Hardwire into the router

1)Open up Safari
2)Type 192.168.1.1 into the address field
3)A login should appear
username: admin
password:admin
4)Click on the wireless tab and type in your network name in the SSID (This will be what you see when connecting to it wirelessly
5)Click on the wireless security sub-tab and select WPA Personal
6)Create a WPA Shared Key that's at least 8 characters long
7)Go to airport up top and select the network that you named......should ask for your pass phrase(shared key). Enter your key
8)You should be connected

 

I use MAC filter option.....no need for WEP Password.....if the MAC address of the computer you want to authorize matches no one else can access. You simply go in and add new MAC addresses for friends or family, or remove them, etc.

Its very simpe under Linksys Wireless options....

 

Mac addresses can be spoofed and WEP is easily cracked.

 

They can, and nothing is full proof, but spoofing the MAC address of a few devices is better than WEP and anyone getting it.

Just saying, using MAC filter is straightforward and provides the "feeling" of more control and protection for my wireless network.

Always felt once you give out the WEP/Passkeys/Passwords/etc its possible for others to find it out (or be given it without your knowledge)....the MAC address is unit specific (spoofing aside). Thus those that are authorized dont do anything special...those that arent authorized have to ask me to add it, etc.

I dont think anyone in my neighborhood has the wherewithal to SPOOF any of the MACs on my system.

 

The best way to secure is to use WPA, hide the SSID, and use MAC filtering. If someone gets in with all that then I don't think you are going to keep them out no matter what you do.

WEP is very weak.

 

Would you use WPA Pre-Shared Key or WPA-Radius along with MAC filtering?

ALso, how do you hide the SSID?

thanks -

 

Also, any experts out there that have set up Apple TIME Capsule router/HD with an existing Wireless MAC filter network?

Trying to use the benefit of the Time Capsule auto back up but not violate wireless network security. Cant find if TC has MAC address...seems like it doesnt allow MAC...only WPA.

Anyone have any knowledge???

 

RADIUS is an enterprise thing. It's basically a server that controls authentication. You'll want to use WPA2-AES if at all possible. If not, WPA2-TKIP. If you don't have WPA2 available at all (or if your wireless devices don't support it), then WPA-AES is best.

As for hiding your SSID, you simply tick a box in your router's wireless configuration. Usually it'll be listed as "Enable SSID broadcast" with the tick box already checked. Just undo that. Though this is in no way a serious security measure, as it's entirely possible to discover hidden SSIDs with no effort at all.

The way you're phrasing this makes no sense. The Time Capsule is an Airport Extreme router with a hard drive built in for the convenience of the Time Machine feature on OS X. You don't add a Time Capsule to a network, you add networks to it. Just like any other router.

 

did the WPA2-TKIP for now...thanks. (I switch between hiding and unhiding when need to connect to make it easy to find the Network, etc.)

Basically got this figured out now since switched to WPA per above. When I first set up TM, since no MAC address is associated with Time Machine you have to use cable from existing router to connect to TM. However, this turns TM into wide open unsecure wireless access point (at least it did for me) and my MAC filter approach didnt block anyone at that point.

However, since its hard wired, and since I switched to WPA no one can access the wireless network through TM now, they still need WPA key/passcode.

Atleast its working this way...so its back to be protected at least.