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Setting up a secure wireless network with the Adaptec AWN-8084





 



Open a web browser like internet explorer or Netscape. Enter the ip address of your router in the address bar of your browser. In the picture above the address bar has http://www.google.com in it. Just replace all of that with the ip address of your router. By default the ip address should be set to 192.168.8.1.




You should see a box prompting you for your username and password. Enter your username and password now. By default the username is admin, and the password is blank. Click the Login button to log in to your router.




Click the Wireless link near the left side of the page.

Click the Basic button near the top of the page.




In the box called Wireless Network ID (SSID) put a name that you make up. You will need to remember this name because it will be used to connect to your wireless network. Do not make it obvious to guess, the network name should be difficult for your neighbors to guess. If you can not think of anything, simply use your first name.

In the box called Channel, pick a random channel number. Channels make it so that you and your neighbors can use your own wireless networks without interfering with each other. By picking a random channel you reduce the chance of your neighbor using the same channel as you.

When you are finished, click the Save & Restart button.

Click the Security button near the top of the page.




Put a checkmark in the Hide SSID checkbox.

Put a checkmark in the WEP Enabled checkbox.

Select 128 bit key from the WEP Key Length drop down box.

Put a dot into the Hex Key radio button.

Now you need to make up your network key. It doesn't matter what this key is, as long as it is random. A network key is a password that is 26 characters long, and made up of only the letters A,B,C,D,E,F and the numbers 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. If you are using 128 bit WEP, then your key must be exactly 26 characters long, and the more random it is, the better it is. Here is an example of a random 128 bit network key:

7F5B3FD23A8EC290AC682DF8FA

Once you have made up your key, write it down somewhere. You will need it at each computer that you are going to connect to your network.

Now put the key you made up in the box called WEP Key 1.

Select 1 from the WEP Key to Use drop down box.

Put a dot into the Open radio button.

When you're finished, click Save & Restart near the bottom of the screen to save your changes.

And that's it! You're done!

Connecting to your Secure Wireless Network

You may want to read our guide on how to Configure Windows XP to connect to your wireless network.