how do i secure my wireless network

[frankimb]

i have a highspeed internet service to which i have conected a wireless router. i would like make the access to this connection password use only. can someone tell me how this is done? thank you.

[Baddog]

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n100684.asp

What is WEP Encryption for Wireless Networks?

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security protocol for wireless networks that encrypts transmitted data . It's easy to configure. Without any security your data can be intercepted without difficulty.

However, WEP was an early attempt to secure wireless networks, and better security is now available such as DES, VPN, and WPA. See the Guide to Internet Security to learn about network security.

WEP has three settings: Off (no security), 64-bit (weak security), 128-bit (a bit better security). WEP is not difficult to crack, and using it reduces performance slightly.

If you run a network with only the default security, where WEP is turned off, any of your neighbors can immediately log on to your network and use your Internet connection.

* For wireless devices to communicate, all of them must use the same WEP setting. (40-bit and 64-bit WEP encryption are the same thing — 40-bit devices can communicate with 64-bit devices.)

While there is no extra performance cost to encrypting the longer key, there is a cost to transmitting the extra data over the network. 128-bit security is not much more difficult than 64-bit to crack, so if you are concerned about performance, consider using 64-bit. If you're very concerned about security, use WPA, which replaces WEP with a protocol that is — given current technology — impossible to crack. There's a good overview in What's New in Security: WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).

The WEP concept of passphrase is introduced so that you do not have to enter complicated strings for keys by hand. The passphrase you enter is converted into complicated keys. Choose passphrases with the same care you would important passwords.

* With 128-bit encryption, you need to enter a passphrase to generate each key.
* All four keys must be specified, because WEP switches between them to make your traffic more difficult to break.
* All devices within your LAN must use the same passphrases (i.e., the same keys).

WEP is not necessary if you have a gaming console such as PlayStation or Xbox, and there are no other computers on the network.

Instructions on how to set up WEP are available in the User Manuals and Reference Manuals for wireless products (available on the Product page on this site as downloads).

[BipolarBill]

Use WPA or WPA2 if you have it. WEP is difficult to use and easy to crack - a bad combo. Start on the router. When you try to connectg ot it later, just enter the passcode.

Please - the next time you need help with a specific device (router), tell us the brand and model.

[Baddog]

Use WPA or WPA2 if you have it. WEP is difficult to use and easy to crack - a bad combo. Start on the router. When you try to connectg ot it later, just enter the passcode.

Please - the next time you need help with a specific device (router), tell us the brand and model.
This thread might be of some interest to someone>>>http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t4126-wpa-suppliant-windows-2000.html

[BipolarBill]

More on Win2K and WPA:

Microsoft says:For wireless clients running Windows 2000 (or clients running Windows XP SP1 and using a wireless network adapter that does not support the Wireless Zero Configuration service), you must obtain and install a new WPA-compliant configuration tool from your wireless network adapter vendor.

Old news:

http://wifinetnews.com/archives/002926.html

The download:

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

[cat5e]

Wireless Encryption - WEP, WPA, and WPA2. (http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html)

:D

[dkm]

More tips here: Wireless Security (http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/wireless_secure.htm)

I also change my LAN IP address, which on a Linksys router for example, would be 192.168.1.1. You may configure the last field with any number up to 256. (192.168.1.256). If you change this, anyone trying to access your router has to guess a number from 1-256. Just remember what it is, as you will have to use it if you want to make any changes to your router configuration.

Reduce the number of DHCP users (you probably have DHCP enabled). If I remember correctly, my Linksys default configuration would allow 50 DHCP users. You only need the router to assign IP address for the maximum number of your systems which might be accessing the web at the same time.

Make sure the SPI feature is enabled, and the DMZ and UPnP disabled, along with disabling the remote administration, and as in the link, disabling the SSID.

I also use MAC address filtering. To find your MAC address, go to Start/run, enter "cmd" (no quotes), then type "ipconfig /all" (no quotes). Look for the entry "physical address" of your wireless adapter. This is your MAC address, and can be entered in you router MAC address filtering table.

Hope this helps. :)