Boss now that I have my Wi-Fi network working I would like to know how to keep it secure. I know that I have to enable WEP encryption. But how enable /setup? I'm running WinXP as a "server" (with a D-Link G604T wireless router/modem)), and 1 Winxp clients with linksys wireless-G usb network adapter . ple help me thk .
2006-11-15 09:51:07 · 3 answers · asked by Alkivin 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
I can tell you *what* you have to do, in order to secure a wirelss network. *How* you have to do it depends very much on the particular wireless devices you have - check their documentation. (When all else fails, Read The Fine Manual, you know...)
First, let me begin by telling that enabling WEP encryption is not enough. It is a weak encryption algorithm that can be easily broken by an attacker. You should use WPA encryption instead - provided that your wireless devices support it. You should also choose a strong (difficult to guess) password for it.
Next, configure your network not to broadcast its SSID.
Finally, you should configure your router to allow only your devices to join the network. The devices are recognized by their MAC address - basically, configure the router to deny access to all devices that have MAC addresses other than those that your devices have. Since in your cases the devices are desktops, you can determine their MAC addresses by opening a command prompt window and running the program "ipconfig /all" (without the quotes) - the MAC address is listed in the field labeled "Physical address".
Oh, and please understand that a determined attacker can penetrate a WiFi network, even if it is secured like this. (MAC addresses can be spoofed, WPA encryption can be cracked too, although it's more difficult, the SSID can be determined even if it is not broadcasted, and so on.) Basically, there is no way to secure a WiFi network completely; you can only do a pretty good job of securing it.
2006-11-15 23:39:14 · answer #1 · answered by Vesselin Bontchev 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christopher Null, the Yahoo! Tech Guy has a very good article on that. Go to Yahoo Search and put in Christopher Null. Look for his article on Wi-Fi. It's excellent.
2006-11-15 18:00:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check your router or gateway's manual and set password on that.
2006-11-15 18:47:38 · answer #3 · answered by Miles A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋