Network Security

i am looking to put some encryption on my home wi fi network, the network was originally set up on a pc that is not functioning any longer, is there any way to add some security from my macbook? thanks in advance

Security on a wifi network would be set up in the router settings.
The router can be accessed on your Mac by entering it's IP address in your browser. Give both 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1 a try. What brand and model # is your router?

my router is a NETGEAR WNR834M, the second IP works but asks for a name and password, would those have come from the original router setup?

For Netgear if it has not been changed Name will probably be admin and password will be the word password

And if that is the case then while in there you should change it to something of your own choosing,

yes, that would have been set when you first installed it with the PC

And if you changed the password back then and don't know what it is, there is a reset button on the back or bottom of most routers. You can press and hold it (10 seconds should do it) to reset the router. This will put all settings back to factory default, so you'll have to set up the wireless network again also.

thanks for all the help guys! i have it all set up and working wonderfully