Wireless routers can make a hacker's job easy if the wireless network is not secured.
Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
Most Linksys routers include wireless networking features that enable users to quickly configure and connect to a local network without having to pull network cables. However, the convenience of wireless networks also includes security drawbacks in the form of eavesdropping vulnerabilities that enable hackers to quietly watch everything you send and receive from your computer, including passwords. You can configure wireless security on a Linksys router so network traffic is encrypted between computers and the wireless router to prevent eavesdropping.
Step 1
Connect one end of the CAT5 network cable into the network port on a Windows 7 computer. Plug the other end of the CAT5 network cable into a local area network port on the Linksys router.
Step 2
Plug the Linksys power adapter into the Linksys router. Reboot the Windows 7 computer. Open a web browser on the computer and enter "192.168.1.1" (without quotes) in the address bar. Press the "Enter" key. Enter "admin" (without quotes) into the password field and tap the "Enter" key.
Step 3
Go to the "Wireless" tab. Click the "Wireless Security" item. Click the "Security Mode" check box and then click "WPA2 Personal" from the list of options displayed. Enter a pass phrase at least 12 characters long into the "WPA Shared Key" text box.
Step 4
Click "Save Settings" and then close the web browser.
References
Photo Credits
- Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
