Wireless security settings, help and advise which to choose

What security type should I have set on my wireless BT Homehub connection?

Its currently defaulted to:

Security type - no authentication (open)

Encription type - WEP

The security type drop down list includes various different 'WPA' options such as

no authentication (open)

WPA-personal

WPA2-personal

WPA-enterprise

WPA2-enterprise

I want to ensure my connection is secure, should I change it, or is it secure as it is?

Which should I have please?

WEP is a waste of time, it's only going to keep your neighbours out - but their kids! and anyone else who wants to is going to get round it in seconds

WPA2 for me (personal will do), no reason you shouldn't go for the best encryption on offer!

Thanks emperor

Whan changing to WPA2-personal, the 'encription type' options change to either AES or TKIP.

When I then enter my wireless key, I get disconnected from the internet. The only way to reconnect is to go back to the original 'no authentication' setting.

When connecting my iphone to my wireless router, I have to enter my wireless key in order to connect. Does this mean I havent got to change any of the above settings, as if any neighbours try to connect to my network they will also be asked to enter the wireless key?

Hi WarPig,

For WPA-Personal use TKIP.

You will need to enter a new key - when you change the security settings you should be asked for a new key which you can create manually using a combination of numbers and letters and even hieroglyphs (!"£*@) etc.

You should also make your router's name obscure, and lastly hide it (but not before making a note of what you have called your router).

regards,

swarfendor43

Thanks, so I guess choosing an obscure key is advisable. I assume that I would need to choose something I can remember.

I'll give it a go, thanks for the replies.

Ive tried changing to WPA2 and TKIP, but I immediately loose my internet connection and cant get it back until I change the settings back again.

1. Change settings on router first - there should be a wireless page/link when you log on to the router (I cannot comment on BT Homehub as do not have any experience of how these work - just Netgear and Belkin

2. Change settings on equipment that connect to internet last.

regards,

swarfendor43

Ive tried changing to WPA2 and TKIP, but I immediately loose my internet connection and cant get it back until I change the settings back again.

Where are you changing these settings - in the router or in whatever you're using to connect to it ?

You need to set up the router first, ideally vie an ethernet connection. Set the security level (wpa2-psk) and enter a password. Make a note of the password and when you try to connect wirelessly (eg from a laptop) you'll be asked for this password before you can connect to the router.

If you can't connect to the router via cable you can use the wireless connection to get to the router's settings page via http://bthomehub.home.

Use the user name and password supplied by BT then go to the 'Settings' menu and select 'See or change your wireless security code'. The Home Hub usually comes with a default WPA-PSK Encryption Key which you should write down so you can use it when connecting from the wireless client.

Note that if you're using WinXP SP2 on the wireless client it only handles WEP unless you update it with this file, WindowsXP-KB917021-v3-x86-ENU.exe to enable WPA/WPA2.

...Note that if you're using WinXP SP2 on the wireless client it only handles WEP unless you update it with this file, WindowsXP-KB917021-v3-x86-ENU.exe to enable WPA/WPA2.

I find this hard to believe as have been with TalkTalk Broadband since June 2006 (SP3 didn't come out until 6.5.2008) and I was using WPA on an XP sp2 client from day 1.

regards,

swarfendor43

Thanks for all the advice, Im currently at work so I will try out your suggestions when I get home this evening.

Your help is appreciated.