How can intruders conflict with your wireless network?

Question

I've heard that intruders can conflict with your wireless network, but how ? Reason why i am asking this question is because i want a secure, wireless network. I currently bought a Link system router, and lol i just want to be safe as possible, especially when i'm on my desktop and laptop.

Answer 1

For one thing, they can steal your bandwidth if they can connect, and they can if you don't put some security on it. They could hack the machines on the network and put all kinds of bad things on them. Finally, they can hack your router and screw up the entire thing.

What you want to do is:

1) In the router configuration utility, change the SSID to something nobody would be able to associate to the router. You see, the router (particularly Linksys) comes with a default SSID of, well, LINKSYS (go figure). Change that to something like Aunt Matilde.

2) In the Wireless Security tab, set up WPA with TKIP. You don't need to know what those mean. Just use WPA and a long passphrase, like the Declaration of Independence. Okay, so maybe not that long. Use a nice, long, easily remembered (by you) phrase. You will then use that phrase to connect your wireless devices, such as a notebook computer.

3) Setup up MAC Address filtering. You can find out the MAC Address of your Network Interface Card (NIC) by going to a command prompt and typing in:

ipconfig /all

Write it down and close the window.

Now, when you want connect your laptop for the first time, you are going to need the passphrase. Type that in and connect.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Do exactly what Kokopelli said.. But, make sure you put the encryption on the highest possible. As a network administrator, among other things, if someone really wants to get into your wireless system, they will, but unless you have something top secret, the average person really doesn't care.

Answer 3

Set it up with a password and they cannot get in at all.The password is in the setup as AES mode.