Secure Wireless Network FAQ:
I’ve set-up a wireless network at home using a router for 3 computers. Now I’ve got everything running, how do I secure the network to prevent other people from using my connection? I use Windows XP if it helps.
(Step-by-step if possible, please — I’m not too familiar with these things.)
I’ve set-up a wireless network at home using a router for 3 computers. Now I’ve got everything running, how do I secure the network to prevent other people from using my connection? I use Windows XP if it helps.
(Step-by-step if possible, please — I’m not too familiar with these things.)
Thanks!
My router is a “Corega” brand.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
put a password on your router, but it can still be easily broken. But not alot of people would go lookin for a wireless network because they arnt very stable.
It is quite simple, just go to the network control panel – look for a tab called security, enable WPA-TSK and put a password.
Hope that helped!
To open the “control panel” for your router.
1. open Internet explorer or some other web browser.
2. type the IP address for your router in the web address spot
3. a log on screen should come up. The instructions should supply you with the log on info. But a safe bet would be that is is set to something generic such as admin.
4. find the section for security.
5. Set the level of security you want WEP is good
6. Set the password that you will need to get on the network. Make sure that it is not something generic, because people know this and can get on your network.
Hope this helps!
Open up your routers properties, this can be accessed by typing its IP address into your web browser, normally 192.168.0.1 or something similar (if in doubt it can be found under your network and sharing center).
Once there you will be prompted for a username and password, the default settings can normally be found on the base of the router or in the manual somewhere.
Once your logged into your router you can change your settings, every router has a different setup at this point but all are pretty similar. Navigate to the Wireless area (might be on a tab, click links etc… can be specific as i dont know what router you have). Once your here you should get security options, if the network is “open” or unsecured you want to change this. For best protection choose WPA-SPK if your router supports it, if not then WEP will provide security for a home network.
Once you selected the security protocal you want to use you will be either given or promted to creat a wireless acess key, read this as password. If it gives you one, note it down, if it doesnt, make one up (random combination of letters and numbers is best) and note that down.
Then save all changes and log out of your router.
At this point you may loose connection to it on your wireless devices, this is fine. Just go into the network center in XP, select to find a wireless network, once you have found yours click to join it, it will prompt you for a wireless access key, enter the one you noted down, it should join up as it was before and you should never have to change it again as windows remembers all the paskeys.
Dont loose the Access key though, and its a good idea to change the username and password on the router login page too if you want added security.
Hi,
Depending on what router you have there are different ways of securing the network. First, find your manual and access the router through Internet Explorer or Firefox (should be something like 192.168.1.54).
Then go to the security settings where you can either set up an encrypted network using a key phrase with different security levels.
Or, if your router supports it you can instead of having a key phrase enable which computers are allowed to access the wireless network. This is done by using the network card IDs on the different computers called MAC-adresses. These can be found by going to the start menu -> run -> CMD and then type ipconfig /all
If there are any questions just ask