Configure and Set Up Security for Your Linksys Wireless Router

Note: This is an UNSUPPORTED configuration! Neither Road Runner nor USM can assist with the setup or troubleshooting of a home network. We provide the following only as a helpful tool for the do-it-yourselfer. With that said, it's not very difficult, so read on….

Configuring your Router

Once your router has been successfully installed via the setup wizard, you are ready to set up your Linksys router for use. There are a number of changes to make to your router to ensure it works properly, and to increase security for your the computers on your network.

Note: After initial setup, configure or talk to your router at any time from a computer connected to it by typing your router's IP address (192.168.1.1) into your browser.

image of browser address bar where the user can type in their router's IP address
  1. Cable/DHCP Settings: The typical configuration should require that you select DHCP.
    setup screen: "Automatic Configuration - DHCP" selected
  2. Change your Password: It is extremely important that you change the password for your router. Select a strong password using numbers and letters. This is the password that you will use to login and configure your router after this initial setup.
    setup screen: changing the default password
  3. SSID: Select a unique name for your wireless network. The name of your network is known as the SSID. This is what wireless users will use to identify which router and network they connect to. Once your network is working properly, it is a good idea to configure your router so that you are not broadcasting your SSID for others to see.
    wireless settings screen: entering a name for the network
  4. Wireless Security: It is strongly suggested to use the strongest wireless security protocol that your computers support. WPA2 and WPA are stronger than WEP, but any of these are far better than nothing at all.

    Enable the highest level of encryption (WEP, WPA2, etc.) that your router supports. Use a strong key. (You don't have to remember it, so something like "dk8@jgk*[.by2" is better than "mykey" as your selected key.
    wirless security screen: choosing a complex key
  5. Restrict your wireless connection to a specific list of computers by MAC address: Configure your router to only allow connectivity to computers matching the MAC addresses of your computers. You can manually enter the MAC addresses from the configuration menus when you log in to your router. For help in locating the MAC address for your computer, see the FAQ.
    wireless MAC filter screen: wirless MAC filter enabled

    MAC address filter list screen: use this screen to enter the MAC addresses of each individual machine that you would like to allow on your network
  6. Using "SSL": Increase security by enabling HTTPS or SSL from the configuration menus when setting up your router.
    wireless management screen: choose HTTPS here as well as HTTP, and this will enable a more secure protocol that will help protect your router when logginf in to it from a computer on the network you have created

Edited by John Derouche, John Derouche, April 10, 2007. Screen captures taken from Linksys Configuration utility for Broadband Router WRT54G on March 30, 2007.

The USM Computing site is maintained by Robin McGlauflin.