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HOW TO SETUP A SECURE NETWORK

By

Ajen Kansara

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION 2WEP 3WPA/WPA2 3MAC ADDRESS 3ACCESSING THE ROUTER 4BASIC WIRELESS SETTINGS 7

WEP 7ADVANCE WIRELESS SETTINGS 12

WPA 12WPA2 15

FINALIZING THE ROUTER 17

HOW TO SETUP A SECURE NETWORK | Ajen Kansara 1

INTRODUCTION

It is crucial to have a secure network this days, specially with all the identity thief. It is

also very important to protection private data transmitted to your router like credit card

purchases, online banking, saved password, etc. If your router is not protected, anyone that is

able to receive the signal from your router can access the router and check everything that you

have done over the network. They can even access your PC virtually and collect any data like

private pictures, movies, and other important files. It is very important because you don't want

just anybody getting into you network and make illegal downloads using your internet where

you would be responsible for each illegal downloads. They can also send virus to your computer

without you doing anything.

The first and basic protection for your router wireless network is encryption. Encryption

encodes the data that is being transmitted from your router to your PC or any other Wi-Fi

devices like gaming systems, iPhone, or iTouch. Most common house network is protected by

encryption. Because this is just a basic protection, it is very easy for advance hackers to hack

into this.


WEP

Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) is the older and less secure encryption compared to

other WPA and WPA2. This is the most common configure used to restrict users from accessing

the router. Most house hold users will have WEP encryption rather than WPA and WPA2

because it's easier and simple to setup. The disadvantages of WEP is that it's not fully secure

therefore an experience hacker can hack into it and access the router easily, but it's still better

then have no protection.

WPA/WPA2

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) was created because of the several flaws of

the not fully secure WEP. WPA and WPA2 was certification program created by Wi-Fi Alliance in

order to fix the problems in WEP. Most old routers may not have WPA option but might be able

to access it up upgrading the firmware of the router. WPA2 replaces WPA and is said to have

the fully secure network. This option is available for all the new routers and might be available

for older router by also upgrading the firmware. WPA2 is recommended for the best way to

secure your network.

MAC ADDRESS

Media Access Control (MAC) address is an identifier assigned to each network adapters

or cards. Both Wi-Fi or wired network adapters or cards have their individual address. This

address is made up from 12 digits like this 00-00-00-00-00-00 ranging from A-Z and 0-9. MAC


address is used to identify which PC is connected. MAC address is very useful tool to identify

specific PC connected to the router when multiple PC are connected to the router. The router

can also block any MAC address that is connected to from accessing it. Once that specific MAC

address is blocked from accessing the router, that MAC address's PC will not be able to connect

to the router. This can also help on securing your network if you know the MAC address to each

PC that you are trying to block or allow access to the router. But the MAC address of a

computer can be change by changing the network adapter or network card since each network

devices have their own unique address.

ACCESSING THE ROUTER

Accessing the router is very easy and simple. You can access the router either wire or

wireless, but if wireless doesn't work, you can simply connect using a wire. First thing to do is to

find out the write IP address to access your router. Different routers have different addresses

on which you can access them. Also, each manufacture have their own default username and

password. The list of most commonly used router and their IP address, username and password

are listed on the Table 1.

ROUTER IP ADDRESS USER NAME PASSWORD

D-Link http://192.168.0.1 Admin “blank”

Netgear http://192.168.0.1 admin password

Verizon http://192.168.1.1 password password1

Linksys http://192.168.1.1 “blank” or admin admin

Table 1


For this manual, we will be using Verizon router. Same setup can be apply to other routers. The

concepts is the same but steps might be different, some router might have less steps, some

might have more.

Now, open up web browser and enter http://192.168.1.1. Once the page loads up, you

would be able to see Verizon log and a login with username and password. If you're on Wi-Fi

and this page does not load up, re-check if you have good signal and make sure that you are

connected to the router. If you're on wired connection, try unplugging the wire and re-

connecting it. Once you are able to see the page, you can proceed to the instruction.

Enter the username, "password" (without the quotes), follow by the password, "password1" (without quotes), then click on "OK" button to login (If enter wrong password, it will ask to enter it again, you will not gain access to router if username and password are wrong).

Figure 1: Router's Login Page


If the username and password is correct, you will be forwarded to router main page where all the information can be found, status of the router, devices connected to the router, and other tools (Figure 2: Router's Main page), and now you have accessed the router.

Figure 2: Router's Main Page


BASIC WIRELESS SETTINGS

Now that you are in router's main page, follow this instructions to access the basic

wireless setting. This instruction is set up so you can easily set up a secure network using a WEP

key, WPA, and WPA2. If you want to set up WPA or WPA2 encryption, follow instruction under

WPA and WPA2 in Advance Wireless Settings topic starting on page 12.

WEP

On top of the page you will see few tabs, click on Wireless Settings icon to enter the wireless settings.

Figure 3: Wireless Settings

Click on Basic Security Setting. Basic security setting will do just fine for most residential area. If you realize that someone has been hacking into your system and accessing your internet through your router, you can apply advance security setting and follow the instructions on page 12.

Figure 4: Basic Security Settings


Under "Turn Wireless ON" section, make sure that Wireless is turned on. If not on, click on the "On" button to enable it, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to connect to the router wirelessly. After turning on the wireless, assign the SSID (Service Set Identifier), this will be the name of your wireless network (NOTE: We will be using AMK Network as network ID for this manual).

Figure 5: Network ID

Channel setting is like a listening to radio, if you don't hear the music clearly, you change the frequency until you can get better and much clear sound. Well, this wireless channel works the same way, you can change the channel for better signal and speed. Usually your network adapter and the router will automatically select the best channel for best speed so you can select "Automatic" from the drop down menu if you want the router and network adapter to select the best channel. Otherwise, pick the channels you feel you get the best results from. I recommend leaving it to "Automatic", this way it can change the channel if one of the other channel is not working properly.

Click on button left of "WEP" to enable the WEP encryption. If not select, WEP encryption will not be on and your wireless would not be secure. (NOTE: We will be setting up WEP encryption for this manual)

Figure 6: Channel and WEP


Select either 64/40 bit Hex or 128/104 bit Hex from the list and letters from A-F (case sensitive) or any numbers from 0-9. If you select 64 bit hex, you will have a 10 letters or digits as the WEP Key, and if you select 128 bit hex, you will have 26 letters or digits WEP Key. I recommended selecting 128 bit and hex option because this will be much harder for anyone to guess and harder for hackers to hack into. Hex uses letters and numbers while ASCII uses symbols. (NOTE: We will be using 64/40 bit HEX with AFBEDC1928 as the password)

Figure 7: WEP Key

Once everything is set up, confirm the settings listed at the "Current Wireless Status". Make sure to write down the 64-BIT WEP Key because if you are accessing it through wireless and forget the password, you will not be able to connect to the router because the router will restart once you click apply. Once you have write everything down, you can click on "Apply" and finish the basic security setting using WEP.

Figure 8: Confirm settings


This is the overview of overall process that we just did. Some other router might have the same setup but in different order. But this is the basic instructions which you can apply to any other router you might have.


Figure 9: Overview of all the stepsThe last and final step to this is to confirm that your router has the correct configuration

as you set up. To check it, click on Wireless Status on the left tab, at noted on step 9. Then


check if your security enabled is set to YES and check other information as highlighted on step 10.

Figure 10: Confirm your Wireless status

Congratulation, you have now setup a secure wireless network and now you can use the

wireless connection to do whatever you want. You can now log out of the set up. Your wireless

devices will ask for password for the first time you connect to the router, after that, it will be

automatically connect, no need to enter the password again.


ADVANCE WIRELESS SETTINGS

The first two steps are the same for advance setting as basic settings. Follow WPA steps

to setup a WPA security setting. If you want to setup a WPA 2 settings, follow WPA2 steps. WPA

and WPA 2 setup is very easy and only takes few extra steps compare to WEP.

WPA

Click on Wireless Settings on top and then click on Advanced Security Settings. This is for setting up WPA and WPA2. You can only setup WPA and WPA2 on Advance Security Setting.

Figure 1: Wireless Settings

Figure 2: Basic Security Settings


Once the Advanced Security Setting is clicked, you will have to select WPA under Level 1. Select WPA if it is not selected. Once WPA is clicked, it will auto link you to new page.

Figure3: Level 1 Advance Settings

This is the pages that it will auto link you once you click WPA. You will have to put in the Pre-Shared Key, in our case we are using "verizonsetup". Leave every other settings the way it is and just change the Pre-Shared Key.

Figure4: WPA Settings

Once the key is set, click apply and another page will come up giving you warning to let you know that the router will not be accessible wirelessly for next 30 seconds because the router needs time to configures this settings, click Apply if you are ready and note the Pre-Shared Key, otherwise click Cancel if you aren't ready.

Figure5: Applying the settings


Once the router re-connects, you will be able to select Wireless Status on left tab, Step 5. Once that is clicked, you will have the current Wireless Status and note that everything you have setup is same as in Step 6.

Figure6: Confirming the settings

Congratulation, you have successfully setup an WPA secure network. Now you wireless

network is secure with WPA and you can now use the wireless network with worrying about

outsiders connection to it.


WPA2

Just like WPA, WPA 2 is same setup until Level 1. Instead of clicking WPA, you want to click on WPA2. This is the last and more enhanced security option available. Once this is click, it will auto link you to next page asking you to enter the pass key.

Figure1: Level 1 Advance Settings

We will be using "verizonsetup” as our Pre-Shared Key for this setup and once you have entered that key in, click on apply to continue which lead to next page.

Figure 2: WPA2 Settings

This page will come up giving you warning to let you know that the router will not be accessible wirelessly for next 30 seconds because the router needs time to configures this settings, click Apply if you are ready and note the Pre-Shared Key, otherwise click Cancel if you aren't ready.


Figure 3: Applying the Settings

Once the router re-connects, you will be able to select Wireless Status on left tab, Step 5. Once that is clicked, you will have the current Wireless Status and note that everything you have setup is same as in Step 6.

Figure6: Confirming the settings

Congratulation, you have successfully setup an WPA2 secure network. Now you wireless

network is secure with WPA2 and you can now use the wireless network with worrying about

outsiders connection to it.


FINALIZING THE ROUTER

Once all your security setting is setup, confirm it by checking the wireless status and

write down important information like the pass key for the wireless network. Once everything

is written down and noted, you can now exit the router and finish your work. Wireless setting is

not difficult but you must make sure you are secure, otherwise, anyone can hijack your

internet. The wireless setting can be restore to its original setting (not secure, open) by click on

restore router option, or clicking on button on the back of the router. This same process can be

apply to any other router, but the steps might be different, but the concepts will be the same.


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verizon router

accessingthe router

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