Thursday 7 June 2012

WPA And WEP setup in Wi-Fi Router


Setting up WEP, WPA or WPA2 personal wireless security on a Linksys wireless router



Wireless security is one of the first things to do in setting up your router.  This is the best way to prevent other people from deliberately using your wireless Internet connection.
How do I set up the wireless security of my Linksys router?
To set up wireless security on your router, you need to access its web-based setup page first.  Follow the instructions below to know how:


Step 1: Open any web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer).  On the Address bar, enter your router’s local IP address then press [Enter].  The default IP address of Linksys routers is192.168.1.1.



Step 2:When the login prompt appears, leave the User name field blank, then enter “admin” on the Password field.
NOTE:  If you have set a password before but forgot it, you need to reset the device. 

QUICK TIP:  The router’s password (which you used in this step) is different from the password of your wireless network.  This password is only used to access the router’s web-based setup page.
You will be redirected to the main screen of the setup page.


Step 3:On the setup page, click the Wireless tab then click the Wireless Security sub-tab.


Step 4:On the Configuration View section, click the Manual radio button.


IMPORTANT:  For other models, you may immediately scroll down the page until you reach the Wireless Security section.

Choosing the ideal wireless security for your router
Your Linksys router supports four (4) of the most commonly used wireless security types: WEPWPA PersonalWPA2 Personal and WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode.  Here’s a table that best compares the different security types:

Security Rank  Number of Characters
WEP Wired Equivalent Protocol Basic 40/64-bit (10 characters)
128-bit (26 characters)
WPA Personal Wi-Fi Protected Access Personal   Strong 8-63 characters
WPA2 PersonalWi-Fi Protected Access 2 Personal  Strongest 8-63 characters
WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode WPA2:  Strongest
WPA:  Strong
 8-63 characters


WPAWPA2 and WPA2/WPA security modes are highly recommended over WEP for a higher level of security.  Using WEP encryption makes your wireless network susceptible to security breaches.  Follow the instructions below to know how to set up each security mode.
For WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode

Step 1:On the Security Mode field, select WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode and enter your Passphrase.
NOTE:  The Passphrase must consist of at least eight (8) characters and is case-sensitive.
NOTE:  WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode is also referred to as PSK2-Mixed for some Linksys routers.  Refer to the image below for an example.


Step 2:
Click .
For WPA2 Personal


Step 1:On the Security Mode field, select WPA2 Personal and enter your Passphrase.
NOTE:  The Passphrase must consist of at least eight (8) characters and is case-sensitive.
NOTE:  WPA2 Personal is also referred to as PSK2 for some Linksys routers.  Refer to the image below for an example.


Step 2:Click .

For WPA Personal


Step 1:On Security Mode, select WPA Personal and enter your Passphrase.
NOTE:  The Passphrase must consist of at least eight (8) characters and is case-sensitive.
NOTE:  WPA Personal is also referred to as WPA Pre-Shared Key or PSK Personal for some Linksys routers. Refer to the images below for an example.
WPA Pre-Shared Key
NOTE:  The WPA Shared Key in the image above is the network password you will use to connect wirelessly.
PSK Personal
NOTE:  The Pre-shared Key in the image above is the network password you will use to connect wirelessly.


Step 2:Click 
Other things to remember
•     For dual-band routers, setting up the wireless security may depend on the exact type of dual-band router that you are
      using.  Dual-band routers can be either simultaneous or selectable.  If the router is selectable, this means that you can
      only use one (1) wireless band at a time and set a single wireless network password.
      However, if your dual-band router is simultaneous, you can use both 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless bands at the same time. This
      also means that you can set two (2) different wireless network names and wireless passwords for each frequency (which
      is actually recommended to avoid interference).

15 Killer Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts That Might Surprise You


Killer Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 7
One of my personal favorites among the new features that Windows 7 came with was the introduction of some awesome and long awaited keyboard shortcuts. I personally use them as much as I can to save time, and I recommend the practice of using keyboard shortcuts to others too.
This article talks about 15 really cool keyboards shortcuts that are specific to Windows 7. I can bet that you don’t know all of them. Check them out, some of them will surprise you for sure.

1. Ctrl+Shift+N to Create a New Folder

Create a new folder with a shortcut key
Creating a new folder in Windows explorer is something we all need to do on a frequent basis. And until now, there was no default shortcut key available for this task. But Windows 7 changed that.
You could now use Ctrl+Shift+N to quickly create a new folder in Windows or anywhere on your computer where a folder can be created.

2. Ctrl+Shift+Click to Open a Program As Administrator

run as administrator
There are many instances when just clicking on the icon of the application and opening it doesn’t solve your purpose. You need to right click on it and click on “Run as Administrator” so that you can make the required changes to the app.
In Windows 7, this can be done with a keyboard shortcut. You just need to point your mouse cursor on that program and then click on it while pressing Ctrl+Shift keys to open it as administrator.

3. Shift+Right-Click Enhances Send to Menu

send to menu
The above screenshot shows the default send to menu that I get when I simply right click on a program.
Now, if I press the Shift key, and while having it pressed, I right click on the icon, I get an enhanced send to menu. See the screenshot below to check how it looks.
send to menu enhanced
Nice, isn’t it?
Also check 2 Useful Tools To Add Items & Customize the Windows Right Click Menu.

4. Shift+Right-Click on a Folder to Open Command Prompt

open command windows
If you do Shift+right-click on a folder, you’ll find an option that says “Open command windows here.” If you love working with the command prompt, this option should come in handy.

5. Win+Space to Quickly Show Desktop

Remember our quick tip on hiding open windows in windows 7 ? Well, this is the keyboard shortcut version of that mouse cursor trick. Pressing the Win key and the space bar simultaneously shows you the desktop immediately.

6. Win+Up/Down/Left/Right for Moving the Active Window

Create a new folder with a shortcut key
If you intend to quickly move the active window to make space for other apps, you could do that by using the Win key and one of the arrow keys. Each arrow key would move the window in the direction it is meant to.

7. For Dual Monitors: Win+Shift+Left Arrow Key to Move Active Window to Left Monitor

If you are on a dual monitor setup using Windows 7 then you could press the Win+Shift+Left arrow key combination to move the active application window to the left monitor.

8. For Dual Monitors: Win+Shift+Right Arrow Key to Move Active Window to Right Monitor

Similarly, if you need to move the current window to the right monitor screen, just press Win+Shift+right arrow key.

9. Win+T to Get to Taskbar Items

windows 7 taskbar
You could use the key combination Win+T to toggle through the applications pinned on the taskbar in Windows 7.

10. Shift+Click on a Taskbar App to Open a New Instance of the App

Let’s say you’ve got a bunch of Chrome windows open. And you need to quickly open a new blank window of the browser. Here’s the way – point your cursor to the chrome icon on the taskbar, hit Shift and click on it. There you go!

11. Win+B to Move Focus to the System Tray

system tray
In a previous article, we talked about a technique to add more clocks to the default Windows clock in the system tray. Now, if you need to get there without using your mouse cursor, how’d you do that?
Answer – Win+B. That would move the focus on the system tray, and then you could use the arrow keys to cycle through the items, including the Windows clock.

12. Win+P for Quickly Connecting Your Laptop to a Projector

projection menu windows 7
Windows 7 has a nifty projection menu feature which enables you to quickly connect your laptop to a projector or an extended monitor. Win+P is the keyboard shortcut for that purpose.

13. Win+1, Win+2..so on for Opening Taskbar Programs

Want to quickly open a program that’s pinned to your Windows 7 taskbar? You can press the Win key and the number corresponding to the location of the app on the taskbar.

14. Win+Pause helps you check System Properties

system properties
Need to take a quick look at what’s the processor model you are using, or may be check the device manager, or advanced system settings? You could use Win+pause key combination to open the system properties window.

15. Ctrl+Shift+Esc Can Quickly Open Windows Task Manager

I think this was in Vista too, I am not sure. But it’s a cool shortcut nevertheless. Just press the Ctrl key, Shift key and the ESC key simultaneously and you have the task manager pop up right in front!
So that was about the amazing Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts. I hope you find them useful. In fact, learn them if you are on Windows 7. That’s what I did and it has helped a great deal. If I’ve missed a cool shortcut, do share that in the comments