Question : MAC address filtering on wired connections to Linksys WRT54G.  Possible?

I am in the process of setting up a small Lan.  Basic plan so far: DSL connection will be shared via Linksys WRT54G.  One computer (Stand-alone PC running XP Pro) connected via ethernet to the Linksys.  Availability of wireless connection for personally owned-laptops with MAC filtering enabled.  This setup is strictly used for sharing the internet connection.  No file or printer sharing will be involved.

This is a shared office environment.  Two separate organizations share the physical space.  Both have different internet access policies.  The DSL modem and Linksys router will be in an area with locked access.  The customer's concern is that the desktop that is directly connected via ethernet is in a shared area.  They want to make sure that the cable cannot be disconnected from the PC and connected to an unauthorized user's computer.  

My question:  Can the hardware ports on the Linksys WRT54G be configured to allow only specified MAC addresses access to the internet?  If not, does anyone know of a WAP/router that will allow such filtering?  Or any other solutions that will accomplish the same result? If neccesary, the desktop can have a wireless card installed and only use the ethernet connection when accessing the router during initial setup.  I'd rather do this with the ethernet connection, though.

Answer : MAC address filtering on wired connections to Linksys WRT54G.  Possible?

I don't believe that these routers will allow this, as MAC address filtering is used to specify what MAC addresses are not allowed, not the reverse, which is what you need.  In other words, you can deny access (and even set time restrictions) with MAC filtering.  

I would think the easiest way around this would be to install a wireless NIC in that computer, as MAC address mapping will certainly work in this scenario, as you have mentioned.

This being said, I would like to mention that using either this method or WEP to secure your wireless network is not by any means fullproof.  both can be circumvented by a persistent hacker..

FE