Hello.

I have a D-Link DIR-635 wireless Router and my setup is very simple i.e. I have broadband and have a Ethernet cable going from the cable modem to the router. The router is NOT connected to any PC/Server.

I can access the router and use the internet. However, I get a message that my network is unsecured and this concerns me even though I have firewall software installed on my 2 PC's (both of which can access the network with the setup explained above).

How can I "secure" my network? Can someone please help and guide me.

Thanks.

There are a few ways. The first is to enable encryption, the other is to set the MAC addresses of the computers allowed on the network. Both should be detailed in the guide that came with your router.

I would recommend that you enable WPA protocol, this restricts devices to have a password in order to access the router...

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Originally Posted by benn11

I would recommend that you enable WPA protocol, this restricts devices to have a password in order to access the router...

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Yep, that's the encryption I spoke of.

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies :)

Hi all,

Though I have secured my network but there is one question that came to my mind and I'll appreciate your reply so that I can better understand things:

Since I have given the MAC Addresses of the PC's and have also set the admin password for my router, what is the purpose and advantage of setting encryption on the router when this wireless network is going to be used in home??

A related question is that wouldn't setting encryption have an overhead and thus somewhat/slightly/significantly (not sure which one is true?? ) slow down the performance when using the web?

Will appreciate your reply.

Thanks.

The encryption protexts your network from dive-by people jumping on to it, they would have to know that long key to access your network. You are somewhat correct in thinking that limiting access by MAC address already secures your network but a dedicated person can clone a MAC address to gain access. Multiple layers of security are recommended. I don't find that the encryption gives any noticeable lag but I have fairly recent hardware.

The encryption not only protects your network from unauthorized access but also protects your computers and the data that you are transmitting and receiving. If you send everything in the clear, anyone who can be in range to receive the transmissions can eavesdrop and interpret/mine the information to obtain accounts, passwords and other goodies. They do not have to pass traffic through your wireless router. The MAC address filter only prevents machines that are not pre-authorized from passing traffic through the device. Incidentally, if your traffic is unencrypted, a wily hacker can eavesdrop, learn your authorized MAC addresses and then spoof them to set up any kind of connection they desire.

Not all of these are terribly likely in your typical bedroom community, but, if you were on a college campus...

Tom

Addressing the question of overhead, there is a little, but it's not really enough to make a difference on today's internet connections.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

There are a few ways. The first is to enable encryption, the other is to set the MAC addresses of the computers allowed on the network. Both should be detailed in the guide that came with your router.

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how do u do that?