Wireless Home Networking - Index of

Figure 11-3:
Setting up
a DMZ.
Chapter 11: Gaming Over a Wireless Home Network
Although setting up a DMZ is perhaps easier to do than configuring port forwarding,
it comes with bigger security risks. If you set up port forwarding,
you lessen the security of the computer that the ports are being forwarded
to — but if you put that computer on the DMZ, you’ve basically removed all
the firewall features of your router from that computer. Be judicious when
using a DMZ. If you have a computer dedicated only to gaming, a game console,
or a kid’s computer that doesn’t have any important personal files
configured to be on your DMZ, you’re probably okay — but you run a risk
that even that computer can be used to attack the others on your network.
DMZs are perfectly safe for a console, but they should be used for PCs and
Macs only if you can’t make port forwarding work.
Depending on the individual router configuration program that comes with
your preferred brand of router, setting up a DMZ is typically simple. Figure
11-3 shows a DMZ being set up on a Siemens SpeedStream router/access
point. It’s a dead-simple process. In most cases, you need only mark a check
box in the router configuration program to turn on the DMZ and then use a
pull-down menu to select the computer you want on the DMZ.
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