Set-up Wireless Security - Manually

 

Note: Only use this page to set-up your wireless security if you want to follow manual steps, otherwise we recommend you follow the steps to use the Wireless Network Connection Wizard included in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

 

Without setting-up security on your wireless network any computer with a wireless network adapter in range of your wireless transmission could access your network.  At best this may mean someone using your broadband internet connection for themselves, at worst they may gain access to your computer.  So, lets set-up security, first for your Wireless Access Point and then for the client network adapters.

Security for your Wireless Access Point (WAP)

First, set-up security on your Wireless Access Point (WAP) or router.  The instructions with your wireless access point may be very clear about how to do this.  If so, follow them and ignore my instructions here which are more general than those included with a specific device.

1. Open the administration interface to your WAP.  For my own Linksys device this is done by opening the browser and typing the web address http://192.168.1.1 - I know this doesn't look like a normal web address, but it is.  This doesn't actually go out over the internet, addresses that start 192.168.1 are normally local to your own computer network.  You will usually need a password to enter the administration interface which will be included in your documentation.
    
2. We are going to set or change four things:
   • SSID - the name of your wireless network
   • Channel - which channel your network will broadcast on
   • Security Mode - how you will stop spying or connecting to your wireless network.
   • Administrator password for the Wireless Access Point.
      
3. SSID: SSID stands for Service Set IDentifier and in English is simply the name of your wireless network.  It can be up-to 32 characters long with every computer using exactly the same characters.  The name is case sensitive so "My Home W-LAN" is different to "my home W-LAN".  Change this name to something you choose.

   SSID Broadcast: there should be a setting that allows you to turn on/off SSID Broadcast.  Turn it off or disable broadcast.  If you broadcast the name, it stops someone having to guess it - and there's no point changing it if you broadcast what it is.
    

4. Channel: In Europe there are 13 wireless channels and in the USA there are 11.  Each channel broadcasts on a specific frequency.  Just randomly choose one that isn't the default setting for you WAP.
    
5. Security Mode: There are a number of choices for security.  I'm going to suggest you use WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) because its the most secure, even if its not the one most commonly available.  The most common mechanism is called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Security and if your wireless equipment doesn't support WPA then you should configure it using WEP instead.  I've included instructions for both WPA and WEP below.

   Lets start with WPA security:

   

   In the security settings choose the WPA Pre-Shared Key (or WPA-PSK) security mode.

   You then need to supply a key code made up from the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-F (its actually a base 16 number also known as hex).  The shared key should be at least 20 characters (something like 'F64E6C36901E0B26C33C87C451C33C87C').  You will need this code for each client computer you connect to your network, but only once during setup - so you don't have to remember it like a password.  You may decide to write it down or print it on a piece of paper that you will later destroy (that's worked well for me in the past) or of course you may be setting up your WAP using the computer you will eventually go wireless with, in which case you can simply come back to this screen later when you set up the client.  Create the key and type it into the key field on your WAP administration interface, as shown in the Linksys interface above.. now go to step 6.

   If you must use WEP security (i.e. you don't have the WPA option):

   You then need to supply a 10 or 26 character key code made up from the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-F (its actually a base 16 number also known as hex).  The 26 character key affords stronger protection than a 10 character key and often they will be described as 64 bit (10 character) or 128 bit (26 character) encryption; choose 128 bit - 26 character encryption.   Often the software will generate these big keys for you automatically based on a phrase.  I.e. you type in a password phrase like 'spoonymoony9' and it will generate up to 4 key codes for you.  In fact using the phrase 'spoonymoony9' my WAP generated four keys, the first of which is 'F64E6C36901E0B26C33C87C451'.  If your software doesn't include this password phrase mechanism just create a random 26 character key yourself (using 0-9 & A-F characters).  You will need this code for each client computer you connect to your network, but only once during setup - so you don't have to remember it like a password.  You may decide to write it down or print it on a piece of paper that you will later destroy (that's worked well for me in the past) or of course you may be setting up your WAP using the computer you will eventually go wireless with, in which case you can simply come back to this screen later when you set up the client.

   Finally, if more than one key code was produced you'll have the option of specifying which key is used for transmission.  The default is 1 and for ease of setting up the computers to connect to your WAP, I'd suggest you leave it that way.
    

6. Administrator password: set a strong but rememberable administrator password for your WAP box.  On my WAP this is done in a section called 'administration' and the password is described as the 'router password.'  For advice on passwords visit the user accounts passwords section.

 

Security for Your Wireless Clients

Once you have set-up the security settings for your Wireless Access Point (WAP), setting-up the clients should be easy!  The first thing to do when setting-up your client is to move to a location close to the WAP, ideally in the same room, so you can be sure any issues are not related to a poor signal level.

As with all of these descriptions, if you wireless adapter has clear instructions on how to get connected, follow those rather than my instructions here as they will be specific to your particular adapter, whereas mine are necessarily less specific.

You should be starting after you've installed the software for your network adapter in the previous section.

1. There are fewer steps in setting-up the client security, three in fact, we'll set the:
   • SSID - name of your wireless network
   • Network mode - connecting to your WAP
   • Security mode
      
2. In your Windows XP system tray you should have a network icon that appeared after installing the software for you network adapter.  It should look something like one of these:

   	Your wireless network is connected.  Perhaps you set-up the security during set-up or haven't set-up security at all.  In this case, go back to setting-up the security on your WAP.
   	Windows has found a WAP and is trying to connect.
   	Your wireless network is disconnected.
   	Your wireless network has a problem, like the signal isn't strong enough to connect.

   Move you mouse over the wireless network icon and click your right-mouse button.  Doing this you should see a short menu including the option to View Available Wireless Networks; choose this option.

   
    

The window that appears will look something like this:   From here click the 'Change advanced settings' option on the bottom left hand side.

You should now see a window that looks like this:

Click the tab at the top of the window described as 'Wireless Networks' giving you this windows:

6. There is a box that lists 'Preferred networks' which is likely to be empty.  Click the 'Add...' button to add your network.
    
7. This will give you the Wireless network properties window with the 'Association' tab selected.  In here you can enter all the details you need.  After following the steps below it should look something like one of these:

     or

   1. Firstly enter the SSID name of your network that you used to set-up the WAP.
   2. Change the 'Network Authentication' option to 'Shared' if you are using WEP or WPA-PSK if you are using WPA.
   3. Change the 'Data encryption' option to 'WEP' for WEP security or TKIP for WPA security.
   4. WEP only: Near the bottom of the windows there is a box that reads 'The key is provided for me automatically.'  Uncheck this box.
   5. Enter the 26 character (or whatever size you chose for WPA) wireless key code in the 'Network Key' box and again in the 'Confirm network key' box.  You will not be able to read the key as you type because Windows XP considers these keys as passwords.
   6. Ensure that the option at the bottom that reads 'This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not used' is unchecked - like in the picture.  Your network if you have a WAP box is using a wireless access point.
   7. Click the OK button in this window.
   8. You should now see your network name in the list of 'Preferred networks' in the 'Wireless Network Connection Properties' window.  Click the OK button on this window too.
       
8. If you wait a few moments your wireless network should automatically connect! and you'll see an icon something like:   If you don't see this, try restarting your computer (I had to do this with my laptop installation).  The network will often take a few moments, say 5-10 seconds to connect.
    
9. Open your web browser and type in a web address like http://www.CareOfWindowsXP.com and you should be on the internet!

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