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How do I implement wireless security on my Wireless ADSL Router?

Security can be implemented into 4 categories:

  • None – Wireless network is wide open for anyone to access the internet through your ADSL connection.
  • Basic – This is where the SSID (Service Set Identifier) has been changed from the default, the SSID Broadcast is disabled and MAC filtering has been used to restrict access to your wireless network. Because it is the easiest to setup, it's generally recommended for Home networks to stop unwanted access.
  • Very Good – The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) has been used to encrypt the data to make it hard for intruders to decipher the data. Security is greatly improved when the SSID broadcast is disabled and MAC filtering is also used. Recommended for Home and Business networks.
  • Excellent – WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a new standard that offers better encryption policies than WEP. There are actually two implementations of WPA; one for "enterprise" users using 802.1x and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) protection, and another for home users using a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method. Added protection is gained when the SSID broadcast is disabled and MAC filtering is also used. Recommended for Home and Business networks.

Note: Security is never perfect but you can make it extremely difficult for intruders and would-be hackers.

What Do You Need To Do?

  • Decide what level of security you want and what level your wireless network card supports.
  • Download the most recent firmware for your Wireless ADSL Router and install it on your router using the Easy Configurator or through the Tools menu in the Wireless ADSL Router Web interface.
  • Download the latest drivers for your wireless network card from the manufacturer’s Website. Most 802.11G 54Mbps wireless cards support WPA but it may require a later driver than what was supplied on the Driver CD. Refer to your wireless card technical support for details.
  • Make sure your Microsoft Windows Operating system has had all of the updates installed. Microsoft regularly releases fixes including better Wi-Fi support.

Note: It is recommended that you configure your Wireless ADSL Router with an Ethernet cable connected directly to your computer.

Configuring the Wireless ADSL Router for Basic Wireless Protection

This level of security is very easy to implement. It restricts access to the Internet and your LAN (Local Area Network) by only allowing the wireless cards with MAC addresses you have specified. Also the SSID is disabled to make it harder for intruders to discover your network. Your traffic over the wireless connection is not encrypted.

The basic steps are:

  • Change the default Wireless network name (SSID) from “USR9106”, “USR9108”, or “USR9113” to another name.
  • Scan for available networks add your router as a preferred network.
  • Implement MAC filtering to limit Wireless Access.
  • Disable SSID Broadcast.

Note: These examples use a USR5416 802.11g Wireless Turbo PCI Adapter. Refer to the documentation supplied and the technical support in regard to configuring your own wireless card.

  1. Open your Web Browser and enter 192.168.1.1 into the address bar. Login using your username and password (Default user is admin and the default password is admin). Select Wireless AP from the menu.
  2. Change the SSID from the default “USR####” to another name. This is the name that will identify your wireless network when you search for available networks.
  3. Click Apply.
  4. Double-click the USRobotics Wireless Card Configuration Utility located in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Most utilities have a scan option which will find the Wireless ADSL Router wireless network. Select your network and click Connect. This will bring up the connection profile which will be displayed in Profile after the connection has been configured. This will add the Wireless ADSL Router to your preferred networks. Since this Basic level of security doesn’t require any encryption keys
  5. Click OK.

  6. The USR Wireless networking icon should now appear green in the bottom right-hand corner indicating it has been successful connecting wirelessly to the router. You should also be able to surf the Internet.

  7. In the Wireless ADSL Router Web interface, click Wireless AP and then Associated Clients. The MAC address of your wireless card should in the list. Highlight the MAC address, right-click the highlight, and click Copy.

    Note: If you have only one wireless card, only one MAC address should be displayed in the Client MAC address list. If you have more, identify which wireless cards are not yours and click Disconnect.

  8. Select MAC filter from the menu and click Add. Paste the MAC address and click Apply. If you have other wireless cards, they too should show up in the Associated Clients list. Copy and Paste these into the MAC list as well. When finished adding MAC addresses, click Allow for the MAC Restrict Mode. Only addresses in the list can now connect to the Wireless ADSL Router.

  9. Click Wireless Setup in the list, select Disable SSID Broadcast, click Apply to finish.

Configuring the Wireless ADSL Router for Very Good Wireless Protection

This level implements the security that the basic level offers as well as using WEP to provide encryption of the data while being transmitted over the wireless link.

If you are unsure how to create WEP keys, you can find many random WEP key generators on the Web which you can then copy and paste into the WEP setup on the wireless card and on the Wireless ADSL Router. Just type WEP Key Generator in your search engine.

Steps for Configuring for Very Good Wireless Protection:

  1. Configure the Wireless ADSL Router as per the Basic Protection procedure.
  2. Apply WEP encryption on the Wireless ADSL Router.
  3. Apply WEP encryption on the Wireless card.
  4. From the Wireless AP menu, select Security. Enable WEP Data Encryption, Required Shared Key Authentication and the Encryption Strength that your wireless card can support. Click Apply and click Set Encryption Keys.

  5. Enter your WEP keys which can be in 26 characters HEX or 13 characters ASCII. Copy and paste the HEX or ASCII directly from the WEP Key Generator. You can enter up to 4 keys (if 2 or more are entered, you must remember the order the keys have been entered).

    Note: Do not use the key listed below.

  6. Click Apply and then click Apply again to finish.
  7. Double-click the USRobotics Wireless Card Configuration Utility located in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Click Site Survey from the menu, select the Profile from the list and click Properties. Click Security and select WEP Shared Authentication and ASCII or HEX Key Format (depending which one you are using) from the drop-down menus, and the Key Length you are using. Enter the same WEP keys you typed in the same order as before.
  8. If you are using multiple keys, select the key that you are using on the router.

  9. Click OK to finish. The Link Information Quality/Signal Strength should still be Green.

Configuring the Wireless ADSL Router for Excellent Wireless Protection

This level implements the security that the basic level offers as well as using WPA to provide strong encryption of the data while is transmitted over the wireless link.

Most users don’t have a Radius box for authentication so WPA-PSK is most commonly used. A “passphrase” is used to establish authentication. WPA-PSK is very easy to setup as all it requires is a word or short sentence to be entered. The pre shared key can be anywhere from eight to sixty-three characters in length; i.e. a sentence like “its a secret password” can be your Pre-Shared Key.

Steps for Configuring for Excellent Wireless Protection:

  1. Configure the Wireless ADSL Router as per the Basic Protection procedure.
  2. Apply WPA encryption on the Wireless ADSL Router.
  3. Apply WPA encryption on the wireless card.
  4. From the Wireless AP menu, select Security. From the Network Authentication pull-down box, select WPA-PSK. Enter in a passphrase into the WPA Pre-Shared Key and select your Data Encryption; TKIP is the most commonly used and Click Apply when finished.

  5. Double-click the USRobotics Wireless Card Configuration Utility located in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Click Site Survey from the menu, select the Profile from the list, and click Properties. Click Security and select WPA-PSK from the Security Mode drop-down box and enter in the same passphrase that you entered in the Wireless ADSL Router.

  6. Click OK to Finish. The Link Information Quality/Signal Strength should still be green.

Note: The content of this FAQ is courtesy of Renaissance NZ

 

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