Setting up a secure wireless network with the AirLink+ RT211W.
Open a web browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Enter the internal IP address of your router in the address bar of your browser.
If you do not know your routers internal IP address please read our How To Find Your Routers IP Address guide.
In the picture above the address bar has http://www.google.com in it. Just replace all of that with the internal IP address of your router.
By default the IP address should be set to 192.168.1.1.
You should see a box prompting you for your username and password. Enter your username and password now. By default the username is blank, and the password is admin. Click the Ok button to log in to your router.
Please visit our Default Router Passwords page if the username and password shown above do not work for you.
Click the Wireless LAN link near the top of the page.
In the box called 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.
Select Closed from the Network Type drop down box.
In the box called Channel ID, 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.
Turn on the option called Data Encryption.
Select Open System from the Authentication Mode drop down box.
Put a dot into the WEP Key 1 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.
When you're finished, click Apply near the bottom of the screen to save your changes.
And that's it! You're done!
Wireless Filters
Now that you have secured your wireless network, you may want to check out our guides on how to setup some wireless filters. Filters will help keep people out of your network who are smart enough to figure out your wireless keys. Wireless filters are the final step in securing your network. A wireless filter guide for your router is located here.
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.
Open a web browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Enter the internal IP address of your router in the address bar of your browser.
If you do not know your routers internal IP address please read our How To Find Your Routers IP Address guide.
In the picture above the address bar has http://www.google.com in it. Just replace all of that with the internal IP address of your router.
By default the IP address should be set to 192.168.1.1.
You should see a box prompting you for your username and password. Enter your username and password now. By default the username is blank, and the password is admin. Click the Ok button to log in to your router.
Please visit our Default Router Passwords page if the username and password shown above do not work for you.Click the Wireless LAN link near the top of the page.
Put a dot into the MAC Address Access Control Allow radio button.
Now you need to know the MAC address of every device that you want to Allow access to. You can find the MAC address of a computer by following our MAC Address instructions. After you have found the MAC address of the computer you want to Allow, type the MAC address into the MAC Address section of your router.
When you're finished, click Apply near the bottom of the screen to save your changes.
And that's it! You're done!
