Secure Network

[rem1x6]

What is the best way to secure my network? A good program to put a password on my Linksys router or my network?

 

[madmatt]

You don't need a program to password protect your router. You can simply change the password by logging into the router. Unless I misunderstood your question.

 

[kcnychief]

All the security you need for the most part is changing the password from the default on your router, and using NTFS permissions on each share within the network. If you are using Wireless, make sure it is encrypted with WPA if possible, or at least WEP, as MAC Address filtering is not enough by itself.

Also ensure that ALL usernames have passwords used on your network.

If you have any other specific questions related to security, please post back

 

[Admiral Michael]

Secure in terms of what?

If it's strictly wired theres no securing necesary. If you mean securing the computers then that's a different story.

 

[Mastershakes]

If you are using Wireless, make sure it is encrypted with WPA if possible, or at least WEP, as MAC Address filtering is not enough by itself.

MAC and WEP are both useless

 

[Admiral Michael]

So Im guessin WPA is the way to go then?

 

[madmatt]

WPA all the way. Most routers (especially Linksys) have firmware updates that make WPA available.

 

[rem1x6]

Thanks guys i did that and its working great =) but i have a big problem now. For the past few days i've been experiancing my internet's speed deteriorating. Its been going slower and slower. I can't take it, ever since i had change my router to this linksys i have had nothing but problems. No one is leaching off my network. Not just my computer, however all my computers are experiencing this. Is it becuase im running bittorrent on my computers? But it isn't using much bandwith only 3 downloads. Is it maybe becuase i messed with a port? i only opened about 4 ports. all gamming and torrent ports. Any Ideas on why my internet is so rediculously slow?

 

[Admiral Michael]

Torrents can easily establish connections to a hundred users (seeds and peers) and since you have 3 downloads going this could very well be the problem.

On a side note, I switched over to WPA Got it to work with this ****ty Intel card.

 

[kcnychief]

WPA is the way to go, but not all hardware supports it. Granted, if it doesn't, it should be upgraded, but I was just saying that it may not be an option.

 

[rem1x6]

so its probably the torrents?

 

[Admiral Michael]

Its a possibility, pause them, and close the program and test it.

 

[rem1x6]

It was the torrents

 

[Admiral Michael]

Glad you got it sorted out.

 

[omg its nlm]

Them dang torrents!

 

[mlakrid]

MAC and WEP are both useless

Breaking MAC filtering is easily done on a VERY active network, the more traffic the easier it is to break it...

SO... to listen to these guys is absurd... to get your MAC Addresses (for a small home network) it would takes weeks, if not months, to gain enough information to find your MAC addresses.

Add to that, if you have your network setup as a domain, and well, then they did all that work for nothing... without being a member of the domain they cant get access to any files anyway...

Only very inexperienced hackers would do MAC address hacking, and most times its only to get access to a non-secure network for "revenge"

Also, if you use VMWARE to do all of your surfing, it uses a fake MAC address, and they are chasing their tails... :laugh: