Securing Wireless Router

Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my experience of
delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom and tearing out of
hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay as I work over the internet.

However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP section.
Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had to restore factory
setting on the router to get back in.

Is there an idiots guide to this black magic

(E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to
hear...
> Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my experience of
> delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom and tearing out of
> hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay as I work over the internet.
>
> However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP section.
> Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had to restore factory
> setting on the router to get back in.
>
> Is there an idiots guide to this black magic

Put the same key into your PC(s) when prompted. Not difficult.

WPA is even easier as you don't have to muck about with hex-pairs as you
sometimes to do with WEP.
--
Regards
Jon

"Jon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) et...
> (E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to
> hear...
>> Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my experience of
>> delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom and tearing out of
>> hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay as I work over the
>> internet.
>>
>> However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP section.
>> Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had to restore
>> factory
>> setting on the router to get back in.
>>
>> Is there an idiots guide to this black magic
>
> Put the same key into your PC(s) when prompted. Not difficult.
>
> WPA is even easier as you don't have to muck about with hex-pairs as you
> sometimes to do with WEP.
> --
> Regards
> Jon


So if I go into my router and put a key in, where do I put the same key in
the PC's.

Trevor wrote:
> Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my experience
> of delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom and tearing
> out of hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay as I work over
> the internet.
> However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP
> section. Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had to
> restore factory setting on the router to get back in.
>
> Is there an idiots guide to this black magic

Go for WPA rather than WEP if both your router and clients support it - it's
more secure and more reliable.

As for WEP , keys can generally be entered as ascii text - 5 or 13
characters IIRC , or hex format - 10 or 26 characters.
It *should* work with either buy in practice I've found it more reliable
using hex at both ends
--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

Trevor wrote:
> "Jon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) et...
>> (E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to
>> hear...
>>> Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my
>>> experience of delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom
>>> and tearing out of hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay
>>> as I work over the internet.
>>>
>>> However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP
>>> section. Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had
>>> to restore factory
>>> setting on the router to get back in.
>>>
>>> Is there an idiots guide to this black magic
>>
>> Put the same key into your PC(s) when prompted. Not difficult.
>>
>> WPA is even easier as you don't have to muck about with hex-pairs as
>> you sometimes to do with WEP.
>> --
>> Regards
>> Jon
>
>
> So if I go into my router and put a key in, where do I put the same
> key in the PC's.

Do a search for available wireless networks - it should show yours as being
secured - when you tell it to connect it will ask for a key.
--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:50:00 -0000, "Trevor"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>"Jon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed). net...
>> (E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to
>> hear...
>>> Been putting off looking at security for my router, as my experience of
>>> delving into it spells our hours if not days of gloom and tearing out of
>>> hair and I could easily loose a day or twos pay as I work over the
>>> internet.
>>>
>>> However went into security tonight and entered a key in the WEP section.
>>> Sure enough that was then end of my internet access. Had to restore
>>> factory
>>> setting on the router to get back in.
>>>
>>> Is there an idiots guide to this black magic
>>
>> Put the same key into your PC(s) when prompted. Not difficult.
>>
>> WPA is even easier as you don't have to muck about with hex-pairs as you
>> sometimes to do with WEP.
>> --
>> Regards
>> Jon
>
>
>So if I go into my router and put a key in, where do I put the same key in
>the PC's.
>
It should ask you for the network key when you try to connect. Well at
least all mine have done but only the first time. After that it shuld
just connect fine. If you scan for wireless networks from the PC it
should show up as a secure network. Press connect and it will prompt
for the key. As already stated I would go for WPA as it's easier to
enter the key ( just a phrase like 'thisismykey') and it's a bit more
secure.

It may also be worth having at least one PC connected via ethernet, at
least then you can access the router to make any changes you need if
all goes wrong.

HTH


cheers,
Len

(E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to
hear...
> So if I go into my router and put a key in, where do I put the same key in
> the PC's.

The PC will ask you for it next time it tires to access your network. Or
you can go into network connections > properties and enter it there.
--
Regards
Jon

Many thanks for everyones help. I can't believe how easy it was - and I've
put it off for 3 years!