O/T - IT help / wireless broadband

[Faldo]

Way off topic but I have reached an impasse with my home broadband...

Decided to go with a wireless set up to avoid drilling great big holes through soft, Victorian plasterwork, and have got the b*gger up and running... but, being wireless, I'm worried about any tom, gimp and harry using my network, but I havent worked out how to protect or encrypt it...

I've got a Belkin router (54g whatever that means), windows XP and the ISP is NTL. There is a Norton or Symantec firewall in place at the mo... do I need to do anything else? If so, do I need to restrict access via the router and its software, ntl / iexplorer or using the Windows software?

Apologies for my ignorance, but the Belkin manuals and website are next to useless on this subject.

 

[Hannibal smith]

To stop anyone logging onto your router you can lock the router down to accept specific MAC address’s of each PC you use to log onto the router with (A MAC address is the equivalent of a post code for your PC). There should be In the setup some kind of function which says ‘Show Mac address’ (of everything you have accessing the router, so make sure these are accessing the router when you do it) which you can then (probably in the same area of setup) lock the router down to each MAC address, to stop unwanted access.

Generally, if you can’t access another wireless connection you should be OK anyway (Go into my network places on your PC to see if you can access more than 1 wireless connection). You can also encrypt the link which is probably more trouble than its worth because (a) it’s a pain and (b) If someone wants to access it they don’t have to be MYOB to decrypt it in any case.

As a warning, I have a Netgear router which is much more user friendly for these kind of things.

 

[Faldo]

Ta very much...

The reason for my concern is that I can pick up my neighbours wireless network (i.e. I can see it, but cant get on it... not that I tried *ahem*).

As a test, is it worth me seeing if I can access my network with my PSP? If I cannot, can I assume I've nailed it? Or am I over simplifying?

BTW - Belkin was cheaper than Netgear.....

 

[Hannibal smith]

As a test, is it worth me seeing if I can access my network with my PSP? If I cannot, can I assume I've nailed it? Or am I over simplifying?

That should do the trick - although as another warning I'm not the most technologically advanced on this board!

 

[Faldo]

Thanks HS (he says, unashamedly bouncing the thread for futher opinion).

 

[Faldo]

*cough*

 

[The Great Cornholio]

If you have problems with Wireless, do as I do and use your electiv sockets. For £50, you can connect 2 PC's without any security risk or wires. You do need a router if you use ADSL but you just plug one cable with your Internet Connection into one homeplug - pop it into a socket and then plug other homeplugs next to where you want your PC's to be. Works a treat for me.

Before MYOB tromps all over this, I know it isn't the most effective or fastest connection. But it does a job if you have wireless problems or real concerns about security.

http://www.justhomeplug.co.uk/

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

If your router and wirless adaptors have WPA-PSK then turn it on. Search in the help files of the software supplied for "WPA-PSK" or look in the manuals that should be on the software disk. Once this is set up each computer needs a password (or Pre Shared Key) to log in to the router.

That is the only real safe way to protect everything although restricting by MAC address also helps.

Do both of those and you're sorted.

 

[Faldo]

WPA-PSK

Aha! I've heard of that... will give that a pop tonight (and if it works, I'll be bouncing this thread again).

Cheers all....

 

[Ex-Staffs Gull]

I have a Belkin 54g wireless router with my pda, windows and Linux laptops connecting in.

I secured it via a 28 bit WEP key which was pretty easy, and used DHCP so that any computer could log on, as long as it knew the WEP key.

It is not 100% secure, but will stop people who are not really trying to break into the system, get in. I can also monitor which PCs have been assigned IP addresse, to see if anybody has been in.

Faldo, if you want some instructions, PM me. WEP is the most compatable system to use.

And protect the ADSL router with a password as well, and rename the ssid as this tells people what router you are using and makes it easier to hack.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

WPA-PSK is more secure I think than WEP if all your kit can run it.

 

[Faldo]

I know this has been a particularly popular thread, and therefore the ongoing drama of my wireless access must have been keeping some of you awake last night....

Well - you can all sleep easy now! I managed to nail it last night using some of the hints above and a downloaded manual... (turns out I was editing settings on the receiver upstairs instead of on the router downstairs).

Anyways - thanks for your help dudes!

 

[Bwian]

Why is anything related to computers in an alien language?

 

[Ccider]

Aside from using WEP or WPA (use of either is essential) you can set your access point so that it doesn't broadcast it's presence - then no-one knows it's there (except your computers of course).

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Well MYOB didn't make an appearance, so it could have been worse. Then it would have been utterly incomprehensible.

 

[REDLAND]

Ta very much...

The reason for my concern is that I can pick up my neighbours wireless network (i.e. I can see it, but cant get on it... not that I tried *ahem*).

I get free wireless at home, its on 24/7 not sure where from but its been there for 18months now !!

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Aside from using WEP or WPA (use of either is essential) you can set your access point so that it doesn't broadcast it's presence - then no-one knows it's there (except your computers of course).

Ooh good tip - I'll try that at home tonight.

Do you also have any tips for making my Netgear access point not look like an alien spaceship. There are seven blue lights in a circle that flash all the time beneath a transluscent dome and I half expect it to take off or go doo dii doo daa dooo like in close encounters....

 

[Ccider]

Ooh good tip - I'll try that at home tonight.

Do you also have any tips for making my Netgear access point not look like an alien spaceship. There are seven blue lights in a circle that flash all the time beneath a transluscent dome and I half expect it to take off or go doo dii doo daa dooo like in close encounters....

Put a brown paper bag over it.

 

[Faldo]

Sound advice... ruined the mood when watching Creep on DVD with the lights off....

ooh is there a monster there? Is she going to die? Is that a human torso? How will she escape? Why has my broadband signal dropped off? Oh, is it back again? what happened just then? Did you see the monster?... etc...