I'm working on a non-hacking character. The hacking rules, in general, are fairly foreign to me so I'm not sure how many of them would apply to me.

However I do know that I need a commlink and that through my commlink I intend to control some non-combat sensor drones. What sort of investments should I be making to adequately protect myself? I figure I will need to run an ECCM program but do I need an agent with attack and IC software to prevent my commlink from being hacked? What sorts of protections do I need to run these drones effectively? Also, what skills would be necessary to do these sorts of things?

Disclaimer: I'm not dismissing this thread, just posting what I bet are (a tiny set of) the good resources people have already given before:
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34348
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=29584

Those two links may be more appropriate, but I also wrote a guide: Vehicles, Drones, and Agents.

You want Agent, Analyze, Encrypt, Stealth, and Trace, plus Browse
The commlink and the agent both run Analyze every pass they get, and the agent is running Stealth (meaning it is hidden).
If an intruder is found, the agent attempts a trace. if it cannot resolve the trace within 1 round, automatically reboot commlink (dumping the intruder). Even if the trace is resolved, the commlink is rebooted (dumping the hacker).

Encrypt and Browse are for everyday use.

Thanks, though I noticed that the first link quickly changed from "defensive" to how to hack as a non-hacker which is a bit beyond what I'm looking for. I also notice that a lot of the information may be there but it's certainly not cataloged. I think a lot of my confusion with the rules is knowing what I need and how much of what I need can be dumped on the Agent's shoulders. Certainly, part of it is making sure I understand WHY I need various things rather than taking it for granted and just picking up software bundles or whatever that may not necessarily be useful. Generic packages have their place, but if your character has access to a hacker, there's no reason why he would be able to get advice and trim the fat.

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That definitely helps a bit with the drone part of my question.

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I'm mostly assuming that as a non-hacker and probably lacking the skills, unwilling or undesirable to invest in a skillwire (I personally will not since I've almost entirely eschewed cyberware).

So you're a non-hacker who wants to control a few non-combat drones and attempt to use them without being readily compromised. You're going to need a couple of things. A commlink, Agent, programs, and drones are all necessary to flesh out what you need.

Programs
All programs are Program Name (Linked Skill) (Program Type). Common Use programs are Rating x 50 for rating 1-3 and Rating x 100 for rating 4-6. Hacking programs are rating x 500 for rating 1-3 and Rating x 1000 for rating 4-6. Programs are grouped by similarity for those to be ran by the User, those to be ran by an Agent, those which are useful to an agent for cybercombat, and those which are not useful to the goal mostly because they engage in aggressive hacking.

Programs - Useful (Player)
Browse (Data Search) (Common Use) : Recommended in order to find pirated software.
Command (Varies) (Common Use) : Will be required to operate the drones of this scenario.

Programs - Useful (Agent)
Analyze (Computer) (Common Use) : Needed in order to detect threats to you. Should be ran by an Agent for the non-hacker.
Decrypt (Electronic Warfare) (Hacking) : Questionable use in combination with Sniffer
ECCM (None) (Hacking) : Necessary to help you reach your drones and other teammates in a jamming field.
Encrypt (Electronic Warfare) (Common Use) : Useful for making it harder for someone to intercept or alter the commands to your remote drones.
Sniffer (Electronic Warfare/Hacking) (Hacking) : Questionable use in combination with Decrypt.
Stealth (Hacking) (Hacking) : Questionable. The only use is for your agent to run this on your commlink to hide itself from intruders.
Track (Computer) (Hacking) : Possibly useful since it is operated on your node and can point out a problem node to a hacker.

Programs - Useful (Agent [Cybercombat])
Armor (None) (Hacking) : Possibly needed by the Agent.
Attack (Cybercombat / Hacking) (Hacking) : Possibly needed by the Agent as a counter attack to intruders.
Blackhammer/Blackout (Cybercombat) (Hacking) : Possibly needed by the Agent as a counter attack to living body intruders.
Medic (Computer) (Hacking) : Helpful to the Agent if it engages in defensive cybercombat.

Programs - Useless
Biofeedback Filter (None) (Hacking) : Not needed by an Agent and not needed for you since you won't be doing any hacking.
Data Bomb (None) (Hacking) : Most likely unnecessary.
Defuse (Hacking) (Hacking) : Most likely unnecessary.
Edit (Computer) (Common Use) : Not necessary to the non-hacker of this scenario.
Exploit (Hacking) (Hacking) : Unnecessary since you won't be going after other nodes.
Reality Filter (Response) (Common Use) : Unnecessary since you don't go into other nodes.
Scan (Electronic Warfare) (Common Use) : Not useful since you don't need to find other nodes and your drones should already be connected.
Spoof (Hacking) (Hacking) : You're not likely to be trying to access other nodes so this isn't useful.

an extremely thorough list. However, I would say that regardless of whether or not you have an Agent, you should ALWAYS have an analyze program running, as the SYSTEM rolls Analyze + Firewall to detect intruders at hack. Don't be without it.

Reality Filter is absolutely necessary to anyone going into VR, whether they are a hacker or not. It denies your GM another reason to mess with you, which (in my group) is something to be denied at all costs. If you do not have VR equipment, it's pointless.

Command is good for drones, but it to me seems surprising at the number of uses it has in shadowrunners lives that GMs take for granted. Many programs have the same function built in, so check with your GM when he thinks this is needed. You might be surprised at the answers he/she comes up with.

ECCM I would argue is a program to always have as well. I've seen a casual use of ECCM deny radio silence more than once. See above for giving the GM a reason.

Jammers force radio silence. ECCM breaks it.

I went through the list of programs in SR4a mostly to assess, based on what I read, whether it was needed or not.

After reading through this post and several linked within it, it has prompted a question:

- Many posts say to Keep your Commlink wireless OFF, ie Signal 0.

What does this do exactly? How do people Call you then? If you keep it off, to signal 0, can no one hack it wirelessly? But as stated doesn't that mean you cannot receive incoming calls? If your wireless is off, then you aren't connected to the network, no?

As a newbie GM I'm having difficulties figuring out these matrix rules. And mainly: how I should have my NPC's protecting their comms normally. Since this is essentially Commlinks for the non-hacker I thought Id leave the question in this thread...

They don't... The idea is no commlink, no signal, no issues. You turn on your fake commlink when it's important too, and switch over to your secure commlink when on the job if you need one at all.

For teams that aren't operating remotely (no eye in the sky hacker/rigger) this isn't really an issue.

Think of it like a laptop, once you switch that wireless off you can still plug into a network, your laptop also has an infrared port sometimes (you'd be surprised what some of the IR codes can do), lastly the laptop and all its functionality (besides deh interwebs) still works.

Same idea for a commlink utilizing skin-link between all your "smart" devices and your personal network.

Signal 0 is nit wireless off - it´s only very close range (some meters).

Many runners use 2 or 3 commlinks - one open/link for communication and/or legal/public life etc, and one illegal commlink with agents, hackprogramms. The third commlink would be uses only for team communication and tactical networks during a run. Often these 2 or 3 links and their networks would be completely seperated.

And no, if you go off the grid, no one can trace you directly via the matrix tracks (because you do not leave any behind). However, indirect tracking is still possible (for example if you have access to traffic surveillance). Contacts would be done by public stations or pre paid links.

SYL

Jammers enforce radio silence. ECCM denies Jamming it's effectiveness. Therefore, ECCM denies radio silence. Which is what I wrote.

Signal 0 is a signal with a 3 meter range, not "off." SR4A, pg 222


It is possible to trace a signal to the last active node which routed it. If a comm is turned off, someone could still find out where you tied in to the matrix.

In the general public, signal 0 doesn't even help anything. Adjacent nodes act as a routing mesh.
ECCM, I'm gonna get me one copy of a rating 6, optimized 3 and ergoinomic. Possibly virus-resistant. But I'm playing something alike a Rigger, so
I'd suggest Analyze (along with a good Firewall), Encrypt and maybe ECCM as must-haves, rating as high as possible (I make frequent use of the Optimization option). The rest is optional, depending on the character. But these help keeping team communications as safe as possible. Nothing's quite as nasty as the enemies knowing your every move because you told them so yourself. These are (aside from ECCM) reasonably cheap, too. Aside from that, hope for the best. Somebody really determined to get you may eventually do so. There's more tricks to slow them down or scare them away, but these require more effort.
Personally, I see the matrix as way too useful to avoid this dance on the edge of a volcano crater. You just have got to be properly equipped and set.

If you want to additionally make use of sensors, a Command program is in order, too. Without it, things may get quite difficult.

So, this is mostly from what I've built as a validation that I'm not missing anything as well as some analysis I did on various options

Drones


Drone Selection
For an observational drone, there are a limited number of useful drones. Using SR4a and Arsenal I came across 4 drones that I felt were suitable for the purpose of recon and observation.

Drone Sensor Packages
Minidrone: 3 Capacity, 3 Signal (400m)
Small Drone: 5 Capacity, 4 Signal (1km)
Medium Drone: 6 Capacity, 4 Signal (1km)
Large Drone: 8 Capacity, 4 Signal (1km)
Vehicle: 12 Capacity, 4 Signal (1km)
Extra-Large Vehicle: 30 Capacity, 5 Signal (4km)

MCT Fly Spy (Minidrone): The Fly Spy comes with VTOL capabilities and a maneuverability II autosoft. It's size also makes it very useful to this purpose. The Fly Spy has 3 capacity for sensors and a signal rating of 3 (400m).

Ferret MPD-1X (Minidrone): The Ferret comes with an improved sensory array and 4 additional mod slots. That gives it 5 capacity for sensors and 4 signal (1km).

Lockheed Optic-X (Small Drone): The Optic-X comes with VTOL capabilities. It has 5 capacity for sensors and a signal rating of 4 (1km).

Renraku Stormcloud (Medium Drone): The Stormcloud comes with Clearsight III and Lighter than Air capability. That means that more so than any other drones, this one can remain on site for far longer. As a medium drone it has 6 capacity for sensors and 4 signal (1km).

Drone Modifications
There were a number of modifications that I felt would be useful to various drones.

Chameleon Coating (1 slot, Body * 1000) : They're observational drones. Designed to see without being seen. That makes chameleon coating a practical no brainer towards that goal.
Gecko Tips (1 slot, 300) : Useful for permitting ground drones to travel up walls and other objects. You may consider asking your GM if you can apply this mod to flight drones with VTOL capability to permit them to "stick" to non-horizontal surfaces.
Improved Economy (1 slot, Accel[Running] * Speed * 5) : This is a questionable mod and one you can probably get away with not getting. It doubles the run time (base 6 hours) for the drone. This is probably most useful for the Optic-X or Fly Spies if you're going to have them flying around a lot. The Ferret and the Stormcloud will probably idle a lot and should be able to get more than 6 hours of operation.
Improved Sensor Array (1 slot, 1000) : This is an absolute must have for observation drones. This is also the one reason I suggest the Stormcloud or Optic-X for usage. This bumps up the sensor package of the drone by one step.

AutoSofts
Fortunately, since you're using using these drones to observe rather than any particularly complex task, there are only 3 AutoSofts of worth to worry about.

Clearsight : For obvious reasons, this AutoSoft improves the drones surveillance capability.
Covert Ops : Also for obvious reasons, this AutoSoft helps the drone remain undetected.
Electronic Warfare : This one is used if you load ECCM software on the drone in order to aid it's ability to defeat jamming.

Optionally, Maneuver may be useful but since it applies in the same situations that Vehicle skills do, it's probably not too useful.

I agree.
What a sensible runner needs is:
-a highly secured PAN for all his toys and cyberware. Use Skinlink and DNI, turn off Signal. This is also for when you need processing power, e.g. Electronic Warfare, Editing, etc.
-standard day-to-day communication. A joe-average commlink that comes with your MSP and a sensible 1 year contract. This is also hooked up with the node in your current home and all your friends and high loyalty contacts have this number. Switch it regularly (after hot runs, after moving, etc)
-Burner Phones. They're used even today. They cost 100 a piece and are explicitely listed in Unwired. Use at least one per run. Have several stashed all over the place.

Burner phones? You mean disposable commlink? Those are 300 . You could also just get Platinum MSP services and use your unlimited commcodes that are anonymized for 100 a month.

A slight error in here, I fixed it for you. Vehicles get more range. This also makes an airborne large drone with improved sensor way more useful: This way it gets way more reach and is even able to outreach a sniper. That's why I like a GTS Tower (weapon mount, too) or a C-D Dalmatian (cheap!).