Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (
More info?)
"DL" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0f0801c51d45$c4e15da0$a501280a@phx.gbl...
> Can someone tell me how to secure my unsecured wireless
> connection? I have a laptop connected to a router, which
> is connected to a cable connection.
>
> do I do something to the router first? HELP!
> THank you!
These are the four things you should do out of the box:
1) Change the SSID (Service Set ID) - Most routers use a default ID that
every hacker in the world knows.
2) Disable the Broadcast ID - This "hides" your wireless network, but
doesn't truly secure it.
3) Utilize WEP or, if compatible with all your devices (WinXP supports it
with SP2 or the WPA patch), WPA. With either method, use as strong a key as
possible (you don't have to remember it, so make it long and filled with
random characters.) - WEP and WPA encrypt your wireless traffic and make it
much more difficult to hack your system. WPA is stronger and better than
WEP, but not all devices are compatible with it.
4) Change the router's administration password - Again, every hacker in the
world knows the default password.
To learn how to do this with your particular router, consult your manual.
All are fairly easy to do. None make your wireless network completely
secure, but all four together make it to the "good enough" category for most
users. Also, you should change your SSID and key occasionally (say, every
couple of months or even more frequently.)
There are some more steps you can take to "lock it down" even more. Go to
the link below for info:
http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html
Also, here's a link to an online key generator:
http://www.andrewscompanies.com/tools/wep.asp
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