Open network connections, right-click your connection and select "Properties". At the "General" tab, scroll down to "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)", left click to highlight it then click "Properties". At the next screen select the radio button for "Use the following IP address:" and enter the following -
IP Address: 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Select the radio button for "Use the following DNS server addresses:" and enter "192.168.1.1".
To clarify, your computer is "192.168.1.100" and your router is "192.168.1.1". Click on "OK" on all the property dialog boxes to apply the settings and close the network connections window. Next, open Internet Explorer and in the address bar type "192.168.1.1" and hit enter, you will be prompted for a username and password. No username is required, and the password is more-than-likely the default password, "admin". If admin doesn't work refer to the help in the CD-ROM. The first screen has a section "LAN IP Address:" where you enter "192.168.1.1". If you're using a wireless adapter you want to enable WEP encryption and configure the WEP key to keep people from just waltzing onto your internet connection (WAR driving). A 16 character password, upper/lowercase letters with numbers and symbols is a good practice too. Make sure "WAN Connection Type" at the bottom is set to "Obtain an IP automatically" so the router can obtain it's WAN IP from your internet service provider automatically. Next, click the "DHCP" tab near the top. Beside "DHCP Server:" select the "Enable" radio button. Set the Starting IP Address as 192.168.1.100 and the Number of DHCP Users to the number of users you want to allow to access your router (1 if only you). The Advanced tab at the top gives you a wide range of things you can tweak for optimum security like blocking certain port ranges where trojans roam, blocking LAN IPs other than the ones you use or blocking other services you may not use (SMTP? IDENT? SNMP? TFTP?). Port-forwarding works better, leaves the potential intruder waiting for a response from a non-existent IP on you LAN, like 192.168.1.222. Your router can serve as a heck of a hardware firewall if configured tightly enough. Trial and error may be key if your setup is different from my LinkSys router. Or when in doubt read the directions. But this might set you in the right direction to get you started and half-way secured. And remember no matter how tough the question you can always google the living hell out of it. Let me know how it goes!
P.S. if you need your ISPs IP address assigned to you
this website shows your IP in the "Submit" field when you visit it!
