How do I password protect my network?

Question

It's my wireless network.

Answer 1

You need to configure your routers security features and then put the password into each of your wireless adapters. Pull out your Routers or Wireless Access point instruction manual and locate the Browser address to access your routers setup and configurantion page. Linksys is: 192.168.1.1; Belkins is: 192.168.2.1; etc.

Once you have the address you go in and first set a password for your individual routers setup and configuration page. The default is no password and when asked for one you just click the submit button and you are inside your setup/configuration page. This is not good for security reasons as you can clearly see for yourself.

Once inside activate your routers hardware firewall. Click on the firewall link and follow the instructions. Then go to your security page and decide if you wish to use WEP or WPA or WPA-2. Both versions of WPA are most secure. Configure a Pre-Shared Key as instructed, follow the other instructions in your manual for the other details as required and then click on "enable" or "update" which ever wording your setup uses for updating configuration.

Once you have set the password your computers will have lost their abilty to connect. Do not worry, this is only due to the need to enter the Pre-Shared Key into each Wireless or Wired Adapter. You do so by accessing the Adapters Configuration Software Program and putting in the key in each computer. You then go into "available networks" click on your network and put in the password and click "connect". Or however your particular instructions instruct. ;-)

This should enable each computer to connect. Now, it is a good idea to change the name of your router. Its SSID. You do this so ohters doing "war driving" can't just access local networks. This provides another layer of protection. Many of these A.S.S holes know the browser addresses of each major manufacturer which gets them a third of the way into a password protected network. So, just go into your routers configuration page agian, click on the link to your SSID and change the name. Usually the default name is the manufactures name plus your version number. Changing the name is a good security measure, as the War Drivers do not know which manufacturer yours is. They can just go through all the major manufactures browser numbers untill they locate yours, but they still have to crack your password and WPA is difficult to crack. Not impossible but VERY difficult. Most War Drivers will prefere to access unsecured connections as most are just looking for free internet access. There are those who are looking to get into networks to steal sensitive data and steal identies and financial informaiton like credit card numbers, though, so it may also be a good idea for you to simply make your SSID disapear off the "available networks" list. You can do so in your routers configuration pages. Just follow the instructions in your manual.

Now, that should fix things up nicely. Good luck!!

FYI, A recent study reported that up to 80% of wireless networks are unsecured. Scary thought huh? I have at least eight neighbors who are unsecured. Eight come up in my "available networks" to connect to, and none are secured. Of the ten which come up only mine and one other is secured and the others is with WEP, the least safe encryption choice. But then his router may only support WEP.

One other item: Your software security suite may not be compatable with WPA. If this is true it will interfer with your computer connection to the router. I like my suite, I have Panda which is just great, and I just removed, then reinstalled without installing the firewall. The hardware firewall at the router is much stronger and better than any software firewall anyway.

Answer 2

What network? Is it the wireless?

If it is the wireless network then you may have to enable the WEP. Login to your wireless router using the web console (normally http://192.168.0.1/) and put in the userid and password of the router.

Now depending on the model of the router, navigate to the Wireless Security section. In Linksys routers it is item Wireless and then Wireless Security. Change security mode to WEP, put WEP encryption to 64 bit or 128 bit. Now add a password in Key 1 field. Finally save settings by clicking "Save settings" button.

Answer 3

Sorry, I don't know.
But I'll be waiting for you to know so I can also find it out.
Thanks.