Fresh install, SuSE 10.3 yesterday. #1 Son couldn't connect to wireless router after install. So this evening after pushing the reset button on back of router and re-starting he connects right away with Airport on his Mac. I'm a hero, he's grateful, then he casually says to me..."and thanks Dad for getting rid of that stupid logon password thingy, too!" Uh...what?

My concern now is...how do I see and configure if necessary, my current wireless router security settings? (which I probably nuked w/the reset button.) I'm thinking, if he can connect w/no authentication, when he had to before, that others can as well.

I checked the Tutorials, but I'm not even sure what it is I should be looking for?!

I suppose I shouldn't complain as the install went smoothly, everything works, and all related peripherals are now again talking to each other. Even as a total Linux noob though, the possibility of running an open wireless network gives me reason to pause. I don't even know if this is a Linux issue, or a wireless router issue? Oh, it's a Belkin N F5D8233-4 if it makes any difference.

If someone could point me in the right direction, I'd be appreciative.


-Open SuSE 10.3. So easy, even Hooodahell can install it.

Hi,

From a browser you can webadmin the router by entering the IP of the router in the address bar of the browser. I don't use Belkin but the IP could be '192.168.0.1'. If the Belkin is your gateway then use that IP.

This was an excellent starting point, thank you!

I googled IP addy for Belkin wireless and eventually found the default setting!

For anyone else...the default address for the Belkin is -

192.168.2.1 in your browser address bar and from there, you can configure everything about it.

Thanks again!

Since the device itself is working, in SuSE 10.3 you configure wireless through YaST2. If you opt to use knetworkmanager, and your son uses KDE, then you can defer the entering of the wpa-psk key until knetworkmanager asks for it. It can be saved in kwalletmanager. After saving the wpa-psk key once, you only need to enter your wallet password (which could be the same as the login password).

If you don't use the kwalletmanager, you can enter the key in once in YaST2. It is saved in the /etc/sysconfig/networking/ifcfg-<device> config file. Then the system uses this file to authenticate and you son wouldn't need a password. The first method would be preferable for laptops. You can log into different networks, and select the one in knetworkmanager. The wireless authentication configuration screen in YaST2 is after you select the "next" button in the network device configuration page.

I use a random 64 hex digit key for my wireless which would be too long to remember and hopefully too complicated for a cracker to brute force.