Upping security on router

[moiraf100]

I'm currently on WPA-PSK which was preset on my Netgear WGR614v9.
Can I change to a higher level by just changing the security option?
Would it make it more complicated to log on - will it store a password?
Would it actually make a difference though?

[Pushkar]

The basic 'upper' security from WPA would be WPA2-PSK, it would be the same sort of login, just a little more complex to crack.

[moaningmags]

One of the best things to do to improve security is make your passphrase complex.
My passphrase or password is a complete sentence with spaces, apostrophes and full stops.

[moiraf100]

#2 Already on WPA-PSK
#3 So just up the complexity on the password then?
No need to go up a level or two on security?

[moaningmags]

I would say just up the complexity of the password, the amount of customers I've seen who use their fave football team or their dog's name as their password is scary. Even after I've pointed out that their neighbours will no doubt know this and if they guess it the neighbour will be using their broadband, they still do it

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by moaningmags

I would say just up the complexity of the password, the amount of customers I've seen who use their fave football team or their dog's name as their password is scary. Even after I've pointed out that their neighbours will no doubt know this and if they guess it the neighbour will be using their broadband, they still do it

Oh I have heard all those myself, calling it after their football team and star player all very obvious, or one kids name for the router and the other for the password, all crazy but true.

[Raistlin]

Actually best to not choose a pass'word' at all. Best bet is to go for a pass'phrase', or something made up from a passphrase.

You could (purely for example) take the first line of a song:

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, you gave love a bad name.

You've got upper case, lower case, and punctuation. Add to that the length of the thing and it's going to be near impossible to brute force, yet it's still simple enough that you can remember.

Failing that, you could develop it by logical and repeatable substitution, like this:

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, you gave love a bad name.
Stthaytbyglabn (remove punctuation, use first letters only)
$tt4&yt8y91@bn (now substitute letters for symbols/numbers)

Obviously your mileage with any of these techniques/suggestions will vary, and the effort you put into this sort of thing should always be balanced against the risk to your systems and the importance that you place upon protecting the data that they process/store.

[smcaul]

Or just do what half of my neighbours seem to do, use the name of their wife as their passwords!!! makes life very easy!!

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by TaiLZ

The basic 'upper' security from WPA would be WPA2-PSK, it would be the same sort of login, just a little more complex to crack.

Originally Posted by moiraf100

#2 Already on WPA-PSK
#3 So just up the complexity on the password then?
No need to go up a level or two on security?

WPA2-PSK is significantly more secure than WPA-PSK...

http://www.openxtra.co.uk/articles/wpa-vs-80211i

[Matth]

If everything supports it, moving up to WPA2-PSK is an extra step

[JoeBloggs]

Also disable 'Broadcast SSID'.

Use the 'Mac Address Filter' too.

Change the routers default gateway address.. IE from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.3.23

[tweetiepooh]

Switching off Broadcast SSID really doesn't help and can hinder you adding new stuff to your network.

You can get completely random characters for setting the access phrase.
http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/.../generator.php generated
IPd5xfoB6Yd/gMAand\ey5Uj7xEOU5PnU\sGXWRc%\caGm/%E$X3+$l4o!S9%rw

If you really need to secure your wireless you can look at WPA2-Enterprise that uses different keys per user but that is likely to be beyond requirements and isn't so simple.

[popper]

Originally Posted by moiraf100

I'm currently on WPA-PSK which was preset on my Netgear WGR614v9.
Can I change to a higher level by just changing the security option?
Would it make it more complicated to log on - will it store a password?
Would it actually make a difference though?

sure you can as already said,"will it make a difference" again Yes, but not in the way you think....especially on the likes of the VM supplyed cutdown WGR614v9 with its mere 200Mhz CPU.

i notice that while everyones so concerned about their VERY local security, no ones mentioned the fact all the VM supplyed routers indeed most so called home wireless routers internal CPU's are VERY weak and slow today, the more security you ask them to perform, the slower your wireless router thoughput is likely to get....

are you really so concerned that mary ,pete,jason and june and the kids next door eather side, can IF they bothered to learn how, actually had the right wireless hardware, and required software, and actually go to the trouble of trying to potentially break even your common wep "Long passwords" that your ready to potentially slow your wireless router kit down to a far lower data rate throughput 24/7!

these people are probably so close to you anyway that they can hear you giving your other half the new password.

from that community perspective, you,mary ,pete,jason and june and the kids next door eather side, would be far better sharing your wireless LANs to WAN connections to better share the collective data throughput and storage costs for all etc.....

[moiraf100]

Originally Posted by TaiLZ

The basic 'upper' security from WPA would be WPA2-PSK, it would be the same sort of login, just a little more complex to crack.

Oops, didn't see the '2' that slipped in after the WPA.
Probably think I'm a big ignoramus. ;-)

Thanks guys for the input.