help with laptop security

gem4

I've just acquired a laptop. I have a small home network linked thru D-Link DI514 wireless router. Both pc's are wired to the router.

The laptop has built in wireless adapter which will work with the router but I'm scared to connect to the internet on it because I dont understand the encryption thingy for wireless setup in the router.

The router can use 64bit or 128bit encryption but by default is disabled.
Is it just a simple matter of changing the option to 'enabled' and selecting 128bit WEP or whatever its called? Or should I select 64bit?
The help pages dont explain it very clearly.

As you can see I'm a bit of a dumbo with wireless not having used it before. I'm a bit worried that if I connect the laptop to the internet I could be inviting all sorts of horrors if I havent changed the security option in the router.

I tried it very briefly last night for the first time and it found a 'default' network which it called 'open'. The other connection option said BT(??) but said it needed a key. I dont have BT I've got telewest broadband, I dont know if my router was the 'default' but I was so worried about it being 'open' I closed it down.
Would someone please explain in blonde terms what it all means
Thanks

espresso

You should log-on to your router via a cable connection and change the SSID to something different from the default, unique and not directly identifying you. If your router has WPA encryption use that in preference to WEP as it is much more secure. Get yourself a random passphrase from here and copy & paste this into both the router and your laptop. More detailed info is available in these threads. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471408&postcount=37 http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471410&postcount=38

amcluesent

Having a wireless link to the router doesn't make you any more likely to be affected by bad stuff off the internet. The only downside with an open network is that someone close by could pick-up the data you are sending or use your broadband for free.

I would use one of the wired PCs to connect to the router's set-up pages to -

1) Put a password on the administrator login, if you haven't already done that
2) Change the SSID of the wireless to something other than 'default', but don't use something daft like "The Smith Family network", which I have seen
3) Start the laptop and create wifi connection with the SSID and make sure that works OK.
4) From the wired PC, enable WPA encryption on the router (or WEB 128 if that's the best option on the router)
5) Apply the WPA/WEP key to the laptop's connection profile for the SSID
6) Check it all works
7) (For the paranoid) Switch-on MAC address filtering on the router and only allow the MAC address of your laptop to connect and associate. (You can find the MAC address in Windows by Start->Run..., type "cmd", click OK then type "ipconfig/all" and press Return. Look for the info on the wi-fi connection (you'll also have details for the wired Ethernet port), your MAC address is the Physical address like "00-12-F0-B4-7B-AA"

albertross_2

If your router is open, then others could get access to your files on both PC's as well as your internet connection, so suggest you encrypt it asap, whether you use the laptop wirelessly or not.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471408&postcount=37

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471410&postcount=38

gem4

Thanks guys. Not sure I'm understanding all the techie terms even after following the links you've provided.

1. If I change the SSID on the router to one of those long 64 character random things will I have to change anything on the existing wired pc's or will they still work?

2. On the router setup I've got 4 options for 'network authentication' - (disabled, 1EEE802.1x, WPA-PSK, and WPA). Do I select the WPA-PSK or the WPA?

3. On the WEP encryption I can choose 64bit or 128bit. So I go for 128?

4. In the 'key type' options i've got HEX or ASC11. HEX is preselected, do I leave it as it is?

5. Where do I type the 64 character random thing, in the SSID box or the HEX box, or in both?

6. After changing all that will the existing pc's still work as they are or do I have to change anything in those too?

I'm sorry to be so dense but the last thing I want to be is unable to connect to the internet with my wired pc while I'm midway thru setting up the wireless, cos then I wont be able to read the help you're giving me.

albertross_2

the ssid is the name for your network, just choose a random word that doesn't identify you.

choose wpa-psk/tkip and input a readable 63 character key, not hexadecimal forget about wep, forget about 64/128.

Whatever you do with wireless settings, doesn't affect wired PC's

espresso

1 The SSID is simply the name of your wireless network.
2 Use WPA-PSK
3 Don't use WEP if you use WPA-PSK
4 HEX is fine
5 In the HEX box, just think up a unique name to identify your network
6 Cables PC's will be the same ads these are wireless settings

gem4

Ok, I've changed the SSID to a unique name,
I've selected WPA-PSK option.......
I've now got to select between 'passphrase' or 'HEX - 64 char'.....
Then there's another box asking for the 'pre shared key'

If I choose 'passphrase' do I just type in a random sentence or something and are there any rules about what characters, spaces etc,I can or cant use?
If I choose the HEX option do I copy and paste the random line of 64 thingy off the grc site?
Which is best?

espresso

It doesn't really matter, the main thing is the fact that you are setting up secure encryption. I aways just copy and paste the maximum number of HEX characters from the grc site and it always works with every combination of kit.

albertross_2

expresso will probably not agree,, but 63 random printable characters is best, it's the second key down on the grc site.

Some routers don't like "'s or 's (quotation marks), so just make sure there are none in the key, click refresh to regenerate a new one.

gem4

espresso wrote:

It doesn't really matter, the main thing is the fact that you are setting up secure encryption. I aways just copy and paste the maximum number of HEX characters from the grc site and it always works with every combination of kit.

Thanks for that. One last question, (i think). If I use the 64 character Hex thing do I need to remember it like I would a password in order to use it everytime? If I understood the info on the site you gave it seems I'd only need to use it once. But if it doesnt work and I need to change it, is this easily done?