Do your neighbors frequently hack into YOUR wireless network? Are you constantly paying for YOUR neighbors' quota usage because they know how to hack? Secure your network today! Here's a guide to` the NetGear range of products.
What is security?
There are really two… no, three types of security. No security, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) security and WPA security. WEP is older and easier to hack, but not allowed by some NETGEAR routers. WPA is the most up-to-date, but is not compatible with some portable WiFi devices such as the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite. There are also two types of WPA, but we are going to talk about WPA2, the second and newest type.
So if you want to use Nintendo WiFi, that's a different story. I'm going to talk about WPA2 security. However, the setup is very similar for WPA1 (WPA).
Why secure?
Anybody with a wireless area network (WAN) or wireless router should at least use WEP encryption. This is because routers today are configured to "broadcast" at a larger range. This basically means that as the years went on, you could be further away from your router to use it. Unfortunately, this means that your neighbors can just jump onto their computers and use up your quota set by your ISP, meaning you'll get slower internet (this is called "shaping") and a costly invoice. But if you live in the middle of nowhere, and your nearest neighbor is out of your wireless router's range capability (anywhere up to 500m), you can stay unsecured.
What NETGEAR routers are WPA2 compatible?
Here I'm going to assume that you're a home user or have a home router. Here is a list of all the home NETGEAR WAN routers and whether they're WPA2 compatible or not.
| Router Brand/Range Name | Compatible With |
| RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router | WEP, WPA, WPA2 |
| RangeMax Next Wireless-N Modem Router | WEP, WPA, WPA2 |
| RangeMax Wireless Router | WEP, WPA, WPA2 |
| Double 108 MBPS | WPA |
| Super G Wireless Routers | WEP, WPA |
| Wireless G Routers | WEP, WPA |
How can I secure my router through WPA or WPA2?
- Make sure your computer is connected by wire to the NETGEAR router or modem router
- Open Internet Explorer
- Type into the address bar www.192.168.0.1 or www.192.168.1.1 (depending on the product) and hit ENTER.
Unless you've configured otherwise, the default username is admin and the password password.
- On the left-hand side, under Setup, click "Wireless Settings"
- Under "Security Options", select your desired encryption method (preferably WPA2-PSK)
- Choose a Network Key - it can be anything, as long as it's 8-63 characters in length
- Hit Apply
- Now on the computers you wish to connect to over wireless, repeat the process
