How Do I Secure My 2Wire Router on My iBook?

Wireless connections with 2Wire routers have several security measures available. With an iBook you can access a 2Wire router's graphical user interface to make changes to the security settings. The security features include wireless encryption, MAC address filtering and SSID broadcasting. You can customize a combination of security measures to meet your needs depending on your situation. The 2Wire routers start out with WEP encryption enabled and a default 10-digit security key that is printed on the modem.

Instructions

1. Plug your iBook directly into the 2Wire router with an Ethernet cord. Ensure that the Ethernet light on the 2Wire router is on and check your IP address. If the IP address does not start with "192.168" you will need to contact technical support for assistance.

2. Open a browser like Safari and go to "gateway.2wire.net". This will display the 2Wire router's graphical user interface. Click on the "Home Network" icon. Click on the "Edit settings" button. Enter your password if prompted.

3. Review the SSID broadcast setting and wireless encryption setting to make sure they are set to match your preferences. This is also where the security key can be changed. If SSID broadcast is disabled, other people will not be able to see your network and you will need to type in the network name manually on any computers you wish to connect. If the encryption is off, anyone within range can connect to your network without a security key.

4. Click on the "MAC Filtering" button. Verify that the MAC filtering also matches your preferences. MAC filtering allows you to define a list of specific devices that can use the wireless network. These devices must also have the correct security key to be able to use the network. Any computers you want to add to the network must have their MAC address added to the list first.

Tips & Warnings

• A MAC address is sometimes referred to as a hardware address and is used by any device that can be connected to a local area network.

• If you make changes to the wireless settings while using a wireless connection, you will have to reconnect with the new settings to get back online.