wireless, how to secure plus see if someone is using it

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12 Feb 2006
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Surrey
im trying to secure the wireless net at my dads but having a hard time getting started. reading some ms guide to securing wireless network but the addresses they tell me to type in give me nothing except a time out.

what im reading: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/wireless.mspx#3

can someone please help me out as to how ican secure a wireless network? i am with virgin, and the wireless box is plugged straight into the modem.

also my net seems to be going extremely slow atm to the point i loose my net and am being connected automatically to the neighbours even though mine is closer. i can only assume this is because someone using my wireless so taking up all it's speed and stopping my from getting most of it.

is there a way to check if someone is usinig it and see what they are doing on it?

thanks

[edit]

this is what i have: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=NW-099-DL
 
First off get the wireless routers IP address; this can be done by looking for the default gateway IP address under 'ipconfig'

go to start / run and type in "cmd.exe /k ipconfig" without the brackets.

Chances are its something along the lines of 192.168.1.1

Type this IP address into the URL address bar in your browser

http://192.168.1.1 then login (usual default username and password = admin / admin or admin / password)

Then find the security tab for the wireless.. enable WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK and enter a long non-dictionary password and save the config.

Reconnect the clients, entering the long password, job done.
 
Have a read of Badass's sticky at the top of the forum - it covers absolutely everything you need in nice simple terms. He says it far better than we could ;) Make sure you have the manual to the router handy as you'll need to know the routers address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1)
 
tried the router address which is what was giving me a time out, also tried the ipconfig thing and the ip address it give me is for xampp :s how can i work around this to get the router address?
 
The router's IP will be the default gateway. If you're getting XAMPP then either a) your router runs Windows or b) you're using the entry beside "IP address".
 
The router's IP will be the default gateway. If you're getting XAMPP then either a) your router runs Windows or b) you're using the entry beside "IP address".

i only get xampp (which i installed a few weeks ago) when i type in the address which is given when typing ipconfig in run; the default gateway being 81.100.48.1 and ip address being 81.100.48.68

i have tried disabling the mysql and apache services in xampp control panel but that didn't change anything other then now when typing in the 81 address i also get a time out.

[edit]

noticed everyone keeps saying router, is that what i have? just whensearching for it online places are listing it as a access point rather then router. perhaps this is the problem? sorry if this is a real noob question
 
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So you just have your cable modem connected to your wireless AP and that's it?

You'll need to a) find out what its default IP is and b) change your network card's IP to one in the same subnet as the wireless AP.
 
So you just have your cable modem connected to your wireless AP and that's it?

You'll need to a) find out what its default IP is and b) change your network card's IP to one in the same subnet as the wireless AP.

yes sir.

done some searching and found some stuff sotrying that out, will post back what happens.
 
thanks guys, managed to get it sorted from toliens suggestion.


does this now work wherever the access point goes, ie if i take it from this house toa second one connecting it to a router, or is it only going to be for the modem at this house?
 
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