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Changing the Default Wireless Settings
Your Cable Modem/Router comes from the factory with a default SSID (Wireless
Network Name), WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK wireless security and a random Wireless
Security Key (Wireless Password). These default settings for your router are listed on the
bottom label of your unit. Most users can go ahead and use the default settings.
You may want to change your wireless settings if the wireless devices on your network
are already configured to use an existing wireless network name and password. Instead
of having to reconfigure all the devices on your network, you can change the Cable
Modem/Router to match the existing settings used by your devices. Read this chapter if
you want to use another wireless security mode, or if you want to change either the SSID
or Wireless Security Key. If you want to use the default wireless settings, you can skip
this chapter.
About Wireless Security
There are two basic wireless security modes, WPA and WEP. There are two versions of
WPA: WPA and WPA2. When configured as part of a typical home or small office
network, WPA and WPA2 require a Pre-Shared Key, or PSK. These modes are typically
called WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK, respectively, though sometimes they’re just called
WPA and WPA2. You can enable either WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK alone, or you can
enable both WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK together. By default, your Cable Modem/Router
has both WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK enabled. You will only need to change the security
mode if you know that you have a device you are connecting to your wireless network
that only supports WEP. (Go to Setting Up Security Using WEP.
) In the unlikely event
that you want an unsecured network, this is discussed late in this chapter in Disabling
Security.
Note: If you have a Radius Server (very unlikely for a home network), select the
WPA/WPA2 options without PSK. All instances of WPA and/or WPA2 that follow refer to
WPA-PSK and/or WPA2-PSK unless noted otherwise.
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