WRT54GS Router Encryption

BigDave1 · 09-08-2005, 23:29

I have the Linksys WRT54GS router and would like to password protect it. How do I do that? When I password protect it will I have to put a password into the PC connected to the router or just the PC that is connecting the network?

**Matt D** · 09-08-2005, 23:33

The router itself?

Or are you talking about setting up encryption for the wireless network?

To password protect the router's admin page:

Open your browser & go to http://192.168.1.1

The username should be blank, & the default password is "admin".

Select the "Administration" tab. Enter the new password in the two relevant boxes, & select "Save Changes". You router password (to access the admin interface) has now been changed.

If you're asking about protecting the actual wireless network....

Have a read of this - http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/article.php?a=12

BigDave1 · 09-08-2005, 23:35

I would like to encrypt it so that anyone who is trying to connect to the wireless network will have to input a password.

**Matt D** · 09-08-2005, 23:41

Have a read of that link. Also, here's the thread related to that link: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=8435

You should set up the router - & any wireless adaptors connecting to it - to use WEP, or, even better, WPA. Also worth using the wireless MAC filter function of the WRT54G.

The "More" buttons on the relevant tabs in the WRT54G admin interface explain more (under "Wireless > Wireless Security" & "Wireless > Wireless MAC filter").

EDIT: Sorry, they aren't called "Help" - it's the "More" buttons on the right of the admin pages.. Above changed to reflect this.

BigDave1 · 09-08-2005, 23:48

Which method is the most secure?

WPA Pre-Shared Key
WPA Radius
Radius
WEP

**Matt D** · 09-08-2005, 23:52

Dunno what RADIUS is, but WPA-PreSharedKey is better than WEP.

(have a read of the two links I gave: the article, & the thread. Lots of info there, including that WPA is better than WEP).

BigDave1 · 10-08-2005, 00:10

In the "WPA Shared Key" field is that where I put in the network password? Then whenever I want to connect to the network it will ask me for that password?

SMHarman · 10-08-2005, 09:45

Realistically for a home network you have the options of WPA-PSK or WEP. The others are corporate level and enable the encryption of the network to be rolled (the password does not stay the same), but require a Radius server to achieve this.

WPA is better than WEP, though not all devices can use WPA so take note of this as a buying decision when buying additional devices. WEP is also effectivly PSK, but that is the only way of doing it so it is not described as WEP-PSK

PSK basically means you have to go into each device in turn and tell it (pre-share) the password to log onto the network.

**Stuart C** · 10-08-2005, 09:49

Further to all of the above, I found that when attaching a Mac laptop to the network, I could not get a connection using WEP. I had to use WPA-PSK. Or, turn off the security, which past experience has taught me not to do (nothing major happened, just someone parked in the car park at the back of the house and started surfing using my broadband connection).