[Stuncle Eve]

We have a small office network that has just gone wireless. There's a G4 iMac, my MacBook, and a new Linksys wireless router - WRT54G. I just plugged everything in & it all works fine, except I can't find a way to access the router settings to secure the network. The cd that came with the router has no Mac-specific info, of course, so it's pretty useless.

Also, WAP or WEP? I'm a little unclear on which is beter?

Thanks.

[ghporter]

Connect to the router through an ethernet cable. Now open a browser and enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar. When the authentication window comes up, leave the user name blank and enter the default password: admin. Configuring wireless security is under chapter 6 in the manual (as is the above information). Use the CD that came with the thing as a coaster, because that's all it's good for. NOBODY really needs what the CD does.

Appendix B on Wireless Security is very good, except that I disagree with their assertion that not broadcasting SSIDs makes networks more secure.

[Stuncle Eve]

Does it matter whether the configuration is done on the iMac or the MacBook?

[amazing]

Follow Glenn's instructions above. Then, be sure to change the default password to something else--it's surprising how many people don't change the default password.

WEP is not very secure. You should use WPA. Also, for an added security layer, you can use MAC (having to do with "machine address," not Apple/Mac itself) filtering. Namely, each wireless card has a specific MAC address, which you enter into the Linksys database of allowed wireless devices. OS X lists the airport card MAC in the Network System Pref, where Apple calls it the "Airport ID."

Lastly, you should have the firewall enabled on all the connected Macs (under the Sharing System Prefs.

[amazing]

Any computer on the network can administer the Linksys, since it's all done thru a web browser. You just have to know the password to get in. Which is why you immediately change the password to something other than the default.

[ghporter]

It is VERY important to use an ethernet cable to connect to the router when you make changes. In many cases Linksys routers will NOT ALLOW changes to some settings via wireless connections. Further, if you don't use a cable, if you change some settings you'll completely lose your connection and may have to reset the router and start over. But as amazing points out, you can use ANY computer to configure the router (though not all browsers do well-some of the Linksys setup pages depend on particular Java or javascript capabilities that may or may not be supported by Safari).

[Stuncle Eve]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

It is VERY important to use an ethernet cable to connect to the router when you make changes. In many cases Linksys routers will NOT ALLOW changes to some settings via wireless connections. Further, if you don't use a cable, if you change some settings you'll completely lose your connection and may have to reset the router and start over. But as amazing points out, you can use ANY computer to configure the router (though not all browsers do well-some of the Linksys setup pages depend on particular Java or javascript capabilities that may or may not be supported by Safari).

I seem to be having some trouble with this - I'm using the iMac, I can access the basic setup page, save my settings, but when I try for the next page, I lose my connection, the page times out, & I have to start over, & I don't get any further the second (& third, & fourth...) time around. Same thing happens whether I use Safari or Firefox.

Any suggestions?

[amazing]

Suggestion: use the ethernet port on the MB (making sure that the location in Network Prefs is setup for ethernet) and see if that works.

[ghporter]

Are you using a cable or wireless? This is exactly the kind of symptom configuring a router over wireless produces. OR it could be that you're changing the network's IP range in your configuration. If that's the case, then you must go into the Network Preferences pane and renew the IP lease for your built-in ethernet card; that's because when you make that change, the router changes but your computer doesn't because it doesn't know that it needs to.

If I'm way off base above, then follow amazing's suggestion of trying the ethernet port on your MacBook.

[Stuncle Eve]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Are you using a cable or wireless? This is exactly the kind of symptom configuring a router over wireless produces. OR it could be that you're changing the network's IP range in your configuration. If that's the case, then you must go into the Network Preferences pane and renew the IP lease for your built-in ethernet card; that's because when you make that change, the router changes but your computer doesn't because it doesn't know that it needs to.

If I'm way off base above, then follow amazing's suggestion of trying the ethernet port on your MacBook.

I was using our G4 iMac which is cabled to the router, so I wouldn't expect to lose the connection.

If I follow your second suggestion, will that in any way affect how my MB functions on my home wireless network? (I am assuming that you're referring to renewing the IP lease on my MB's card.)

I think I'll try amazing's idea as well - seems pretty simple.

[amazing]

Last suggestion is to go to the Linksys support site and verify that you have the latest firmware for the WAP.

The reason I was suggesting trying the laptop over ethernet to access the config pages, is just to double-check that the problem wasn't with the iMac.