Wireless Security

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by SecurityFan, Oct 22, 2010.

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  1. SecurityFan

    SecurityFan Registered Member

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    Hi,

    I’d like to secure our PC wireless setup at home.

    We have:
    1. Verizon DSL with a Zoom X5 ADSL router attached via a cable to our computer.
    2. A Linksys Wireless-G Access Point attached to our router. When we want to use it for my wife’s laptop, we plug in the power supply for the Wireless Access Point. When she’s not using her laptop, the power supply for the Access Point is not plugged in.

    I’m concerned someone in our neighborhood could intercept our wireless and use it for something illegal. For example, I read an article today that mentioned an elderly person who was threatened/scared into paying $1,000 by some shyster law firm (acting on behalf of some indie movies) because someone downloaded a movie from her IP address.

    What do I need to do to secure our wireless exposure? My guess is I need to:
    A. Somehow enable encryption between my wife’s laptop and the wireless access point.
    B. Password protect the admin access to the router (or the wireless access point?).

    Am I correct? If so, can someone tell me how to do these things? I mean spell it out because I’m not saavy with these things. For example, how on earth do I access my router to get into admin mode with it?.

    And, is there anything else I should do?

    And one last question…. Is it true that while my wife is online with her laptop no one can access our signal and do something like download a movie to their own PC? If that's true then our only exposure to illegal downloads thru our IP address would be if we inadvertently leave the wireless access point on when my wife stops using her laptop.

    Thanks in advance for any assistance.
     
  2. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    You need to set up your access point by going into the wireless security options and selecting WPA2 and you will be required to enter a password. Use a good one of 10 to 14 characters and you should be fine. If it offers the options of AES, TKIP, or mixed, go with AES only. Do this and the odds of someone getting in are very slim. I leave mine on 24/7 and have no worries about it.

    PS... If you need more detailed assistance with your access point you will need to provide a model number.
     
  3. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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  4. SecurityFan

    SecurityFan Registered Member

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    I was able to get into my Zoom router. My IP address for this was 10.0.0.2
    When I got in I found NOTHING to do with wireless connections.

    Then I tried to get into my Wireless Access Point. It's a Linksys Wireless-G WAP 54G. I cannot find how to get in. I found an online manual for this access point and I'm supposed to use 192.168.1.245
    This gets me nowhere. I get the typical Internet Explorer message "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage".

    I ran "IPCONFIG /all" on my computer to try and find the IP address for the access point. The "Default Gateway" points to 10.0.02, the router address.

    I run the IPCONFIG on my wife's laptop and the Default Gateway is the same.

    So, how do I get to the access point?
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2010
  5. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    please watch that just to get idea

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seaY...nly address (also called access list setting)
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2010
  6. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    also as far as i know access point act on same subnet

    mean in your case if your router is 10.0.0.2 then change your access point ip address to 10.0.0.X (example:10.0.0.3) if there is option

    or

    change your router (Zoom X5 ADSL router) lan ip address to 192.168.1.X

    and let your access point ip address same as 192.168.1.245
     
  7. SecurityFan

    SecurityFan Registered Member

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    Thank you for trying to help.

    I am totally lost with changing IP Addresses. How do I do that? Will I foul up my Verizon DSL if change the address for my hardwired Zoom router?

    Evidently there is some conflict with my router address and the wireless access point? They are not on the same LAN or something? Is that why I can’t see the wireless access point config page when I type in 192.168.1.245? This is the default IP address. I cannot comprehend why the config doesn’t come up like it’s supposed to.

    I even tried it from my wife's PC while she was connected and no go.

    I have to say, I think the PC Industry is still in the stone age. How is the average consumer supposed to do this stuff? The stupid access point config page is 192.168.1.245 but when you type this in, it doesn’t come up. What is the matter with this crap?

    Sorry, but this is just frustrating.

    And then I hear you’re basically liable to be preyed on by stinking lawyers if someone uses your impossible-to-secure home network for some illegal activity. Gotta love this era we live in with its unjust legal system.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2010
  8. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    sorry i mean to say is change your lan ip (internal ip) address


    in your router there is 2 ip addresses

    one is WAN(external one) which is given to you by your Internet Service Provider(ISP) which is your real network ip

    second one is your LAN ip (internal one) which is reserve ip address for personal use


    they are

    TCP/IP addresses reserved for 'private' networks are:

    10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
    172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
    192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255

    (you can use any of above mention but since your access list use 192.168.1.x range so you need to change your router lan ip to that range as well for example 192.168.1.1)


    now what your router does is NAT (Network address translation) in simple

    words it translate your isp ip address to your local ip address

    example your isp give you 124.180.227.57 address now your router translate(convert) it to 10.0.0.2 so what you get on your computer is that

    which is your lan ip (10.0.0.2) not your real ISP ip address (124.180.227.57)


    so yes you can change its legal to change LAN ip address

    to know your real ip address there are many sites on net from you know your real ip address
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2010
  9. SecurityFan

    SecurityFan Registered Member

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    Hi again,

    Thanks for your help. I don't know how to change LAN IP addresses. I'll have to try to find out.

    If there's any simple step by step method that anyone could suggest for doing this, I'd appreciate it. I have Windows XP Service Pack 3.

    Thanks
     
  10. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    hello SecurityFan again

    please download your Zoom X5 ADSL router manual form here

    http://www.zoom.com/techsupport/adsl/adsl_5554.shtml#documentation

    now all you need is your browser you need to type

    10.0.0.1

    User Name: admin
    Password: zoomadsl (the “l” is a lower-case letter, not the
    number “1”)

    [from your mannual page number 8 (if its default)]

    also change your default password and please remember also write it some place after you done your setting


    now from here you need to go to advance setup here you see second tab called LAN setting click on it

    [reference to your manual page numbers 14 and 20]


    now from lan setting change your ip address from 10.0.0.2 to 192.168.1.2

    your subnetmask will be 255.255.255.0

    dhcp 10.0.0.4-10.0.0.15 change it to 192.168.1.4-192.168.1.15

    in short change value 10.0.0 to 192.168.1


    and your pool max will become 253 (default same same)

    then save changes

    also you change your default password you can go to advance setup and see below there is tab admin password

    [reference to manual page number 14 and 37 ]

    save



    also if it dont work please save the changes and reboot

    please see the reboot option in your router i didn't see it on manual because pictures are not very clear



    it may be below save setting options or in administrative task

    where you save setting to your router and reboot please check that if 1st save wont work.
     
  11. SecurityFan

    SecurityFan Registered Member

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    Hi mack_guy,

    Thanks for all your help. It took me a long time, but I was able to get the encryption working.

    I found I was unable to get WPA-2 to work. It might be something to do with my wife's laptop being Vista (also, my PC attached to the router was XP3). I had to settle for WPA. Once I did, it worked.

    Her PC is a little less than 2 years old, I would think it should be WPA-2 capable. But it wouldn't work with it.

    Thanks again!
     
  12. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    you are welcome SecurityFan


    1st set your AP(access point) to WPA2-AES

    ***please also note that your admin(login) password and your WPA2-AES passwords(paraphrase) are different you can use same if you like but recommended that you use different and make strong passwords also write steps including password in some some diary and put it in safe place ........for future reference.***


    ie : http://192.168.1.245

    login admin
    password: password of your AP

    then set your WPA2-AES security with strong password of 14-16 characters apply ok




    then from your laptop pc

    you can right click and edit your wireless option go in advance and check the option called security or encryption there you see WPA2-AES setting apply ok

    ie. set your laptop computer to WPA2-AES same setting which you set in your router

    and reconnect you'll get the connection.

    how to set in Windows Vista please check these

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLf83JhXLio

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6stLnm6-O4
     
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