Wireless Router...

[undergradNITZ]

ive had my wireless router for a long time...its an SMC barricade or something...it has 4 DSL connections and wireless connection...

ive been using it for a long time...i use it for playstation2 online games...and my laptop which im using right now...but recently my neighbour bought a wireless card for recieving a signal...and i dont remember him buying a router...and i havent seen it...a couple of days ago my internet was slow...so i phoned up bell and they said everything was fine...and im really good with computers but this is the first time ive done this so i need some help...

basicly im here to ask...how do you secure your wireless router?? because i think he's leaching off me....

 

[moghrabi]

Your connection is not secure. You are using an old wireless router 802.11.

Roughly fifty percent of wirless users are not using any form of security. Of course the problem with this is that a neighbor or someone who parks in the street can easily access Internet services and retrieve files stored on the homeowner's computers.


Please read:

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3364301

 

[undergradNITZ]

i figured out how to access the router..and in the options theres a part that says wireless enable:disable...should i disable it?

 

[moghrabi]

If you are not using the wireless port, then disable.

 

[Isengard]

Do you see a place where you can enter MAC address in the router config? If so, enable this feature, you enter the MAC address of the network cards you want to be able to access the net, any other card won't be able to use your network.

 

[homer]

Do you see a place where you can enter MAC address in the router config? If so, enable this feature, you enter the MAC address of the network cards you want to be able to access the net, any other card won't be able to use your network.

I agree with Isengard. This is what I have done. Only the MAC addresses of my computers can access the network. Also you can turn off DHCP and assign IP address to your computers manually. Then you can tell the router to only assign say 3 IP address if you have 3 computers. Anyone that tries to access your network will not have an IP address assigned by DHCP.

I have played around with the built in encryption also but I have never had any great success with it. I find it really buggy so I leave it turned off.

 

[bogie]

Too much marketing hype has been placed in "wireless" networks. The vast majority of poeple I see using them, don't even need wireless! But it's the "leatest and greatest" technology, so they buy into it.

802.11 is hard to secure, as mentioned in this thread. In most cases a wireless network "owner" becomes the neighborhood ISP

Until I really need it (not anytime soon), I'm staying wired (all 6 boxes). Now, if I can just figure out how to setup my HP Jetdirect Ex Plus print server, I'd be all set (but that's another thread).

 

[fubbleskag]

wireless on 802.11 is safe enough if you disable dhcp and run a domain server on one of the boxes

but, not everyone wants to do that

 

[HeatSink]

Do you see a place where you can enter MAC address in the router config? If so, enable this feature, you enter the MAC address of the network cards you want to be able to access the net, any other card won't be able to use your network.

I agree with Isengard. This is what I have done. Only the MAC addresses of my computers can access the network. Also you can turn off DHCP and assign IP address to your computers manually. Then you can tell the router to only assign say 3 IP address if you have 3 computers. Anyone that tries to access your network will not have an IP address assigned by DHCP.

I have played around with the built in encryption also but I have never had any great success with it. I find it really buggy so I leave it turned off.

I think you're a little off on one point. In the second paragraph you state (quite correctly) that it's a good idea to assign static IPs to your boxes and then shut of DHCP. So far so good.

You then go on to say to set your router to assign only 3 IP addresses. If I understand what you're trying to say correctly (and it's quite possible that I'm missing the point), then your router would be unable to assign any IPs because you've turned off DHCP. Which is good....you don't want it to assign any IPs, I just found that part confusing.

As far as encryption goes (WEP), I"ve been running a wireless router for over a year in my house and have exercised all three options: Allowed MAC addresses, static IPs and WEP and haven't had any problems at all. I find WEP to be quite stable.

S'my 2 cents worth