Need some help with an aspect of computers I'm not familiar with. Sorry for the long post but I want to explain what I'm working with... I run my comp. through a normal Roadrunner connection. However, I was recently given a router with wireless capabilities and am thinking about setting it up so I can connect my XBOX and a few other things. The router is a Netgear router capable of using regular ethernet connections but can also use wireless connections. I'm going to run my cable modem to this router, then connect both my comp and my xbox (for example) to this router with ethernet cables. I won't use the wireless part at all, but being it is part of the router itself, I know it is active when connected. (My friend came by with his laptop, which has a wireless connection, and tested it. He could connect with no problems at great speeds). Anyhow, what I need to know is this: do I have to install any extra security features now that I have a wireless connection on my roadrunner line? I always ran with the Windows Firewall and another personal firewall on my connections, but are they enough for wireless security? Essentially now anyone with wireless capabilities can connect if close enough to my comp; seeing as how I live in a pretty high density are, is this something I have to worry about? Sorry if none of this makes no sense, but I am a little uninformed about this stuff. Thought I'd seek the help of the BBS comp gurus...
Okay basically you can set the wireless router to have security options through the router by accessing the web based utility for the netgear router and you can basically make it where you have to not only have the SSID of your router but a Log in as well so that not everyone can actually get on just cause they are close to the router. Here is some info on how to do that from NETGEARS site. http://kbserver.netgear.com/support_details.asp?dnldID=583 There is a link for the actual Reference guide and in there it shows you how to setup the wireless encryption and other things. In chapter 3 it shows you how to setup the router to do all these things. Of course this is for the router i have but you can get all the information for your router by going to www.netgear.com and then clicking on suppor then putting in your model number. If you have problesm with that let me know and i will help you out some more.
Since you said you won't be using the wireless aspect of the router : You should be able to disable the wireless portion of the router. There should be some way to access the setup of the router (usually through a webpage that the router itself serves up). If it's like Linksys router, you should be able to go to that page and disable it by changing the value of a dropdown on the webpage. At that point, no one including yourself should be able to connect "wirelessly" to the router. This is what I've currently done on mine until I really need to use the wireless portion of it.
Excellent. I have gone ahead and disabled it for the time being; but I want to learn about the security settings and how they work so that I can set it up correctly. (Thanks for the links, Stack). My router is the WGT624 v2; I think I get the password part, though I'm not sure of what the SSID is. Until I get that all down, though, I feel a little better knowing its just disabled for the time being. I'm also wondering if I'd have any problems getting connected with some of my programs with the new router. (For example I want to try the bit torrent stuff you guys have been talking about lately) But that will come later. Much thanks guys.
The SSID is just a VERY basic level of wireless security. It basically means that your device (wireless card) and your Linksys router have to have a name (SSID) that matches (and they are usually case sensitive). One of the best security measures to implement is MAC filtering. This way, only devices with MAC addresses that you specify are allowed to utilize your router. However, be very careful when setting this up....if you turn it on before adding devices to it, you'll have to reset your router and start all over.
I used to use combinations of all of the above to secure my wireless network. Since I changed to a new router however, which incorporates a VPN server, I just tick the 'wireless clients must connect via VPN' box in the configuration and use L2TP/IPSec to secure my wireless network traffic.
