Set Up a Secured Wireless Network on Netgear

Set Up a Secured Wireless Network on Netgear

Set Up a Secured Wireless Network on Netgear : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Wireless networking provides an easy and convenient way to connect computers at home or in a small office. If you have a Netgear router, setting up a secured wireless network will ensure that your data is safe from snooping and that no unauthorized users can access your network. With the right configuration, you can prevent intruders from accessing your wireless network while giving authorized users full access.

Setting up a secured wireless network on a Netgear router usually involves implementing a wireless authentication method. This will be either through Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or the stronger standard, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

• Start your setup by connecting the cables. Plug in your router to the power supply so you can initiate setup. Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the modem and connect the other end to the back of the router marked “input.” Connect another Ethernet cable to one of the router’s “network” ports and the other end to the back of a computer. You have the option of removing the wired connections later, after setup.
• Set up the modem, router, and computer. Turn on your devices to initiate setup. At this point, your Netgear router will not connect directly to the Internet unless you have a DHCP-enabled connection (such as cable Internet).
• Set up the router. Take note of the default IP address of your router, which is indicated in the manual. Open a web browser and type in the router’s IP address. This is usually 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.2.1. An alternative is to use the bundled CD installer, which will manage the setup for you.
• Key in the username and password. When the page has loaded, you will be prompted for a username and a password. This information can be found in the manual, but by default, the username is “username” and the password is “password.” Hit the “Enter” button after keying these in.
• Configure the security settings. Assuming you have already configured your basic connection settings, you will now need to move on to the wireless security settings. Click the “Security Settings” link. First, change the SSID, which is the public name of the wireless network. You can choose to have the SSID published or not. For added security, you can hide the name, although each device that will connect to the network will need to specify the name.

Set the wireless encryption method. You will be given choices, and between WEP and WPA, choose WPA. You will also be given different encryption methods under WPA, like TKIP and AES. Some models will even let you choose WPA2. Choose the most common denominator that your devices have. If you have older devices, they will likely support up to WPA. If you have devices that only support WEP, you have no choice but to use WEP (but note that WEP is easily hacked by packet-sniffing software).
Use a password that you can easily remember. Do not settle for obvious things like your first name, birthday, or any other word that can be easily guessed. With WEP, your password is limited to a few characters. With WPA, you can choose a longer password or even a passphrase, which can be anywhere from eight to 255 characters.