Fig 1.0 Type your router's IP Address into internet explorer's Address Bar edit box....
Fig 1.1 ....and then type its User Name and Password into this security requester that appears.
| SECURE A WIRELESS NETWORK |
When you order Broadband from an Internet Service Provider, such as BT, they normally send you a parcel containing a
Broadband Installation CD and a Wireless Modem/Router. A series of letters will also have been sent to you that combine
to make up your broadband User Name and Password. After opening the parcel and installing the Broadband Installation CD
together with the Wireless Modem/Router you are ready to Search The Internet, Download Music and so on. All is well....or
is it?
When you install a Wireless Modem/Router you must make sure that either the router has, by default (normal settings),
disabled your Wireless Network (disabled the beaming of your Network Information through the airwaves) or has at least
enabled your Wireless Network with a Network Key (Security Passsword). If you have your Wireless Network enabled without
a Network Key other computers will be able to share your Network (Wireless Network) and use your Broadband Internet
Connection. Basically. Any data (i.e webpage data, file data and so on) they send/receive through your wireless network
uses your broadband internet connection to do so. Therefore not only are they using your broadband internet connection to
view webpages on their computer, coming through your wireless network, but they are also robbing your broadband bandwidth
(i.e monthly download usage) and your broadband speed. If you and they are using your 2MB broadband internet connection at
the same time you get a speed of 1MB each because you are both watering down the speed.
To enable a disabled wireless network or to change the network key (security password) for an enabled wireless network you
must log-on to its router's webpage, otherwise known as its Control Panel. This is done by typing the router's IP Address
into internet explorer's Address Bar edit box (Fig 1.0) and then typing its User Name ad Password into the Connect To
security requester that appears (Fig 1.1). The router's IP Address, User Name and Password should be in the documentation
(.pdf manual) file that comes on the Broadband Installation CD.
The default (standard manufacturer's) ip address for the NetGear control panel is 192.168.0.1, with a user name
of admin and a password of 1234 or password. Most companies use 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1
or 192.168.2.1 as their ip address, with admin or administrator as their user name and password,
admin or blank (empty/no password) as their password. So if you are stuck, try one of those combinations.
After logging-in to your router's Control Panel (webpage) look for a heading called SETUP (Fig 1.2 below), normally located in the top-left corner of the control panel. Underneath that heading should be a text link called WIRELESS SETTINGS. Click on it to take go to the Wireless Settings page (Fig 1.3).
When the Wireless Settings page is displayed find the Security Options, which normally include the security options DISABLE,
WEP and WPA-PSK amongst others, and select the WPA-PSK option - WPA-PSK is more secure (has better encryption) than WEP.
After selecting WPA-PSK type a Network Key (Security Password) into the NETWORK KEY Edit Box, if it is empty. If it is not
empty, perhaps because the router is using a default (standard) network key or because someone has put one there for you
already, either keep it or over-write it with a new network key. Regeardless if you typed in a new network key or kept the
existing one, write down the network key on a piece of paper for safe keeping and then click on the APPLY (or SAVE) button
(Fig 1.3 above) to save/activate the network key. This will now secure your network from outside intruders.
In the above example I chose to mix the network key with Numbers and Words (24plus3equals27) to make it more difficult for a
human and a computer to guess/hack. I did not put my Birthdate, Mother's Name and so on as they might be easy for a human
or a computer to guess/hack. Instead I chose something I consider unique but easy to remember.
With the outside intruders taken care of you must then take care of the inside intruders. Meaning. Anyone who has a
connection to your unsecure network, or secure network, can gain access to your router's control panel using its default
User Name and Password. Therefore they might be able to change your Network Key and other settings remotely, depending
on how weak your router's control panel is. So the next step is to find the MAINTENANCE heading on the control panel
(Fig 1.4 below) and then use the SET PASSWORD text link underneath it to change the router's control panel Password.
The PASSWORD page normally asks for the Old Password, as well as the New Password (which needs re-confirming), so that when
you click on the APPLY button the old password can be validated. If the old password is not valid the new password will not
be allowed. The old password is the password you logged-in with to get to your control panel in the first place, which makes
you wonder why the password page needs it....if an intruder successfully logged-in to the control panel with the correct,
old, password how could they get caught out by not knowing it when faced with the password page??!!!!
If you want to change your network's name, known as the SSID, you can do so by changing the text inside the NAME (SSID) Edit
Box. This does not make your network more secure but it will distinguish it from other networks. For example.
In my case I might call my network YOINGCO instead of NETGEAR. And if you are getting interference from another Wireless
Network in your area, or from a Satelite Dish for example, you might want to change the channel your router broadcasts on.
To back-up your router's current settings look for the text link called Backup Settings under the MAINTENANCE heading. Do this before changing any settings so that you have the manufacturer's settings backed-up (saved). Then if anything goes wrong in the future you can reload (open) the saved, manufacturer's, settings. The save (and open) process normally involves a file requester that asks you for a destination folder and a filename (i.e backup.cfg), just the same as saving/opening a normal file.
If you want to use your router with another ISP (i.e BT instead of OneTel) simply change the broadband user name (login name) and password of the old ISP (i.e OneTel) for the broadband user name (login name) and password of the new ISP (i.e BT).
The above examples used a Netgear router. If you are using a different branded router or a different branded netgear router its control panel settings should still be roughly the same as those described above bar the odd difference in setting names and headings. In other words. You should be able to secure your wireless network as described above, bar those odd differences.
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
All HTM files in the yoingco.com folder and its sub-folders are (c) John White, August 3rd 2005 - 2008. All Rights Reserved. FREE Vista Helpline: Contact John