[GRLUG] Linksys router security setup

[Ron Lauzon]

Bob Kline wrote:

> I have a Linksys wireless router, and have ( I believe ) set up the 
> security settings.
>
> The question is this:  I press the "Cisco Systems" button on the left 
> side of the
> front panel,  and it blinks with a white light for about 2 minutes.  
> Is this the stage
> at which one is supposed to turn on the wireless device on a client 
> PC?   Or does
> the flickering white light mean that the router is looking for another 
> client device?

I think it just means you reset the router.

For wireless devices, all you should have to do is change the SSID to 
whatever you want.  It's a good idea to turn off SSID Broadcast (makes 
your network more stealth).  Then put that SSID into whatever devices 
you want to connect and start.

I would only worry about wireless security if you have lots of techie 
guys near by who can probably see your network even with the broadcast 
turned off.

> I'm finding the Linksys documentation clear as mud.  Everything works 
> out of the
> box as long as you're willing to take the no-encryption default,  but 
> the instructions
> for setting up security are no help at all.

There are varying levels of security.

First is turning off the SSID Broadcast.  This basically tells your 
router to stop yelling out "I'm here!" every so often.  Of course, this 
means that anything that configures itself by listening for that 
broadcast won't auto-config.  You will have to put in the SSID manually.

Next is putting in a WEP key.  Again, the drawback is that devices won't 
auto-config and you have to manually set up any device you want talking 
to your wireless network.  A WEP key encrypts the communication data.

There are more, but they aren't available on most consumer devices.  The 
book "802.11 Wireless Networks" is a good book if you want to learn more 
about wireless networks.

In my case, I turned off SSID broadcast and then built up a small 
process that asks the router to list all the devices that have made DHCP 
requests lately.  The process then checks that list against known MAC 
addresses and if it finds one without a match, it tells me.  I can then 
go into the router and tell the router to stop talking to that MAC 
(effectively blocking that computer from my network).

-- 
Ron Lauzon - rlauzon at acm dot org
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