Mephisto2

Go to Start, Run, and type "CMD" in the window that appears.

Another black "command line" Window opens.

Type "IPCONFIG" and hit return

You should get something like the following:

This means that your Access Point has given your computer the IP address 192.168.1.101

The Default Gateway is the IP address of your Access Point in this case. In other words, the Access Point has the IP address of 192.168.1.1

Note, these are the default values. It is possible that the Default Gateway IP address you show may be different from that above (but not likely).

Anyway, the next step is to open a Web browser and connect to the Access Point.

Open a standard Internet Explorer window.

In the address bar, type in "168.192.1.1" and hit enter.

A window will appear asking you for a User name and a Password.

Type in "admin" for both values (username and password) and hit enter.

Next, your Internet Explorer window will change and show you the Access Point's web-page.

Voila!! You have now logged on to your router.


In the top right hand corner, you will see what version of code you are using. With any luck it will be version 1.5 or higher. Ideally, it should be 1.50.14. I can give you step by step instructions on how to upgrade this is you want.

There are some basic security settings you should change, if you haven't done so already.


Near the top of the window, you will see a list of words in white text. They will be something along the lines of SETUP - WIRELESS - SECURITY - ACCESS RESTRICTIONS - APPLICATIONS & GAMING - ADMINISTRATION -STATUS

Click on the WIRELESS link.
Now, a "sub menu" (just below the original list of links) appears. This should show some links along the lines of Basic Wireless Settings - Wireless Security - Wireless Network Access - Advanced Wireless Security

You can now change your wireless settings.

My recommendation is that you follow these Security settings:

1 - Enable WPA if at all possible
Background
WPA (WiFi Protected Access) greatly increases WLAN security. It introduces several new enhancements, including TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) that mitigates against so-called AirSnort or Wardriving attacks, and MIC (Message Integrity Check) that protects against Man in the Middle attacks. It also increases the WEP Initialization Vector from 24bits to 48bits, which is a huge improvement, as this makes the statistical likelihood of a weak IV being captured much lower. Finally, WPA introduces a dynamic key management feature, which allows for regular and automatic regeneration of WEP keys.
Implementation
WPA for most home wireless kit will run in WPA-PSK mode. The PSK stands for Pre Shared Key. This is effectively a password that you enter in your Access Point and your client that is used to independently generate new WEP keys on a regular basis. Ensure your passphrase is at least 20 characters long!
Caveats
Not all Access Points support WPA. This is unfortunate, but is not the end of the world.



2 - Change default SSID
Background
SSID (Service Set Identifier) can be considered analogous to a network name. All Access Points come "out of the box" with a default SSID. Every hacker worth his salt will know the most common SSIDs. Common examples are "Linksys" (for Linksys kit), "Netgear" (for Netgear kit), "Tsunami" (for Cisco kit) etc.
Implementation
Change the SSID to something more appropriate to you. Your name, favourite band, pet... whatever. Just don't use the default.
Caveats
None. There is no reason this should not be done.



3 - Disable SSID Broadcast
Background
SSID (Service Set Identifier) can be considered analogous to a network name. Most Access Points "broadcast" this by default. That is, they advertise the SSID to any listening client devices. This is fine for enterprise networks or "hotspots", but there is no reason to advertise your network to your neighbours. You will know the SSID anyway (see above), so you don't need to broadcast it.
Implementation
Different for all manufactures, but it should be pretty obvious. Just look for "SSID Broadcast" and disable it.
Caveats
This should not be considered a security improvement, as it's still possible to ascertain the SSID of a network that is not broadcasting, but it IS best practice. Just do it.



4 - Enable MAC filtering
Background
All Ethernet devices, including WLAN interfaces, have a MAC address. This is a 6-byte hexadecimal address that a manufacturer assigns to the Ethernet controller for a port. MAC addresses are "lower level" that IP addresses and are used on the Data layer. You can setup your Access Point to only allow certain MAC addresses (ie, certain devices) use your WLAN. In other words, you configure it to only allow your computer (laptop, sister/brother's etc) to associate to the WLAN. This will prevent unwanted visitors from hitching a free ride...
Implementation
Search for MAC Filter in your Access Point config guide. You will have to go to each computer you will use on your WLAN and note down their MAC address. Make sure you note down the WIRELESS adaptor, and not the wired network card! It's a bit tedious (as a MAC address is a long sting of hex), but it's worth it.
Caveats
Not entirely foolproof, as experienced hackers can spoof MAC addresses. But it certainly adds greatly to security.



5 - Turn down transmit power
Background
Most Access Points can transmit at up to 100mW; some even more. Why bother covering more area that you need? There's no point is offering temptation to the people across the street, so you should turn down your transmit power to the lowest level that sufficiently covers your house/apartment.
Implementation
Different for every manufacturer. Check your user guide.
Caveats
You may need some tweaking to get it right. If you do, then congratulations. You just carried out what is called a "Site Survey" in the industry. Soon, you'll be doing this for a living!


IF YOU WANT STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE, PLEASE ASK




Well, you don't broadcast WiFi. It's just a name. You're already WiFi.

Well, you could but you would not get any faster speed. The 802.11g standard is compatible with 802.11b (which is what your Access Point is using), but you won't get the higher speeds that 802.11g introduces. This is because the 802.11g adaptors "drops down" to the 802.11b speed. Effectively, you can only go as fast as the slowest part of your network.


No problem. Please continue to post and I'll continue to help if I can.

Well, the wireless network is probably not your bottle-neck. 250kbs sounds about right for an ADSL broadband connection. What kind of broadband link do you have? Have you measured the speed when you connect your laptop [i]directly[/b] to the BEFW11S4?

Please also note that WiFi does NOT offer any higher speeds or throughput than "standard" 802.11b or 802.11g or 802.11a. It's just a marketing and inter-operability term.

Hope this is of some help. Feel free to ask more questions.


Mr Mephisto