The Technician's Basic Set up Guide for the Cisco Linksys e2000 Router - Assignment Example

OUTLINE and introduction Topic breakdown Router basics and the initial configuration screen. Setting up Network access translation (NAT) on the router Configuring the router to perform packet filtering configuring the router as the default gateway for internet access Router basics Introduction List of things to check before starting the installation Setting up Network access translation (NAT) on the router Introduction List of things to do when setting up NAT Configuring the router to perform packet filtering Introduction List of things to do when setting the router for packet filtering Configuring the router as the default gateway for internet access Introduction The technicians basic set up guide for the Cisco Linksys E2000 router in home office and small office environments As technicians working on business network infrastructures, you are tasked to make sure that these home office and small office networks are safe, secure, private and have a level of attack-deterrence. It is our job to make sure that our customer networks are the kind of networks that they can rely on and entrust their business with. This guide will give you, the technicians, the basic tools to make sure that the routers we install are safe and correctly configured. This guide will focus on these main topics: Router basics and the initial configuration screen. Setting up Network access translation (NAT) on the router Configuring the router to perform packet filtering configuring the router as the default gateway for internet access Router basics and the initial configuration screen. When installing the E2000 router, we need to make sure of a few things first in order for the process to be smooth, fast, efficient and hassle free. This portion of the guide will provide a short list of things to do before connecting the router, as well as an introduction to the routers initial screen. When first taking the router out of the box, please make sure that all wires, cables, parts, antennae, and power plugs are present, undamaged and not tampered with. Please also make sure that the PC or PCs that will connect to the router are ready to be turned on and tested before connecting them to the router, in order to avoid repeating steps and avoid having to retest the systems. This step also makes sure that the router set up procedure will have minimal errors with regards to the PC end points. Also make sure that the administrator PC, if any, is a working unit that has the proper RJ 45 connection port, and that it is turned off before connecting the router. Plot where the cables will be and where the router will be placed within the office or home on order to avoid accidents, save time and avoid having to remove cables and reattach them in other areas, which consumes time, effort and some resources as well. Test the modem to make sure that there is an active connection to avoid connectivity related issues and trouble shooting. Once you are ready to connect the router to the administrator PC, make sure you have ample space to work, so as to keep the office work environment you are in as undisturbed as possible. Do not connect the router to the modem yet when setting it up in order to avoid intrusion into the network while the network defenses are down. Connect the router to a power outlet and make sure that it turns on. Once these steps have been checked, you can connect the router to the administrator PC and start configuring it. Connect the router and turn the administrator PC on in order for the PC to recognize it. Once the administrator PC is turned on you can proceed to opening an internet browser link to access the router configuration screen by inputting the router IP address in the address bar. If you do not have the IP address, you can get it by going to the start menu, clicking “Run” and typing in “CMD” to pull up the command prompt, then type in the “IPCONFIG /all” command in order to retrieve the IP address of the router. This is a sample of the routers initial set up screen: This will be the starting point of our router configuration after you input the user name and password. Setting up Network access translation (NAT) on the router Network access translation, or NAT as defined by www.farpost.net is a security measure or setting for the network which is done on the router or firewall. What it does is set the users systems apart from other systems not included in their network. It does this by setting the users systems as an “inside” network while other systems are set at “outside” networks. This is a great way to enforce security because all traffic to and from the network must go thru one translation process. It also allows the network to communicate with the rest of the internet using one IP address. Here are the basics of setting up NAT on newly installed routers. Start by connecting the router to the administrator system. Turn on or restart the system so that it recognizes the router. Use the “CMD” instruction stated above to pull up the IP address and make sure that the router is detected. We can now start pulling up the routers graphic user interface (GUI) by opening an internet browser and putting the IP address you got into tn the address bar and hitting “enter” Take note, sometimes, a router already has the NAT activated and all you need to do is define which systems are considered “inside” and “outside”, but just to be sure, here are the next steps. Once the GUI is pulled up, you can put in the administrator user name and password, but since the router is new, there is most likely no password set. According to http://www.ehow.com, the default user name and password is “admin” After accessing the GUI, you will be faced with the initial screen shown above. Click on the “setup” tab and go to the “advanced routing” section. This will bring you to the screen where you can turn the NAT setting on or off. Make sure that It is set to “Enabled” and then hit the “save settings” button at the bottom of the screen. You will also need to set up a wireless password in order for wireless devices to be able to securely connect to the router and be included in the LAN. GO to the “wireless” tab and click on the “wireless security” section. Here, you can set the wireless connection password. Do not forget to have the networks owner set the password himself, then hit “save settings”. Once NAT is enabled, the router will be able to set the system that connect to it as part of the “inside” network. Configuring the router to perform packet filtering Packet filtering as defined by http://www.webopedia.com is a way of enforcing security for the network. It is a way to set your router or firewall so that it monitors packets going to and from its network and either allowing it access or blocking it based on the settings that the user will put in. This is also a good way to block certain websites based on their name or IP address if it will be used in business settings that do not allow access to not business related websites such as Facebook or Youtube. Here are the basics to configuring the router for packet filtering. Once NAT has been set on the router and you are still at the routers GUI, proceed to the “access restrictions” tab. This is the screen you will see. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Here, you can set up to 10 access policies, but they will need to be configured one at a time. For every policy, assign a policy name at the “enter policy name” section. Keep in mind that when setting restrictions; always have the business network administrator with you to choose restrictions. Choose which PC that the policy will apply to by going to the “applied PCs” section and editing the list. Take note that in order to edit the list, the PCs you want to choose must be connected to the router, either using wired or wireless connections. The schedule section allows the user to restrict access on certain days. For work related environments, this is perfect when the user does not want to have internet on non-business days. You can also set websites to be blocked either by their URL, or by keyword in this screen. Last thing to do is set applications that need to be blocked based on the users preference. Before leaving the screen, click on the “save settings” button at the bottom of the page. Configuring the router as the default gateway for internet access As defined by http://pcsupport.about.com , a default gateway is a device that “..that passes network data from the local network to other networks.“ So by definition, the router you are installing is already the default gateway, unless there are other routers connected to the modem, and this router will only be used as an access point. In which case, the currently installed router is the default gateway. Glossary Access point- In network terms, an access point is a device that emits a WIFI (wireless fidelity) signal, and acts as an extension of the network. It allows devices with WIFI capabilities to connect to the network using the wireless signal they emit and. Access points are usually placed in areas that a wireless routers signal cannot reach. Administrator PC- In network terms, an administrator PC can also be considered a server. These are the systems that handle the networks settings and also has access the the network on a higher level in order to enforce changes, policies or rules in the network. Attack-deterrence- This is a term used in this document to define how resistant the network is to cyber- threats Configuration screen- In generic terms, this is an interactive screen or menu that allows the user to change settings. For this document, It is the screen that you, the technician will be working on. Default gateway- See “Configuring the router as the default gateway for internet access” section for definition. Device- In this document, this term is used o define equipment other than PCs that will connect to the router, either thru a wired or wireless signal. Graphic user interface (GUI)- This is a kind of interface or screen that has clickable buttons, drop down boxes and other such interactive menus, as opposed to a setting screen or interface that uses a command box, where all settings are typed down using codes. Internet browser- This is an application installed on most, if not all computers that allows the computer to open web pages and the router configuration screen. Examples of this application include, but are not limited to Internet explorer, Mozilla firefox, and Google chrome. Intrusion- In network terms, intrusion is used to describe an attack on the network, either by viruses, spyware or hackers. IP address- Also known as Internet protocol address, This is used the same way as your home address. It is used to identify and locate devices that access the network. This is usually assigned by the router unless chosen to be manually set by the user. LAN- Local area network. A kind of network that usually involves systems and devices in close proximity to each other. A LAN is usually set up in order for the devices inside them to be able to share information and resources. Modem- This is a device that translates an analog type of connection into a digital connection in order for computers and routers to understand them and use them to connect to the internet. Network access translation (NAT)- See “Setting up Network access translation (NAT) on the router” section for definition. Network infrastructure- This is a term used to define a set of systems and devices that are interconnected and are sharing information and resources, and have a level of separation from the rest of the internet. Packet filtering- See “Configuring the router to perform packet filtering” for definition PC- Personal computer, also known as system or simply, computer. RJ45 cable- This is a type of cable most commonly used to connect computers to routers, modems or other computers and devices. RJ45 port- This is a port located on routers, computers and other devices that are able to connect to a network or the internet thru a wired connection. This is the most common type of port used for network connection. This is where the RJ45 cable connects to. Router/ Firewall- These are devices used to translate types of connections between networks and handles communications between computers and devices within the network as well. It also adds a level of protection to the network and provides settings for access and administration of the internet connectivity Technician- This is used in this document to define a person with significant training and technical knowledge, sent by the company to perform the router installation and configuration Trouble shooting- This is used in this document to define a set of steps that are done when faced with setbacks in connecting or configuring routers. This can also mean things done to solve problems related to connectivity to ensure that the installation is successful before the technician leaves. Wireless- This is a term used in this document to define WIFI or wireless fidelity, a kind of network connection often used by mobile devices that cannot or are not able to connect with wires. References How to Change Your NAT on the Linksys E2000 (August 06, 2011), ehow.com, August 31, 2011 http://www.ehow.com/how_10038255_change-nat-linksys-e2000.html NAT DEFINITION,(2010) Farpost.net August 31, 2011. http://www.farpost.net/glossary/nat.php Sample user interface for E2000 router, (November 9, 2010), Linksys.com. August 31, 2011, http://ui.linksys.com/files/E2000/1.0.00/ Tim Fisher (2010) Default Gateway, about.com, August 31, 201, http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsd/g/default-gateway.htm Read More