Need some help with a WRT54G

[badger]

Couple of questions about security settings on my WRT54G:

1) I'm currently using WEP, I know WPA is better but there are many, many different versions of WPA available in the menu: WPA Pre-Shared Key (with several algorithms), WPA Radius, WPA2 Pre-Shared, WPA Radius, then mixed versions of both WPA2 Pre-Shared and Radius.

Which do I use??

2) I've enabled the firewall in my router. How do I know it's working? After I enabled it I tried running an online game and it worked perfectly. Am I safer leaving my software firewalls installed as well as the routers firewall?

Cheers

[mrbanana]

Funnily enough I got my hands on one of these today thanks to FON. The GL model, which is now running a 3rd party firmware called dd-wrt, which has a built in vpn and openvpn server.

I don't think it matters whether you go for wpa or wpa2. On the other hand wep isn't very secure, but if you have an old wireless card that only handles wep encryption, it's better than nothing.

I'd go for WPA with preshared key. If you select wpa with preshared key that simply means you add a password to the router, then when you connect to the router from your laptop you use the same password to authenticate.

As for the firewall, I don't know. If it says it's on, it's on.

The router's firewall should block all unsolicited inbound requests by default. Very simply, when you want to open a connection with a server somewhere (your online game) the firewall should open the relevent port, allow the the server to reply through the same port, and then close the port again. ie, only allow 2 way traffic you've requested. In other words it's transparent. Nothing should be blocked outbound unless, of course, you've manually blocked that port in the firewall's rules.

Leave your software firewall on too if you like, belt and braces.

[badger]

Cheers, that's helpful. I did try using WPA pre-shared before but for some reason it wouldn't let my notebook connect. Will give it another go.


With regards the firewall, if it opens ports for outgoing requests surely that would mean that trojans could download files and other junk if they attempted to make an outgoing connection?

[mrbanana]

Badger, did you manage to connect? Just a thought, if you still have trouble connecting using a preshared key, have you updated your wireless card's drivers? I did it this afternoon on my wife's dell 9200 and it now does wpa2 psk and aes, whereas before it would only do wpa psk and tkip encryption.

I believe professional firewalls have all ports closed by default, and the user has to configure it to let anything out. Home firewalls don't work that way as the average home user wouldn't have a clue where to start.