Has someone changed my network to a secure network?

[Brokey]

I have been connecting to the internet from my laptop wirelessly though a netgear wirelss ADSL modem router, the network was unsecured as basically it looked a bit of a minefield to secure it.

I couldn't get onto to internet today and when i looked at available networks mine was shown as being security enabled and it asked me for a network key, obviously i have no key. I can connect through an ethernet cable to the router.

It doesn't look like encryption has been set in the router as the security options are set to disabled. i have changed the password to access the router settings page so i'm not really sure what has happened.

If anyone can shed some light on this i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

Brokey

[Brokey]

Its ok........problem sorted, and i've even enabled WEP encryption and MAC filtering. Tomorrow......world domination

[fo3nix]

If the router gives you the choice, change the security from WEP to WPA.

[Brokey]

thanks fo3nix,

it will let me. When it asks for a key between 8-63 characters long do i just enter a series of completely random letters and numbers, then entering the same numbers into the network settings of my laptop or is there more of a science to it than that.

[fo3nix]

Some routers do it differently. If possible enter a passphrase that it'll convert to hex for you, then enter that into your computers. With WEP you used to have to use a 13-digit hex key for it to be totally operable on mac and windows, but this is sorted now with WPA (the standard was never properly set for WEP). Just try whatever works, and have the key as long as reasonably possible.