Scott Gillis N3UJJ

It's helpful if you have the manual that came with your Router/Firewall.
If you have lost your manual (like most people) below are the links to the most popular brands of consumer network products where you can download the manual off the internet. If you have a different Router/Firewall, look on the router for the web address of the company, and browse to their "Support" section to find their on-line manuals.

D-Link Support pages LinkSys Product Support PageSome terms you will need to know:
(only for the time it takes to configure your device)

SSID	Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name designated for a specific wireless local area network (WLAN). The SSID can be easily changed to connect to an existing wireless network or to establish a new wireless network.
WEP	Wired Equivalent Protocol (WEP) is a wireless security protocol for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN). WEP provides security by encrypting the data that is sent over the WLAN. WEP is disabled by default. The WEP setting can be changed to fit an existing wireless network or to customize your wireless network.
DHCP	DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) The DHCP server gives out IP addresses when a device is starting up and request an IP address to be logged on to the network. The device must be set as a DHCP client to "Obtain the IP address automatically". By default, the DHCP Server is enabled. The DHCP address pool contains the range of the IP address that will automatically be assigned to the clients on the network.
MAC Address	MAC (Media Access Control) address is the unique ID serial number of the network card in one's computer. Ethernet is a commonly used networking technology, used to link computers together. MAC Addresses are needed in a Local Area Network for computers to communicate. Note that MAC addresses have nothing to do with Apple Macintosh computers.

Change the "default" login password on your device. Write it down on the bottom of the unit so you won't lose it. Default passwords for all major wireless vendors are common knowledge to all hackers. The first thing most hackers do is connect to the device and change the password so you can't lock them out once they are in.
Change the "default" SSID, when hackers are scanning for wireless networks, the most promising access points are units that still have the default SSID. This is usually a surefire sign that the owner of the device has not changed any of the "default" security settings. Some units will allow you to turn off "Broadcast" of the SSID, if your unit offers this option, then chose it. Turning off "Broadcast" will make your network invisible to network scans (but won't protect you if they already know you are there).
Turn on WEP, and use the highest level of encryption. When you turn on encryption you have to enter a "KEY" (password), and this "key" needs to be entered into the network setting of each computer that is going to access your wireless network (read the manual that came with the network card). This is the most important step in protecting your network. When scanning for open networks the scanning program reports if "WEP" is on or off. Most hackers don't even try to access networks that show that they have "WEP" turned on. While there are ways to get past "WEP" most hackers won't take the time unless they know there is something they want on your network.
Turn off DHCP. (optional) DHCP automatically gives out an address to your network to any computer that asks for it. If you turn off DHCP, then you have to manually assign an IP range and manually enter a IP address in each computer on your network, this makes for a lot more work for any hacker to access your network, because they have to figure out the address range (out of millions) that you are using.
Turn on MAC filtering. (optional) Every single network device every made has a unique "MAC" address, by entering the "MAC" address of each of the devices on your network, you can tell your Router/Firewall to ignore any other device that tries to connect. Combining "WEP" with "MAC" filtering is the is the most surefire way to protect your network.
Change the "default" login password on your device. Yes I know I said that in #1 but if you took the time to secure your network, but don't change the default password to the device, any hacker can undo all the good work you just did.

If you need help configuring your Wireless Network feel free to eMail Scott Gillis

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eMail Scott Gillis
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How to secure your Wireless Firewall / Router