How do I make my home network secure?

py2006

Hi all,

I set up a wireless network at home. I have a desktop computer running Vista and we have a laptop downstairs which I got up and running with the internet via a linksys wireless router.

However, after setting it up I noticed there was a message saying that my network was not secure. How can I change this? During the initial setup I changed the password from the default so I thought that would have done the trick.

When I went into the router settings there doesn't appear to be any other security options other than changing password.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Saruman

It will be security, wireless security... look out for words like WEP and WPA.
Best bet is to set it up for wpa-psk and pick a nice pre shared key thats not obvious.
You might have to select an advanced menu by the way.

py2006

Saruman wrote: »

It will be security, wireless security... look out for words like WEP and WPA.
Best bet is to set it up for wpa-psk and pick a nice pre shared key thats not obvious.
You might have to select an advanced menu by the way.

Thats encryption isn't it?

I thought I saw something about that on the initial setup but I haven't been able to find it in the router settings after it was installed!

Saruman

Yes it will also show up under encryption.

If i remember right with linksys, it is not the most obvious menu. Its along the top but there are sub menu's below i think... its hard to explain.
Its not an easy menu with big buttons etc..

py2006

I will have a look again when I get home but I don't remember seeing it.

biko

More info here
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1149562300349&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Saruman

Should be something like this:
http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windowsxp/images/using/networking/setup/68572-enter-ssid-gui.gif

Click the wireless security tab under wireless.

py2006

Saruman wrote: »

Should be something like this:
http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windowsxp/images/using/networking/setup/68572-enter-ssid-gui.gif

Click the wireless security tab under wireless.

Yea I think I saw that. Again, I will know more when I have it in front of me later!

I think my default my SSID is just Linksys, which I will change! Not sure how to change the encryption though.

py2006

biko wrote: »

More info here
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1149562300349&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Yep thats the router that I bought!

py2006

Yea under wireless security I have a few options but the current selected one is WPA Personal?

-annex-

py2006 wrote: »

Yea under wireless security I have a few options but the current selected one is WPA Personal?

WPA personal is the one you want. Be sure to enter a high security key, you won't be able to remember it but it'll make your network effectively uncrackable. There's a generator here:

https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

Use the one labelled "63 random printable ASCII characters". I'd recommend saving it to a text file in case you need it again.

py2006

-annex- wrote: »

WPA personal is the one you want. Be sure to enter a high security key, you won't be able to remember it but it'll make your network effectively uncrackable. There's a generator here:

https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

Use the one labelled "63 random printable ASCII characters". I'd recommend saving it to a text file in case you need it again.

Cheers thanks for that! I think I am all set up and running smoothly now!