Wireless Internet Security

[The_Man]

Hello, I just got a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router. It's pretty cool, I got it working, entered all the necessary information corrrectly (I Hope) and its nice. I do have some questions though..
How do I set up a password so that when people try to join the network an entering of a password is required? Is there any other networking security things I should cover before going at it with my iBook g4?

(Wireless router is hooked to my pc, which is broadcasting the signal.)

 

[mklos]

You'll want to enable WEP. You may also want to look at MAC Address Filtering....

There are settings to do both in the settings for the Linksys Router.

 

[SummerBreeze]

The easiest way to do it is to get your iBook connected to the network. Open up Safari, go to a few pages make sure that the internet is working, then type the default ip address (should be 192.168.1.1) into the url bar of Safari. The web interface should come up and setting up a password should be pretty straight forward.

Make sure to write your password down somewhere. The passwords used for wireless security aren't easy to remember, and you'll probably forget it. It's happened to me before, and it's not fun to set up everything again.

 

[California]

Yeah do it because I hate it that someone in my building has a linkseys set up and my iBook loves to just drop in on his connection without informing me first. Not my computer's fault, it is his fault for not encrypting/securing his linkseys. I'm constantly having to check that I'm not on his network!

 

[strydr]

Yeah do it because I hate it that someone in my building has a linkseys set up and my iBook loves to just drop in on his connection without informing me first. Not my computer's fault, it is his fault for not encrypting/securing his linkseys. I'm constantly having to check that I'm not on his network!

in the preferences for the wireless adapter, you can specify which wireless network to join first (or last). Look under the Airport tab, change to "by default, join" to Preferred Networks, then arrang your list. Now delete his network. You can also go to "options" and enable your Auth. to join open networks. this should keep you off his, and if you set up your router properly, no one will get on yours.
(although it's always nice to share..)

 

[The_Man]

You'll want to enable WEP. You may also want to look at MAC Address Filtering....

There are settings to do both in the settings for the Linksys Router.

Where are these setting located on my PC?

 

[SummerBreeze]

Where are these setting located on my PC?

See my previous post: type 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of any web browser while you are connected to the network. From there you can change your WEP settings.

 

[grapes911]

WEP is totally insecure. I can not stress that enough. It's like padlocking a door with the combination printed on the lock. MAC filtering is good, but it is very easy to spoof a MAC address. Keep is simple and enable WPA. You don't need anything else. You sill enable MAC filtering, disable the SSD, and more, but it is not necessary.

 

[The_Man]

I am a complete retard when it comes to Wireless and networking.Can Someone please explain it to me as if I were a toddler?

 

[grapes911]

I am a complete retard when it comes to Wireless and networking.Can Someone please explain it to me as if I were a toddler?

Have you read the manual?

 

[annk]

Is putting a password on the network enough?

I ask because I struggled with changing the settings for my D-Link router for a long time (every time I went into the configuration, made changes and clicked on "Apply", the router crashed). I finally resorted to using the set-up wizard (thought I'd have to re-enter everything from scratch, but my earlier settings were still there ). During the wizard's drill, I was asked if I wanted to put a password on my network. So now that's all the security I have. Is it enough, or will using MAC filter really help me at this point?

I DO notice that I no longer have the huge swings in speed while on Internet, so someone was obviously downloading on my network earlier, but not any longer.

 

[grapes911]

Is putting a password on the network enough?

I ask because I struggled with changing the settings for my D-Link router for a long time (every time I went into the configuration, made changes and clicked on "Apply", the router crashed). I finally resorted to using the set-up wizard (thought I'd have to re-enter everything from scratch, but my earlier settings were still there ). During the wizard's drill, I was asked if I wanted to put a password on my network. So now that's all the security I have. Is it enough, or will using MAC filter really help me at this point?

I DO notice that I no longer have the huge swings in speed while on Internet, so someone was obviously downloading on my network earlier, but not any longer.

I think you just put a password to get into the router. Don't use the wizard. Just go in and enable WPA.

 

[The_Man]

I typed in the IP adress into my adress bar and I just dont know what to do from there. Can anyone tell me where to go to set the password exactly???

 

[savar]

WEP is totally insecure. I can not stress that enough. It's like padlocking a door with the combination printed on the lock. MAC filtering is good, but it is very easy to spoof a MAC address. Keep is simple and enable WPA. You don't need anything else. You sill enable MAC filtering, disable the SSD, and more, but it is not necessary.

Ditto. If somebody got it in there head that they wanted to crack your WEP, they could do so in 10-30 minutes. Then they're using your internet access (which means they can do illegal things untraceably), and if you have file sharing on with weak permissions, they can get at your files as well.

To be more specific, you want WPA-PSK. It shouldn't be any harder to setup than WEP (in my experience its easier), except that some devices that are a year or two old aren't compatible. (I have a Linksys PCMCIA card that isn't compatible...its frustrating to no end that Linksys refuses to admit that the WPA driver simply doesn't work at all.)

 

[annk]

I think you just put a password to get into the router. Don't use the wizard. Just go in and enable WPA.

Nope, it´s a bonafide password to access the network. When I set up my son´s Mini, I had to type in the password before it would let his computer online. I just wondered if that´s enough. The router is too old for WPA, it only has WEP. But when I try to active it, the router crashes. Hence my password question...

 

[grapes911]

Nope, it´s a bonafide password to access the network. When I set up my son´s Mini, I had to type in the password before it would let his computer online. I just wondered if that´s enough. The router is too old for WPA, it only has WEP. But when I try to active it, the router crashes. Hence my password question...

If you don't have WPA or an equal strength security measure, I really recommend you turning on MAC filtering. I know you are having trouble doing so, but I wouldn't give up. Try rebooting the router. They to get into to flash the BIOS. Do something. I wish I could help more.

 

[annk]

Well, rebooting the router gets it going every time, but then it crashes again as soon as I try to change anything. But I´ve got a computer-genius friend coming over for dinner Saturday , I´ll try to convince him to take a look at it.

 

[jeremy.king]

I typed in the IP adress into my adress bar and I just dont know what to do from there. Can anyone tell me where to go to set the password exactly???

RTFM

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...goBlobs&blobwhere=1130280065091&ssbinary=true

 

[Compile 'em all]

Hello, I just got a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router. It's pretty cool, I got it working, entered all the necessary information corrrectly (I Hope) and its nice. I do have some questions though..
How do I set up a password so that when people try to join the network an entering of a password is required? Is there any other networking security things I should cover before going at it with my iBook g4?

(Wireless router is hooked to my pc, which is broadcasting the signal.)

1. Use WPA encryption. I can break into ANY WEP encrypted WiFi network
in around 30 mins with my two GNU/Linux boxen.
2. Use Static IP addresses.
3. Use MAC access lists.

Good luck.

 

[The_Man]

Guys I'm sorry, but I still don't get it.
Everything you guys have said is correct in what I can do, but none of you really said how to do it.
I typed in the IP into the adress bar and I do not know where to go from there
I read the manual and I still dont know
Can someone please walk me through this and say "click here, then click this tab and so on"
everything I have tried so far does not make the internet require a password.

 

[grapes911]

Guys I'm sorry, but I still don't get it.
Everything you guys have said is correct in what I can do, but none of you really said how to do it.
I typed in the IP into the adress bar and I do not know where to go from there
I read the manual and I still dont know
Can someone please walk me through this and say "click here, then click this tab and so on"
everything I have tried so far does not make the internet require a password.

The problem is no one can tell you how to do it. Every router is different. Even if the router is the same, it can have different firmware making things different. You'll just have to follow the manual. Sorry, hopefully someone has this router and maybe they can help you.

 

[jeremy.king]

Guys I'm sorry, but I still don't get it.
Everything you guys have said is correct in what I can do, but none of you really said how to do it.
I typed in the IP into the adress bar and I do not know where to go from there
I read the manual and I still dont know
Can someone please walk me through this and say "click here, then click this tab and so on"
everything I have tried so far does not make the internet require a password.

Stop being lazy and see post #18 above - it has a link to the manual. Again RTFM.

 

[grapes911]

Stop being lazy and see post #18 above - it has a link to the manual. Again RTFM.

If you don't know what RTFM means:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM

 

[The_Man]

I READ THE MANUAL.
But see my previous post where I say that im retarded.
I dont understand any of this networking stuff and was just wondegrin if anyone could help.

 

[Eniregnat]

I READ THE MANUAL.
But see my previous post where I say that I’m retarded.
I don’t understand any of this networking stuff and was just wondering if anyone could help.

Your not retarded. Don't call yourself that. I spend much of my day with that idea running through my head. Don't even let yourself get to that point if you can.

I am dyslexic, and spend much of my time listning to text. It bothers me when I hear somebody call themselves dumb or retarded. OSX has TTS readers and the PDF file can be read by OSX if you have problems with reading. If you see people as being hesitant to help you it is because the question comes up again and again. Search the forums for the generics. Learn what WEP, and other wireless basics are. Google "wireless basics," or "wireless security," or use wikipedia.

If comprehenson of a specific topic is a problem, just ask- don't wine.

Cheers.