Stuart Computer Service

Your wireless router is a gateway for outsiders to peek into all the computers on your network. Securing your router is very simple and very effective. The first step is to establish a connection to the router from a computer that is wired to the router. Once connected, determine your router's network address, which is four numbers separated by decimal points, such as '192.168.1.1'. If you don't know what it is, open the command prompt and type 'ipconfig', your router address is the 'defualt gateway'. Launch your browser and enter the network address in the address bar. You will be prompted for username/password.

If you don't know the router's username/password, try the defaults with which it was shipped, which you can find in the router documentation. If the username/password have been changed from the default and you don't know what they are, you will have to reset the router. To do this, unplug the computer, and depress and hold the router's reset switch for a few seconds. This will restore the factory default settings.

Once connected to the router:

Change the router's username and/or password.
Change the network name (SSID) from the default. Make a note of your SSID.
Enable encryption, select an encryption method and key. Make a note of your selections.

Now, for each wireless device, make sure there is a network connection that matches the SSID, encryption method, and key that you set up in the router.

Once all the wireless devices are properly configured, log back on the router from any computer (wired or wireless) and disable SSID broadcast. Your network is now secure.

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How To: Secure your wireless network