Securing a wireless network

what you can do is "lock" in the mac addresses for your own two connections,by doing this only your pcs can use the broadband connection, other pcs will only be able to "see" it when they browse for connections

WEP is not very secure, if possible use WPA.

Hiding the SSID is also an option, although for some hackers a hidden SSID means that you have got something to hide! A hidden SSID will only keep out your neighbours and can easily be found with the right software.

I wrote this in response to someone else's question, so apologies for the overlap with the previous posters..

1. Change the router default admin password and make sure that remote administration is turned off.

2. Choose a SSID name that doesn't identify you, and disable broadcasting of the SSID, this will stop people accidentally connecting to your router, and will deter casual hackers.

3. You must use encryption, as this is the best thing to stop people piggy backing on your internet connection, and or snooping at files on your PC.. Enable WPA-PSK encryption (not WEP, it's crackable), and choose a strong 63 byte key (don't be tempted to use a short word or phrase) - see https://www.grc.com/password - it will automatically generate a strong random key for you,

e.g. q2c)J|G[/hRlz8T[Pv2K_zk}sRN+<Ie#<r^BL'_b9:L7G4]&dM.~8t)wX:cgf>6

copy and paste this into your router config screen, and your Windows wireless config screen.

4. Lock down the router so that it will only accept connections from your unique wireless MAC address, you can find this address by running ipconfig /all from a dos (start run cmd) or winipcfg on Win 9x.

5. upgrade the router firmware from the manufacturers website. on a netgear you download a .img file, and use IE to browse to the file, and initiate the upgrade. There is a link to the site in the router config screen.

6. If you have a software firewall, E.g. Zonealarm, XP SP2 firewall, continue to use it, as it will provide outbound protection from rogue programs, whereas by default the netgear firewall will only protect you from people outside getting in.

Hope that helps, it sounds complicated, but is all done from half a dozen router config screens using Internet explorer. There is no need to use the CD supplied with the router, just use IE.

Should take about 10 minutes.. if you are lucky.


On a netgear router, all this is achieved by attaching the router to your PC's network card with a rj45 cat5/6 cable, putting 192.168.0.1 in the internet explorer address bar, you will then get prompted for an admin password (user admin, pwd password)

if you have any problems getting the PC to talk to the router via the cable, try typing start run ipconfig /release, then ipconfig /renew.

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In my tests, approx. 30-40% of Wireless access points (i.e. a wireless router accepting connections) are wide open, with no encryption, default passwords, and are broadcasting the SSID (network name). This allows anyone with a wireless card to connect to your network, use your connection, and potentially get at your files

To use WPA rather than WEP, you may need to upgrade your wireless network card driver to the latest version from the manufacturers website, it depends how old your o/s and PC are (WPA is quite new).

If you are not using XP, then you will need to download some free software to enable WPA support from here:

http://www.wirelesssecuritycorp.com/wsc/public/WPAAssistant.do

Hope that helps..

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Other good things to do security wise..

Run Windows Update. ( http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us )

Update your virus scanner patterns.
Install a software firewall if you don't have one.
Run a spyware scanner (ad-aware etc, microsoft anti-spyware)

Chippy_Minton wrote:

From a wired connection, open Internet Explorer and click this address => http://192.168.0.1 to log in to the router's configuration pages. The default user name is admin, and the password is password. Click Wireless Settings for the wireless security page.

The following security can be set up.

1. Untick 'Allow broadcast of name (SSID)', since your laptop will have already received the correct name.

2. Click Setup Access List, then click Turn Access Control On. Your laptop's MAC address may already be shown in the Available Wireless Stations list. If it is, simply click Add. Otherwise you'll have to add it manually - let us know if you need help with this.

3. Back on the main Wireless Settings screen, under Security Options, choose either WEP or WPA-PSK (WPA-PSK is more secure) and enter your passphrase or network key. On the laptop, in Control Panel - Network Connections. Right-click Wireless Network Connection, click Properties, click Wireless Networks tab, click your Netgear in the list of Preferred networks, and click Properties. Now select the same type of encryption you chose on the router and enter the passphrase-generated key for WEP (and the key index) or the network key for WPA-PSK.

Thanks for this, I managed to secure the connection using my laptop.

My daughter has a desktop in her bedroom and uses a netgear wg111 adaptor to access the network. This doesn't work now after securing the network.

Help please !??!

Gambler wrote:

Thanks for this, I managed to secure the connection using my laptop.

My daughter has a desktop in her bedroom and uses a netgear wg111 adaptor to access the network. This doesn't work now after securing the network.

Help please !??!

On the laptop, click Start - Run - type in cmd and press Return. At the prompt type ipconfig/all and press Return.

Under the wireless adapter section, look for Physical Address. This is a 12 digit hex number like 00-87-E4-52-19-C7. Also known as a MAC address. In the router's web config screen, click Wireless Settings and Setup Access List. In the 'Add new station manually' section type in a device name, e.g. Daughter's Laptop and the 12 digit hex number (without the hyphens) as the MAC address.