Configuring a router

[gerberdude]

As pertains to Staticas thread How to Secure a Network: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=118823
I have tried to use step #10: I am using the linksys control panel that is built right into the router, which I access by typing in the router's IP. I log onto the router CP, which is a linksys BEFW11S4. I activate the WEP 128 instead of the 64 bit security, but as soon as I do, the two laptops on the network become unable to access the internet. I disconnect from their connection and reconnect, enter the Password, but they get stuck when trying to obtain an IP address. Following this, they say that they are connected but with limited connectivity, and hence cannot access the internet.
The laptops are brand new Dells and are running XP Pro.
Also, on step #5: I know there is a section of this router CP where you can filter out ports. However, I have no idea how to do this, or what these numbers mean. Please help!
Finally on step #6: How can I figure out the MAC addresses for my devices around the office (which is where I am setting this network up)? Do I need to go to each machine and do this?
Thank you in advance for your help.

gerberdude

[doctorgonzo]

1) Do the laptops have wireless cards that are WEP-128 bit compatible?

2) I have never used a Linksys so I don't know what the control panel looks like, but there should be some link to "port forwarding", "port blocking", or something similar. All ports are going to be blocked by default, so you really only need to screw around with this if you need to unblock some ports.

3) Again, I'm not sure about Linksys, but my Netgear router lists the MAC addresses of everything connected to it, so again just browse around the controls for the router to see if there is a link for "connections" or something similar. Otherwise, you will have to go to the computers to check the MAC addresses; easiest way to do this is to go to the command line and type "ipconfig /all", which will list the IP address and MAC address, among other things (this works on Windows 2000/XP, for Windows 98 type in "winipcfg" instead.)

[Ob1]

hardwire your laptop to the router temporarily when setting up your encryption for the router and the wireless cards on your pc's. take the passphrase, or key from the router configuration page and copy and paste it to your wireless nic, then apply the settings to both the router and your nic card, unplug the ethernet cable and your off surfing with encryption.

before filtering by mac, make sure you have set up the encryption first
to configure mac filtering, click wireless tab, then wireless mac filter. click enable, then either choose permit only or prevent only. then click edit mac filter list. next a wireless
mac filter list shows all of your wireless devices mac addresses that u have selected. if none are showing, then click the wireless client mac list. in here, u will select whichs macs to permit or prevent.

for port forwarding, click application and gaming tab, then choose which ports to forward, select the ip address of your pc that u want these ports to be open for, click apply.

just and fyi....make sure on each page that after u make the changes that you want that u click the save button before selecting another tab. if u dont click save and u go to another tab, your router will go back to the last saved configuration settings.

the default ip address for your router is 192.168.1.1 and the default password is admin

hope this helps