11-28-2007, 03:27 AM

long story short i need to set up a password for my linksys wireless router..

i tried go to linksys' website link

http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...i=&p_topview=1



i went ahead and set up a password using instructions from the link above and to test out my password i turned on/off my wireless connection on my macbook. when i turned it back on and selected the linksys wireless connection from the dropdown menu it did NOT prompt me for a password?

what am i doing wrong? why isnt it asking me for a password?

11-28-2007, 03:52 AM

What is the exact model of your Linksys router? I am quite good with Linksys and Wireless. Let me know and I can probably help.

I still need the model but see what you are doing wrong. You are on the wrong Tab.

Check this pic. I blurred out my key but this is where you should be.

I am using WPA2 for maximum security. WEP provides the least security. I would go with at least WPA Personal.

What you changed is your Administrator Password to log into the Router with the Web browser Interface!!

11-28-2007, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

What is the exact model of your Linksys router? I am quite good with Linksys and Wireless. Let me know and I can probably help.

I still need the model but see what you are doing wrong. You are on the wrong Tab.

Check this pic. I blurred out my key but this is where you should be.

I am using WPA2 for maximum security. WEP provides the least security. I would go with at least WPA Personal.

What you changed is your Administrator Password to log into the Router with the Web browser Interface!!

hey thanks!!! im so glad u can help im using WRT54G....I tried clicking on the picture u attached but it keeps trying to make me login everytime i click it and when i login it brings me to the mainpage and when i go to this thread and click on ur attachment tells me to login again...is there any way you can put it on imageshack or another host pls?

...also whats the difference between wpa2 and wpa personal? can u do both? WEP is only to log into the router? isnt that the same as accessing the wireless connection? im so confused!!

11-28-2007, 05:12 AM

As an aside, I'm not sure about the US but in the UK using someone else's wireless network is illegal. Try calling the police, too.

11-28-2007, 05:39 AM

Originally Posted by MacNewbie

hey thanks!!! im so glad u can help im using WRT54G....I tried clicking on the picture u attached but it keeps trying to make me login everytime i click it and when i login it brings me to the mainpage and when i go to this thread and click on ur attachment tells me to login again...is there any way you can put it on imageshack or another host pls?

...also whats the difference between wpa2 and wpa personal? can u do both? WEP is only to log into the router? isnt that the same as accessing the wireless connection? im so confused!!

You do not click on my picture!! You log into your router with your Web Browser. The Default IP address of your router is 192.168.1.1. Enter that into your Web Browser and log into the router. Go to the Wireless Tab like in my picture but on your router. Click on Wireless Security and you will be at the Tab in my picture. WEP, WPA and WPA2 are all Wifi Security Protocols. WEP can easily be hacked. Either WPA or WPA2 is MUCH more secure. You have to make up a Key. Click the more on the Help on your router and it will tell you the basics.

Are you talking Mac Forums is asking for a Password when you click on my Attachment?


Hope this makes sense to you. Trying to keep it simple. My pic is the same WRT54G router as yours.

11-28-2007, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

You do not click on my picture!! You log into your router with your Web Browser. The Default IP address of your router is 192.168.1.1. Enter that into your Web Browser and log into the router. Go to the Wireless Tab like in my picture but on your router. Click on Wireless Security and you will be at the Tab in my picture. WEP, WPA and WPA2 are all Wifi Security Protocols. WEP can easily be hacked. Either WPA or WPA2 is MUCH more secure. You have to make up a Key. Click the more on the Help on your router and it will tell you the basics.

Are you talking Mac Forums is asking for a Password when you click on my Attachment?


Hope this makes sense to you. Trying to keep it simple. My pic is the same WRT54G router as yours.

hey there! yes im talking about mac forums asking for a pass when i click on your pic

i just followed your directions and i was successful in creating a "key" under wpa2. it seems like setting up a wpa2 or wpa is way easier than setting up a wep which requires four keys AND a "passphrase".

could you clarify that for me? why is wpa2 more secure as its encryption system seems more simple (one key vs four keys+passphrase)

also why would one choose wpa or wep over a wpa2 when wpa2 is most secure? wouldnt everyone want a secure line?

thanks again for your help!!

11-28-2007, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by MacNewbie

hey there! yes im talking about mac forums asking for a pass when i click on your pic

i just followed your directions and i was successful in creating a "key" under wpa2. it seems like setting up a wpa2 or wpa is way easier than setting up a wep which requires four keys AND a "passphrase".

No, it doesn't require 4 keys and a passphrase. It has 4 key positions, you can use any one of those keys in tandem with the position. You don't use all 4. The passphrase is a proprietary algorithm that will generate keys based on a phrase of your choosing. This is supposed to make it easier to remember your keys. In effect, it just makes it confusing since most manufacturers' algorithms are different.

could you clarify that for me? why is wpa2 more secure as its encryption system seems more simple (one key vs four keys+passphrase)

WEP can be broken in less than 5 minutes with readily available tools. Anyone savvy enough to steal a connection from a neighbor can easily break WEP. WPA and WPA2 are newer standards that were deliberately made to be easier to use and less hackable.

also why would one choose wpa or wep over a wpa2 when wpa2 is most secure? wouldnt everyone want a secure line?

Just as you were ignorant of the need for security when you first set up your router, many people are ignorant of the merits of each option. If your router supports it, WPA2 is your best bet.

11-30-2007, 10:43 PM

If setting up a password is causing you issues, a temp fix with this router is MAC address filtering. Going into your ipconfig file in the DOS prompt will give you your MAC address and you enter that into the MAC filtering window on the router. This is also an outstanding way to exert COMPLETE parental control on your LAN without monkeying with your own connectivity.

11-30-2007, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by BigBob13

If setting up a password is causing you issues, a temp fix with this router is MAC address filtering. Going into your ipconfig file in the DOS prompt will give you your MAC address and you enter that into the MAC filtering window on the router. This is also an outstanding way to exert COMPLETE parental control on your LAN without monkeying with your own connectivity.

MAC filtering is nearly useless, particularly if it's not in use with some kind of encryption. All one has to do is sniff the packets to see which MACs are allowed and then spoof one of the allowed MAC addresses - voila, you're on the network. Even worse is that everything is still being transmitted in plain text, so things like credit card numbers and other personal information is being transmitted openly through the air.

Not only that, but your procedure for obtaining a MAC address applies to Windows only, and actually you want to do an ipconfig /all (just typing the ipconfig command only gives you basic information).