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lowrider · Regular Poster Joined: 15 Dec 2005 Posts: 81

I am running Windows XP Home and my main computer is connected to RR cable modem. I also have a Linksys Wireless Router WRT54G. I have 3 more laptops in the home that connect to this Router. I had named this connection and it was password protected. All of sudden when one of the laptops tried to connect, it came up as just a Linksys Router and the laptop connected to it....no password and it is not a secured connection. What happened and how can I fix this? Anybody with some step by step instructions would be appreciated. THANKS!

Racerbob · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:38 pm Post subject:

Wait... why is your main computer not connected to the router also ? With an ethernet cable, that is. How are you connecting to the modem ? USB port ?

The connection should be like this...ethernet cable out of the modem to the input on the router, your computer connected to the router via ethernet cable (so much faster than usb to the modem) and then the other computers either hard wired into the router or wireless. My Linksys never gives us any issues and my home network stays secured all the time. When friends and family visit with their wireless devices I share the password with them to connect to my network.
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lowrider · Regular Poster Joined: 15 Dec 2005 Posts: 81

Sorry...it is connected like that...always has been. I have always done it like you, the othe laptops connect via wireless.

I just don't know how it got unsecured and how to get it back secured.

Racerbob · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:01 pm Post subject:

You need to type http://192.168.1.1 in your address bar in your favorite browser...from your computer.. the one that is connected to the router..

Then the user name / password box comes up.. remember what it is ?

This gets you access to the router settings. You need to reset your wireless security settings. Make sure that you choose WPA.

If you cannot remember the log in info.. start over again.. on the back of the router is a reset button.. use the point of a pen to hold that in for a short while to do a total rest of the router. Then the user name is admin and password is admin to log into the router. Change this after you get into the router. At the very least, change the password. Also, don't use the default name for your network.. (that would be Linksys)...change that to something else.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/200742/Linksys-WRT54G-User-Guide

Good luck.
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Steve · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:21 pm Post subject:

It could have been a neighbor just bought a new Linksys router and left the default settings.
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FKA_Christian · Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject:

I would definitely consider Steve's theory, especially before "fixing" the security settings. This happened before at my parent's house. The connection seemed slow, so I went to http://192.168.1.1. The settings were changed. What tipped me off was checking the "DHCP Client's Table" under Local Network in the Status tab. I recognized some of the our neighbors computer names and none of our own.

If you enter the above IP address in a computer with a wired connection to the router, you will be sure you are looking at your own router settings.

Also, there's probably a list of preferred wireless networks on your laptop, just make sure that your network is first priority and maybe remove any just named linksys.
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