ok, here's the complete run-down to get into your router's config, and lock it down super-tight. long post, but it should have anything you need to know.
1: find your router's IP address.
hit Ctrl+R to bring upt he run menu, and type "cmd" to launch the command prompt. type "ipconfig" and look for something called default gateway, this should be the address of your router. here's an example of what my machine gave me:
Code: Select all
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>ipconfig
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Connection-specific DNS suffix . : [blank]
IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.145
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
i could explain subnetting now, but that'll take too long. just notice that the only difference between my IP and the router's is the last digit, which also happens to be the only different digit int he subnet mask (hmmm...). the router and I are on the 192.168.1.0 subnet, we're just different nodes, (1 and 145, to put it simply)
so in this case, my router's IP is 192.168.1.1
2: configure
go to
http://www.phenoelit-us.org/dpl/dpl.html, and Ctrl+F for your model of router (most likely WRT54G if it's linksys). note the username and password listed on the site. now, open a new tab (optional) and type in the IP of your router (likely 192.168.1.1). if it doesn't go, try putting http:// or https:// in front of the IP. when prompted for the username/password, type in what you saw on the site. if it doesn't work, try a few more times slowly in case you mistyped. if it still doesn't work, as a family member if they did anything.
ok, you should be logged in now i don't know the details of the menu you'll be presented, so just explore and you'll find the options eventually.
how you configure is ultimately up to you, but here's the reccomended setup for maximum security:
encryption: use WPA or WPA2. nearly all devices (except the DS

) support at least WPA, so this is a good bet. WEP is an option, but is about as secure as a suit of armor made of paper mache. speak of the devil, my cousin just visited and cracked my WEP in under 10 minutes, easy. WEP bad, WPA good. this way, you'll have encryption so not just anybody can sniff your traffic while you login to halomods, or buy things on eBay, and nobody can get in without knowing the passphrase...
the passphrase should be long. not a pass
word, but a pass
phrase. i'd recommend a phrase you can easily remember, the longer the better (but don't go overkill). since WPA doesn't have any easily exploitable flaws like WEP (that we know of anyways) a cracker can only use bruteforce to get in. simply making the passphrase longer than, oh, 13-15 characters is fine, but mine's at 27 for extra insurance, just in case.
ESSID hiding: worthless. if someone's breaking into your wifi, this won't do anything, but what it will do is force you to remember your ESSID to configure any other devices to connect. at best will only keep elementary kids out, and maybe not even then.
MAC address whitelist: like ESSID hiding; worthless. you have to keep up with the MAC address of ANYTHING you want to use on your network, so if friends/relatives come over, you have to find the MAC address of their device, then go add it to the list in your router. but, since MAC addresses are easily changeable/spoofable, anyone that's going to break into your network won't be impeded for more than a minute or two. at best, it'll only keep kids out, which is what encryption will do anyways.