would be safe behind my router. i want my wireless laptop to go through this router instead of connecting directly to the public wifi

Oh I get it

In reply to does answer my question

I don’t think you specified in your first post that your router is a wireless router, or if you did I missed it. You did say that your ubuntu box is a file server and provides other services to your other computers and laptops.

It’s kindof a cluge, but you could create a secure wireless network on your wireless/router and connect your “other computers and laptops” to your secure wireless network.

Note: on your wireless/router appliance, you’ll not be using its router component, you’ll basically be using it as just a switch/WAP as you’ll want the ubuntu box connected to the LAN side of the appliance. You’ll likely have to turn off DHCP on this appliance as most if not all of them do not allow you to change the default gateway that will be handed out to DHCP clients; in this case, the IP of your ubuntu box will your clients’ default gateway).

Set up your ubuntu box for routing and/or proxy/firewall/nat accordingly. Per the above note, you’ll either configure DHCP server on the ubuntu (assuming you can restrict the DHCP server to listen only on the wired interface), or assign your clients IP settings statically.

Traffic flow from the client machines will be wireless to your wireless appliance, to the wired NIC of your ubuntu box, out the wireless interface of the ubuntu box to the public wifi.

Well maybe it’s not that clugy after all.

[Author]

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