Encrypt your Wireless Network

Encrypting your network should be the first step of securing your wireless network. The original protocol for this was called WEP but it is being replaced with an even more secure protocol called WPA.

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There is of course more than one way of securing your wireless network depending on the hardware that you have purchased, its capabilities and of course your own personal preferences. By far the most popular and easiest way to start is by encrypting the access to your network. This is done by using what is known as WEP or Wired Equivalent Protocol. WEP encrypts data over your network to add security and also requires computers to have an access key to gain access to the network. WEP is getting a little old now and came in with the 802.11b standard. This is slowly being replaced with a new protocol called WPA or WiFi Protected Access.

WEP is an old protocol these days however its still a very valid form of security for a small home network. WEP is strong enough to deter casual snoopers from gaining access to your network by simply logging on to it. Experienced hackers will be able to crack the aging WEP protocol after a a while but unless you have some really valuable information on your PC you are likely to only be protecting yourself from opportunists that may be in the area. You should find that WEP is available on nearly all wireless routers and network access points.

Setting up WEP is straight forward. You will need access to the computer that your router or access point is connected to. Now consult your documentation of this device and locate the address for the admin page. The admin page can usually reached by typing in an IP address into internet explorer. Your documentation should tell you this. The address will usually be a local network address something like 192.168.X.XXX. You will need the admin username and password to access this page. If you haven't set an admin password, then firstly a slap on the wrist and now set one up quickly. The appropriate setting will be on the control panel of your router / access point as well.

Once inside the admin you are looking for wireless security settings. Each manufacturer will have its own layout and categories but it should be under some sort of security heading. When you have it select WEP. There will be an option for most of you to select either 64-bit or 128-bit encryption. 128-bit encryption is harder to crack so provides more security than the 64-bit version. The 128-bit version however does slow down the network traffic a tiny bit more than the 64-bit so its personal preference here.

Once WEP has been selected you will asked to enter a key or have one created for you. This key will be required when another computer wants to connect to the network. You can set up your permanent machines to always use the key so that you don't have to keep entering the key each time you connect. Other machines will need to enter the key manually when they want to connect to your wireless network. This should conclude the setup of the WEP encrypted network.

To setup your permanent computers with the network key you will need to enter your network properties either by right clicking on the network icon in the system tray or access it through the network neighbourhood. The right click on the wireless network connection and select properties. You should now be faced with a screen such as the one on the left (Windows XP) If you have a wireless already setup to connect then it will be listed in your preferred networks. If not click add and fill in the relevant information. Once you have a network in the preferred networks click properties. The second screen is then shown. From here you will need to select WEP from the data encryption list and enter the network key twice in the boxes provided. Your computer should now connect to wireless network without the need to manually enter the network key each time you wish to connect to your wireless network.