Is my airport lock working right?

New imac user with my own comcast wireless network I have as my only network preference and its WEP encripted and I locked it.Every time i shut down and start computer next day the network is found but my lock is showing its open.Is it suppose to open my lock every time I start up from a shutdown to find my network?The router and modem are left on 24/7.
Thanks

Go back into the router and change the network to WPA/WPA2 encryption. WEP can be cracked in under 30 seconds by any 11 year old.

First, WEP is horrible encryption and can be cracked in less that 60 seconds. You really should move to WPA or WPA2.

Your computer will remember the settings and log in automatically even after shutdown once you give it the password. So don't worry, everything is normal and as long as you don't give out the password to anyone else you are relatively secure.

I just checked and i have wpa2 .My issue is with the tiny lock in the left hand corner of airport window.I locked it but everytime I start up computer from shut down the lock shows it has been open.i guess that just means it has to find my network thus it unlocks to do it?

mattg3 said:

I just checked and i have wpa2 .My issue is with the tiny lock in the left hand corner of airport window.I locked it but everytime I start up computer from shut down the lock shows it has been open.i guess that just means it has to find my network thus it unlocks to do it?

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That doesn't sound right. I use WPA2 and even though all of my devices log onto my network automatically, the network itself still shows locked.

mattg3 said:

I just checked and i have wpa2 .My issue is with the tiny lock in the left hand corner of airport window.I locked it but everytime I start up computer from shut down the lock shows it has been open.i guess that just means it has to find my network thus it unlocks to do it?

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What do you mean you lock it? Can you post a pic of what you are talking about? If your router has WPA2 it will report that it is locked to any devices that communicates with it. so I am a little confused as to what you are describing.

What airport window? There is no window called the "airport window" that I'm aware of.

Do you mean in System Preferences - Network - like this window?



That window is the Network Preference Pane (or Network Preferences). The lock at the bottom left of the window has nothing to do with whether your wifi network is locked. That lock has to do with your System Preferences and will always be unlocked unless you want to change it to require your password for making any changes to your System Preferences. That would be done in System Preferences - Security - General and put a check next to "Require a password to unlock each System Preferences pane".

The wifi network of your router can neither be locked nor unlocked from this window. That can only be accomplished via the router.

To verify your network is password protected - in the Network Pref Pane, put a check next to "Show Airport status in menu bar". You will then have the following in the menu bar.



Click the icon and it will show you all the networks within range and whether they are locked or open.

OK, I took a look at some things.... Are you talking about the lock in the lower left of the network screen? I locked this and then rebooted to find that it was unlocked. However, this has nothing to do with encryption. All this does is lock the network pane to keep people from making changes to the setting.

^^^ What he said!

I thought he meat the second screen shot Bob, but now I'm not sure.

baggss said:

I thought he meat the second screen shot Bob, but now I'm not sure.

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I thought that originally as well but I have never seen an "unlocked lock" there. I think that it is only a lock or nothing.

I'm still not sure either. Figured I'd just cover the usual bases.

DaFlake said:

I thought that originally as well but I have never seen an "unlocked lock" there. I think that it is only a lock or nothing.

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Yeah agree. I guess he did mean the first one then.

Sorry for causing so much confusion.Yes its bobtomays system preference window that I was talking about.Not so much concerned with my security that I know is fine with wpa2.It was the fact that that little lock in the left hand window would always be unlocked after I started up my computer from shut down(not sleep mode).Just didnt understand the idea of locking onto my own network yet at start up the computer unlocks it.I guess its really no big deal.Thanks to all for trying to help this mac newbie from the windows nightmare world where all things can go wrong and usually did.

Maybe not a big deal, but it's always nice to understand what you're looking at. Not so sure you understand yet.

Just didnt understand the idea of locking onto my own network yet at start up the computer unlocks it.

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You don't "lock onto" a network. Your computer "joins" a network. It joins an encrypted network (or locked) via providing the proper password. Your computer "joins" your network because you have supplied the password and your "preference" settings are set to remember that network and it's password.

The lock in Network Preferences has nothing whatsoever to do with joining the wifi network. It only locks or unlocks the ability to make changes to your computer's network preferences.

Thanks,I just thought it was odd that I would put the lock on for my network preference and next day after starting computer it would show it unlocked.i guess it only locks until you shut down and then it has to rejoin my network so it unlocks the network preference to allow the computer to do this.

Yeah, never figured out why you can't lock an individual preference and have it stay locked through a reboot. Only way to do that is through the Security settings noted above to lock all of them.