How to secure unsecured wireless network?

Step 1 : Open “Network Connections” on your PC or laptop. If you do not have an Icon or specific file for network connections, it can be located under the “Control Panel” in the main menu. If you are connected to a network already it will show if it is an “unsecured wireless network” or “security-enabled wireless network.”

Step 2 : Find your default username and password for your router. Access your router by entering the default IP address of 192.168.0.1 (or a similar IP address - this number varies depending on the manufacturer) in your browser. If you are having difficulty accessing your wireless network or settings verify that your firewall or other Internet Security settings are not blocking your attempts to secure your network.

Step 3 : Log into your wireless router. Click the link for “Security” or similar link to access the security settings for your wireless network connection.

Step 4 : Set the authentication type to WPA. (WPA stands for Wireless Protection Access.)

Step 5 : Change the password or “Key” from the default setting to your personal password setting. This will prevent others from accessing your wireless router and its settings with the default password. Write down the password and keep it somewhere safe since you will not be using it often.

Step 6 : Turn the “Remote Management” setting to “Off.” This way changes can only be made to your wireless network connection by a computer already in the network. This makes it more difficult for hackers to access your wireless settings and the computers attached to your wireless network.

Step 7 : Click “Save” or “Apply” to save the changes you made to the settings. Close the Network Connections window.

Step 8 : Reopen the “Network Connections” window. Your connection should display as a “security-enabled wireless network” if your changes were saved successfully.