Wireless Security - Newbie needs help!!

[Avocetz]

Hi All
I am having some problems trying to set up my wireless security and would appreciate some help.I am sure it must be fairly straightforward but I guess there is something I am doing/not doing that is causing me to have problems.
Anyway when I go to my routers webpage (http://192.168.1.1) as soon as I try to set wireless security and click on save changes my wireless connection to the internet instantly fails and I have only been able to get back on line by doing a hardware reset on the router, meanwhile my wireless connection remains unsecured - not an ideal situation obviously!
This is my setup:
Desktop Dell computer running Windows XP Pro with Service pack 2 (I have a new laptop also running XP Pro but I want to get the desktop comp running wirelessly first!)
Linksys wireless G router connecting to Virgin cable broadband (model no is WRT54GS)
Belkin Wireless G PCI card fitted inside the Dell

(I was assured by PC World that the card would work perfectly fine with the router despite being a different manufacturer)

The only security I have (or think I have) is to have SSID disabled on the router setup. However my laptop is able to "see" the network connection but I don’t know enough about SSID to know whether having SSID set to "disable broadcast" makes a difference there! - I suspect not as my laptop is also seeing a neighbours wireless network (I know it is a neighbour because the name of their network is the first line of their address and it is 4 doors away from me!)Anyway it is a secured network as it asks for passkey to access it. Something I obviously wish to achieve for my own network!

The security options available on the router webpage are:
WPA - Personal
WPA - Enterprise
WPA2 - Personal
WPA2 - Enterprise
and WEP

The security options on my Belkin PCI card are:

Open
Shared
802.1x
WPA – PSK
WPA2-PSK
Anyway I want to “give it another try” so are these the correct steps?
1. On router webpage set security option to WPA2- Personal
2. Set WPA algorithm setting to AES
3. Set WPA shared key to 123456abcdef (example)
4. Set SSID broadcast to “disable”
5. Save changes and exit the webpage
6. Open Belkin configuration utility on PC
7. Click on the network connection and click edit
8. Set network encryption key to 123456abcdef (example)
9. Set network authentication to WPA2-PSK
10. Set data encryption to AES
11. Save changes and exit Belkin configuration utility
12. Shut down the PC and unplug the router and modem
13. Wait 5 minutes and plug the modem back in, wait until lights are steady and plug router back in
14. Restart the PC
15. Hope at this point my PC “sees” the wireless connection and enter the above passkey when prompted.

Should this all work? And is there anything else I should do/not do.
Thanks for any help and advice all this network stuff is all new to me and I don’t want to mess things up but I do want to have a secure wireless system.

Thanks again

Chris

[classicsoftware]

Do you live in a house or apartment? How strong is your signal. With security off can you pick up a signal from:


The edge of your property
The street in font or back of your house
Your neighbors house.


What do you place on your PC? Do you pay bills on line? Do you have personal private information about your job on your PC?

[Avocetz]

Hi

Well I use the internet for shopping online.

I think I really need to set up security

Can you help me with that? Are the steps I have described correct?

Thanks in advance to anyone else who want to help ao give advice

Chris

[classicsoftware]

If you answer my questions I can help you. If you don't I can't. If you cannot get a signal from the street WPA is good enough for you. I have a wireless setup at home and I use WEP as it is stronger. At my vacation house, I use WPA, it's easier to set up and nobody is close enough to poach my signal without being very noticeable...

[Avocetz]

Hi Ben

I believe my wireless signal can be detected from the street which runs about 5 metres away. I think the only real danger is from drive -by surfers. The closest neighbour using the internet is four doors away and getting a very weak signal. I heard that WAP is more secure than WEP so if you could talk me through the steps of setting this up I would be very grateful.

Thanks again

Chris

[Avocetz]

Hi again Ben

I just picked up Jeff Duntemann's Wi-Fi Guide from my local library which explains a lot of stuff in laymans terms.

After a read through the section on setting up WPA security I have discovered where I am going wrong.

Quote "This should be obvious and simple common sense, but you must configure both WEP and WPA from the PC connected to your access point or wireless gateway via CAT 5 cable. Trying to configure an access point or gateway over a wireless connection is futile. Turning on WEP at the access point will instantly break any wireless connections to Wi-Fi client adapters - including the one in the machineyou might be using."

Unfortunately my Dell does not have an RJ45 ethernet connector. My new laptop however does and I am going to use it with a cable connection to try and set up WPA on my router. I assume that after that I can change the settings on my Dell to match?

Thanks again for any help and advice

Chris

[Avocetz]

Success!!


Dell desktop and Samsung laptop both now configured with WAP security enabled

Chris