Well, apart from me being facetious, it needs to be easy to the point where I buy a computer, bring it home, give it a name, type in my networks password once and thereafter that laptop can connect to my home network from wherever. Similarly I want to be able to buy a computer, take it home, give it a name, type in my password once and it gives me a unique id (preferably something that is easy to remember like [machine name].[my name/my domain name].[isp name] which I can then use to log in to that computer regardless of where the computer is and regardless of where I am (just as long as both I and the computer have internet access).
That's how easy it has to be at the minimum.
In fact, I would go one step further and say that, what I really want is a system akin to openID, where I only need to prove my identity and am then presented with a list (or other more fancy view) of computers and locations on the internet I can access.
Well, apart from me being facetious, it needs to be easy to the point where I buy a computer, bring it home, give it a name, type in my networks password once and thereafter that laptop can connect to my home network from wherever. Similarly I want to be able to buy a computer, take it home, give it a name, type in my password once and it gives me a unique id (preferably something that is easy to remember like [machine name].[my name/my domain name].[isp name] which I can then use to log in to that computer regardless of where the computer is and regardless of where I am (just as long as both I and the computer have internet access).
That's how easy it has to beat the minimum.
In fact, I would go one step further and say that, what I really want is a system akin to openID, where I only need to prove my identity and am then presented with a list (or other more fancy view) of computers and locations on the internet I can access.
Well the first thing is already in place. Connecting to an existing wireless network is cake (unless you're running linux, but if you ran linux these things would not be an issue for you.) The second thing...........well that's a bit more and to do it in a secure manner requires a bit of know-how.
Timo, what you want is not currently possible. There is a fundamental rule of security in that the more secure you make something, the less convenient it will be. Putting a lock on your door is the simplest example of this principle. Also, we live in a world that uses IPv4, DNS, and network address translation. Limitations and realities of those technologies necessitate what you want being more difficult than it could otherwise be. On top of that, the Internet Service Providers are not very cooperative. They will only give you a static IP address if you pay them extra money. Because of that, and other things your ISP might do, it is yet another hindrance preventing the kind of system you are imagining.
In other words, don't hold your breath for it to be easy. The only three realistic choices you have for the forseeable future are to spend money, spend time learning how to do it yourself, or to not do it at all.
Connecting to an existing wireless network is cake
I don't think you got the gist of my idea. I meant to connect to my home network from anywhere else. The fact that you and I (and probably most of the people on this forum) could set this up doesn't mean it's easy. Even ignoring the process of getting a static IP address (a mere nuisance, which will hopefully disappear once IPv6 becomes commonplace), setting up a working VPN environment is not easy. Heck, most people would be hard pressed to set up sshd on a Windows machine.
In other words, don't hold your breath for it to be easy. The only three realistic choices you have for the forseeable future are to spend money, spend time learning how to do it yourself, or to not do it at all.
I know. And I am not holding my breath, but it would be a sweet way for things to work. Meanwhile I am planning on spending some money as well as some quality time reading up on networking. If you guys ever get your "home network of awesomeness" going, I'd appreciate a how-to guide.
Connecting to an existing wireless network is cake
I don't think you got the gist of my idea. I meant to connect to my home network fromanywhere else. The fact that you and I (and probably most of the people on this forum) could set this up doesn't mean it's easy. Even ignoring the process of getting a static IP address (a mere nuisance, which will hopefully disappear once IPv6 becomes commonplace), setting up a working VPN environment is not easy. Heck, most people would be hard pressed to set up sshd on a Windows machine.
Ahhhhhhhhh. I did misunderstand then. As Apreche said, what you you want is possible, but not easy by any means.
I have my computer in my room attached to my Linksys router downstairs via a 50' Ethernet cable. I'd like to network some other devices up here, but don't want to deal with multiple Ethernet cables running to my room. Being a punk kid, I can't afford anything too expensive like another router or a switch, wireless is out of my price range too. Can you use Windows Internet Connection Sharing or other software to network other devices using your PC as the medium using a standard A to A USB cable, instead of using multiple network cards? Google hasn't been too forthcoming. I know that if I install my modem's driver on my PC, I can share using my NIC, but still get the Internet initially via the USB, but can you do it the other way around? I don't have any 50' USB cables lying around, and I only have one NIC. I hope such a thing is possible, it would be real cheap for me, there's a dollar store around here that sells 6' A to A USB cables for a dollar each.
USB to USB networking requires a special crossover chip in the middle, look up "usb network card" on Google Shopping.
This is one of the sad things about firewire dying. Firewire is the simplest way to directly connect two computers, physically, for fast data transfer, and it just works. This is very useful for many people who do not have networking skills.
Interesting, my laptop actually has a mini firewire port. Might get a cable and figure out how to do that. Either that or work out how to set my wireless into ad-hoc mode.
Comments
That's how easy it has to be at the minimum.
In fact, I would go one step further and say that, what I really want is a system akin to openID, where I only need to prove my identity and am then presented with a list (or other more fancy view) of computers and locations on the internet I can access.
In other words, don't hold your breath for it to be easy. The only three realistic choices you have for the forseeable future are to spend money, spend time learning how to do it yourself, or to not do it at all.