Setting up a password

Hi, I'm new to the forums, and I'm hoping someone can help!

I have an imac running 10.5.5, and live near a school. Up to now, I've never known about password protecting wireless internet (I have a Netgear product, supplied by Virgin) as I thought I was only running it on the ethernet.

However, I have discovered that the bottom of my garden has become a haven for kids using my wi-fi capabilities without me knowing. Taking me through it slowly, how can I password protect the wi-fi, so that if I need to use wi-fi with the iphone, I can at least add a password.

Many thanks

If you don't want a wireless signal broadcast from the Netgear, go into its setup menu (check your manual to find out how), access the wireless sub menu and turn it off. If your machine is using ethernet and wireless is turned off from the router, you do not require a password. Kids will go away.

However, if you wish to use wireless for yourself, you'll need to set up a password in the same menu I just described above. Depending on which model Netgear you have, you would want to use the strongest method of encryption - WPA2.

After setting up the router, you'll need to configure your machine to use the same password. (System Preferences, Network, Airport.)

Regards.

Many thanks, this worked, though it took some finding. I didn't have a manual for the Netgear, and couldn't find the device anywhere on the Mac. A bit of googling later, and I found a manual, and then some instructions. THis sort of thing is dealt with on an http address in Safari, at which point it all ooked very easy.

Password done, and I know it works because my iphone wouldn't wi-fi without a password for the first time.

Hey presto, and many thanks.