Programming a Router Thru a Wireless Connection?

I ask now because I have connected to an open access router accessible from my home but not on my network, and when I looked at my Network Places, I found a description of the router I connected to and in the Properties I found the program address for that router, along with its MAC address. I don't want to experiment by trying to get into its programming just to see if I can. That could be interpreted as an attack and get me into trouble.

I just want to know so when I set up my network again I'll take the right measures to secure my system.

Tom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In every assembly, of whatever size, passion will always steal the crown from reason. John Adams

My BT Voyager 2000 can be programmed wireless...........

In article , snipped-for-privacy@nothing.com (known to some as Tom) scribed...

Check the manual. Many wireless routers CAN be programmed in this manner, and leaving it wide open without a password is like hanging a big red target around your neck saying I'M AN AMERICAN - PLEASE ABUSE ME,' and walking through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq.

In short: You need to take security a LOT more seriously now to avoid mucho trouble in the future. If you value the integrity of your router, network, and connected computers.

The most basic and common-sense rules of ANY type of computing and network security can be summed up as:

(1) NEVER leave ANY device that has password protection capability, at least for its configuration section, WITHOUT a password. This most definitely includes wireless routers.

(2) DON'T choose a password that can be easily guessed or social- engineered. DO NOT use your name, your address, a pet's name, relative's name, or anything that can be easily guessed with a bit of detective work.

(3) DO use numbers and/or punctuation in your password of choice.

Happy tweaking.

d'oh!

Sure, if you can connect to its web interface, you can reprogramme it, assuming you know the admin password. Never ever leave a router at the default password, encryption keys or whatever. Never ever leave a computer with no password, by the same token.