Wireless security

ZINXYX

Hi ,
Could someone please offer me some help as to how to secure my wireless network,
I have VM cable broadband on my desktop and have recently bought Belkin G wireless router. I have followed the set up instructions and the security instructions. The router shows the the green padlocked sign but when I try to connect on the laptop it says unsecured network.Please help me.
Thanks a lot

-TangleFoot-

ZINXYX wrote: »

...have recently bought Belkin G wireless router...

Which model?

tomsutton529

sorry but i cant write a huge essay on how to do it (ive been drinking), but google the steps and all will be good.

firstly get WEP or WPA set up, this a standard thing to have set up.. its not 100% safe but it stops the chavs gathering outside your house and stealing your bandwidth. WPA is better than WEP (to help you choose have a look at the capablities of your network cards (in the laptop/PC)

secondly set up MAC address filtering, this will only allow machines you say so to have access to your network. A MAC address is a unique ID for a machines network card. by doing this even if your WEP/WPA fails people still cant get access to your network even though it says they are conected. your MAC address can be found by opening CMD (start, run, cmd) and typeing ipconfig /all you will know which is the right network card, its the one with all the numbers below, and it shouldnt say media disconected next to its name. the bit you want it physical address.

thirdly, if you use DHCP then set the range to the amount of machines you have on the network. if you have just your machines then set the range to 192.168.0.1 - 192.168.0.2 for 2 machines it ends with 192.168.0.3 for three machines 192.168.0.4... basicly its your routers IP plus the number of machines... remember that you have enabled this feature though. nothing worse than coming back from the pub with a few mates who happen to have a laptop each and setting everything but a new IP range... just imagine... If you use static IP then you are safer still but its a pain to setup every time the router crashes.

lastly set good strong passwords to login to the router. every kid on the planet should know the default login for each router.

just another note,,,, once it is all set up, save the settings (or backup, whatever your router calls it) and save these settings to a CD,Pen Drive sort of thang and keep it safe... this will save you hours when you need to restore the settings.

Hope that helps you out, you dont HAVE to do all the steps to have a secure network but Im a network technician so ive got an idea.

did you ahve to enter a network key to get access to the router from the laptop? if so then its secure on the WEP/Wpa front.

robt_2

I know sometimes people miss the obvious (and it is easily done), but didn't it come with instructions on how to do this?

-TangleFoot-

tomsutton529 wrote: »

thirdly, if you use DHCP...

Note: the default IP address of Belkin routers is usually 192.168.2.1.

ZINXYX

robt wrote: »

I know sometimes people miss the obvious (and it is easily done), but didn't it come with instructions on how to do this?

Hi,
I have followed the instructions on the CD that came with the router at least three times to secure it. Afterwards i get confirmation that it is now secure and then when I try to access the network it says unsecured. I have read most of the how to's on wireless security here but could still not do it.
Thanks

robt_2

ZINXYX wrote: »

Hi,
I have followed the instructions on the CD that came with the router at least three times to secure it. Afterwards i get confirmation that it is now secure and then when I try to access the network it says unsecured. I have read most of the how to's on wireless security here but could still not do it.
Thanks

Fair enough

Are you 100% sure you are connecting your laptop to the right (ie your) wireless network?

ZINXYX

Hi,
Thanks for drawing my attention to it. I have completely powerd off my router and I can still connect to 'the' network. I now realise it's not my network. Someone has a similar router with the name belkin54g which is the same name as mine.

Edit: I have renamed my network but it is still not listed let alone identified as secured.

robt_2

ZINXYX wrote: »

Hi,
Thanks for drawing my attention to it. I have completely powerd off my router and I can still connect to 'the' network. I now realise it's not my network. Someone has a similar router with the name belkin54g which is the same name as mine.

Easily done

Change the name of yours to something more memorable (but nothing personal or sensitive)

kwikbreaks

> Edit: I have renamed my network but it is still not listed let alone identified as secured.

Did you turn off "Broadcast SSID" as well as securing it? If so and everything else was correct (like turning on wireless) that is why it isn't showing - either turn it back on (it protects nothing as although you can't see it hackers will) or specify it when you set up the connection.

ZINXYX

How do I check whether 'Broadcast SSID' is on or off.?
Thanks