Complete network noob looking for help!

[ins0mn1ac]

Hi all, well I've bought myself or rather had bought for me a wireless router so family members can use the net from laptops.

Basically my Dad setup the network using the wizard from the disc and he cant remember the username/pw to login, this isnt a major problem but I wanted to be able to block certain things, naughty programs such as limewire etc.

What I want to ask is, Is it possible to simply re-install the network using the wizard from the disc and reset passwords etc or not?

In addition, is it easy to block programs gaining access to the net through the routers control panel?

All help appreciated!

 

[davetherave2]

Well the first thing we need to know is what router are you using and is it cable or ADSL?

Now if your dad has changed the default password then this is not really a big issue as most routers have a reset switch on them somewhere which will wipe out all the settings (this does mean you would have to put in any username/ passwords for your ISP).

Almost every router I have come across has a web interface that is easy enough to use and doesn't involve the wizard disk that you have.

To access this interface you will need to know what your default gateway address is. This can be accessed in a number of ways but to keep it simple if you are using a windows based machine you can access it via this method

1) Go to START> RUN
2) Type in cmd and then press ok
3) On the screen that loads up type ipconfig
4) You will get a lot of information on the screen similar to this:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.x.x.x
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.x.x.x


now the bit in red is the important bit as it is router address. Type this address into your browser of choice and then it will ask for a username and password. this is generally somthing like admin/admin or admin/1234 but this all depends on if you have change the password or not and what router you are using.

From here it should be a case of going to the relevant section for disabling or limiting access to the programs you mentioned.

if you don't know specific ports that are used by programs I have found this site very handy for such information:

http://portforward.com/cports.htm

well I hope this gives you somewhere to start.

If you need more help just ask.