I use WEP, mainly because some old equipment doesn't support WPA, but I live in the country, and someone would either have to use a directional high gain antenna, because I can't receive the signal at the boundaries of my property.

Karl

Peter:

Wep/Wpa refer to the WIRELESS connection from the Router instaled locally, not the ISP connection.  Firewalls have no bearing on Wireless connections...

Do you use Wireless with your systems?

I doubt that is really the case.  ISP's may supply a Router and that may also include Wireless, however the ISP does not configure the Wireless side, the customer does...

Are you using Wireless at your location?  If not, I recommend going into the Router configuration and disabling it.  That guarantees thw Wireless connection is "secure" as nobody can then use it...

For maybe two years now, a number of major DSL providers have been shipping their "routers" preconfigured with WEP enabled, and the installation CD will set it up during the initial set-up. Normally the default password is the serial number of the unit--not totally clever, but much better than nothing.

>> the installation CD will set it up

Not possible.  Router firmware doesn't enable configuring like that.  Think about why - that would be very simple for malware to duplicate and take over the Router...

Install CD's are the first thing I throw away.  All those silly things do is pollute the PC with frills and gunk.  No way I will allow that to happen on my watch...

Dale?

 "Not possible.  Router firmware doesn't enable configuring like that."

Router firmware has nothing to do with this. When you sign up for a DSL account, you can't just plug in the box and connect. You need to either run a configuration program, or manually configure the router. The only thing the firmware is supplying during the routine, is the serial number of the router, as a way to generate a unique name for it.

And I'm telling you, it is not only possible but I have twice used "out of the box" DSL routers where the setup CD defaulted to setting up WEP, and naming the connection itself with its serial number--which it found all by itself. No, it didn't use that for the password, itprompts the user to make one up, and even comes with a card where the user can write it down.

Throwing out the installation CD may or may not make your life any easier, but with some ISPs if you do not run the configuration software--they won't help you do a manual configuration either. (Nice folks.)

For MOST USERS, who are home users with near zero security skills, the change from automatically installing NOTHING to automatically having the user configure WEP, is a good idea. Not the best--but better than what they were doing before.