router security

[BuckStocksHere]

I just bought a wireless router and hooked up my ps3 to it. My tv will be hooked up as soon as I buy an adapter for it. My PC is still connected through wired connection. I don't see a need to go wireless with my PC since my computer/modem/router are all within 3 ft of each other.

questions is this though - how do I check my security for my router. I don't want some wacko trying to hack into my wireless system.

This is the first time I've used wireless for anything in my home. I just want to make sure all is safe and secure. Opinions, ideas to check, etc... all welcomed.

Thanks!

(was surprised how easy everyhing was. had a glitch with internet connectivity but netgear support walked me through to get my ip# to show up and everything went smooth after that)

 

[jwinslow]

Did you have to type in a 10 (or so) digit password to get the PS3 to connect to the router (like 'a8fj10t84' listed on the bottom of the router)? Or did it do it automatically?

questions is this though - how do I check my security for my router. I don't want some wacko trying to hack into my wireless system.

Do you live close to other houses or out in the boonies? If it's the latter, the concern is less substantial. If it's the former, your neighbors will inevitably try and leech your internet bandwidth with their laptops/phones, and there's more of a risk (albeit slight) of malfeasance.

 

[jwinslow]

setting your router password - Google Search

If you give us more details about which router you have we can give more precise instructions, but basically you want to set up an encrypted connection. You can (and should) change the default router password, but this is separate from encryption.

The general procedure is:

1. Log into your router
   This is done with your web browser, and I would suggest using your desktop computer if it is using a wired connection to your router.
   The address will probably be something like http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1 (depends on the brand of router).
2. Find the "Wireless" settings
3. Turn on WPA or WPA2 encryption
   WPA2 is slightly more secure, but it probably doesn't really matter. Do not use WEP.
4. Pick a complex passphrase
   Do not use simple words, but a mix of letters, numbers, punctuation. AND WRITE IT DOWN!!!
5. Find and change default router password
   Again, do not use a simple word, but a random mix of letters and numbers. Write this down, too!

Now, go to your laptop

1. "Look for wireless networks" or "Site Survey" or whatever it is called on your computer.
2. Try to Connect to your network
3. When prompted, enter the encryption passphrase that you wrote down earlier
   This is NOT the router password, but the complex passphrase from above.

You should be done! No more neighbors using your WiFi.

the router password is what at you use to login to the 192 website. Often times the username is admin or blank, and the password is admin.

Great instructions, WallyHelps! Here's a new web site that makes it easier for computer novices to find out the address of their router, in order to get through your "step #1": Find My Router!. It figures it out based on your computer's local IP address and the defaults for common routers.

 

[BuckStocksHere]

Did you have to type in a 10 (or so) digit password to get the PS3 to connect to the router (like 'a8fj10t84' listed on the bottom of the router)? Or did it do it automatically?
Do you live close to other houses or out in the boonies? If it's the latter, the concern is less substantial. If it's the former, your neighbors will inevitably try and leech your internet bandwidth with their laptops/phones, and there's more of a risk (albeit slight) of malfeasance.

I'm close to others and there are about 10 other wireless connections I can see when looking with my laptop

I honestly don't remember about the ps3. I believe I had to enter a password or something but don't rightly remember.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Pick a complex passphrase
Do not use simple words, but a mix of letters, numbers, punctuation. AND WRITE IT DOWN!!!

A much better, and easier-to-remember, password is a passphrase, which is nothing more than a long sentence (30+ characters is way more than sufficient). For example, "All your base are belong to us", "DickRod is Jim Tressel's bitch", etc. You want to avoid ever writing down passwords. You can lose them or someone whom you don't want to know it could find it. The DoD has mandated 15+ character passwords containing 2 each of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. It's so hard to remember that shit that people write their network passwords down and we find them. Plus, it's also easier to type a simple passphrase than all that mumbo-jumbo. Lastly, a 30-character passphrase is virtually impossible to crack.

 

[sandgk]

I'm hooked on mnemonics and acrostics for my passwords. Take a simple phrase, or line from a film or play. Take the first letter of each word. For more variance toss in a number to represent a word. (1 for one for example, 3 for free).

 

[jlb1705]

I also filter by MAC address. That should make it so that only the devices I specify can get access, even if they know the SSID and password. At first we just did this because my fiancee's old job required us to have that set up in order for her to be able to use her work laptop from home. I don't think it's a bad extra step though and it wasn't too tough to set up, so I've maintained it even though she's no longer with that employer.

The biggest pain in the butt remembering that you're filtering MAC addresses in the first place. :tongue2: When I got my new laptop last year I spent a good 20 mins trying and re-trying my SSID and password before I realized what I was forgetting. Once you actually remember what to do it's pretty simple to add a new device to the list.