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How to enable Security on Linksts Router

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  • 04-04-2008 4:08pm
    #1
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,778 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I have a Linksys WRK54G - its very similar to the WRT54G - but some slight differences.

    Anyway, up until now I've been using MAC Filtering for security. I now want to change to one of the normal ones. Under the wireless security tab, there are a number of options, with a load of fields I don't understand really.

    Can anyone advise which one to use, and how? There are no other wireless signals in my area so I'm not that worried about potentail threats, but don;t want to be silly either. I just want it so that when someone tried to conenct to the network, they have to type ion a password.

    What do I do?
    Cheers


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    #2
    Spear
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 25,347 CMod ✭✭✭✭Spear


    Change the encryption method to WPA. There'll probably be a choice of encryption scheme between TKIP and AES. AES is stronger but uses more processing power. In real world terms there won't be a visible difference. Turn off SSID broadcast.


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    #3
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    As Spear said use WPA/WPA2 encyption. You will be required to pick a passphrase that people will need before they can gain access to your wireless network, enter something secure and give it to people who need it and you should be sorted. Turn off the SSID broadcast too (although I'm not entirely sure if this is an effective security measure I'll have to check that out).


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    #4
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    rmacm wrote: »
    As Spear said use WPA/WPA2 encyption. You will be required to pick a passphrase that people will need before they can gain access to your wireless network, enter something secure and give it to people who need it and you should be sorted. Turn off the SSID broadcast too (although I'm not entirely sure if this is an effective security measure I'll have to check that out).
    Turning off SSID is just an inconvenience to a hacker rather than an actual security measure - still good to do anyway. When you do this OP you may need to enable a setting on the machine to connect to this network even when the network is not broadcasting. If it is akward then just turn on the SSID again as strong encryption should be enough.

    WPA and WPA2 are pretty much unbreakable (at least at the moment) unless you use a simple passphrase which could be broken by using a brute force attack (basically automatically trying to break it by using combinations all possible letters and numbers) so don't make it too simple of a passphrase - I read that using at least a 20 character long passphrase with truly random characters should be used (>33 characters is recommended). Go with WPA2 since it is a uses a new stronger AES encryption algorithm.

    Mac filtering without encryption is pretty much useless.


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    #5
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,778 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zascar


    OK I've been playing with this and can't get it to work.

    I change to "WPA Pre-Shared Key", choose a 15 digit code, and reboot. When I connect it sasy "Waiting for network" but never connects"

    What am I doing wrong?


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    #6
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    Zascar wrote: »
    OK I've been playing with this and can't get it to work.

    I change to "WPA Pre-Shared Key", choose a 15 digit code, and reboot. When I connect it sasy "Waiting for network" but never connects"

    What am I doing wrong?
    Firstly, what operating system are you using?
    Did you change the stored key on your computer? did it ask you for a key on your computer?


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    #7
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,778 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zascar


    I'm using Windows XP. Key on Stored Computer? Huh?

    Al I'm looking for, is for when any computer tried to connect, they are promped for a password - you enter it, and you get on.

    Can this be done? Any how?
    Thanks


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    #8
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    Zascar wrote: »
    I'm using Windows XP. Key on Stored Computer? Huh?

    Al I'm looking for, is for when any computer tried to connect, they are promped for a password - you enter it, and you get on.

    Can this be done? Any how?
    Thanks
    Im taking it that no encryption was setup on the computer for the network before this. This connection has been saved on the computer this way . So everytime it is trying to connect it doesn't bother asking you for a password because it doesn't think it needs one.

    I am presuming that Windows is controlling your wireless network connections (if you have software installed with your wireless card then this may not be the case).
    Go to network connections and right click on the wireless network card that will be connecting and choose properties. Pick the second tab (am using vista myself so cannot check the name of the tab - probably called "connections" or something) and you will see all the wireless network connections that have been setup. You might aswell remove them all unless you have passwords already stored for other networks in there.
    Press ok all the way.
    Now maybe right click on the wireless network connection and pick disable and then enable it again. Then try connecting to your wireless network and it should ask you for a password (pre-shared key) again.


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