My 18 year old son tried to secure our wireless network and now we cant get on the laptops. Help lol?

Question

Our neighbor was stealing our wireless, now we cant use our wireless! It is a D link router. Please help lol

Answer 1

At least the security is working.

Now you need to know what was done on the router. I suspect he activated WPA or WPA2 encryption if your router supports it. This requires a preshare key (like a password). He may also have enabled MAC address validation on the router.

Let's assume he did both of the above.

Now on the router (always configure a router using a wired connection) be sure to list the MAC addresses of each pc's the wireless LAN connector (not the wired one) in the MAC address list. Find this list in the router - usually under security. The router checks the remote pc MAC address and permits it to access IF it matches the list of MAC addresses in its list.

If you do not know the MAC addresses, go to each wireless pc, open command prompt (start, run - type in cmd and hit enter) and type in "ipconfig /all" without quotes and hit enter. You will be shown all the lan connectors of that pc and their MAC addresses which are called physical addresses here. MAC addresses are 12 characters long; sometimes each 2 are separated by a : and when you enter them in the router some routers want the : between pairs and others do not.

Now at each wireless pc, check your wireless config. It must also be set for encryption, WPA I assume herein and must have the preshare key entered in the preshare key field on the pc. Sometimes it is called a password, sometimes a TKIP, but in all cases it functions like a password to permit or deny access. It must be the same case as entered in the router as this validated and permits access only if it matches.

Once this is done you are able to access.

Take the time to do this carefully and record what you did. It takes probably 20 minutes / pc to do it right.

Do not ever run a wireless without security. You are at serious risk. It is not the router maker's job to set it up, it is yours. Check the maker's literature for more details.

In reality all you have to do is make sure both the router and the pc have the right passwords, right encryption, and MAC addresses; not hard but exacting.

Keep the freeloaders out!

Answer 2

Mine had this problem also, i tried emailing dlink on my other computer, but they are idiots and dont really care. So i just ended up resetting my router and letting just letting it be open. If you want to try again, there should be a pin sized whole on the back of the unit, or somewhere on it, just stick a pin in and it will reset it, you can then access it again. Everything will be reset to default with no security.

Answer 3

I think that's what 18 year old sons are for don't you? Why not get him to cook tonight's tea and then the results of that may take your mind of the loss of your wireless connection.

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