What is an SSID?

A wireless network's SSID is simply its name. Ask your computer to find available wireless networks and you'll get a list of SSIDs such as BTVOYAGER123. If you buy, say, a Linksys wireless router it'll initially have the name (the SSID) "Linksys". You can change your router's SSID to anything you like - for example let's say you decide to call yours Mildred. Now search for wireless networks and Mildred will appear on the list.

What is a WEP?

It's a password. If you set up your wireless router, Mildred, without a password, any passing Tom, Dick or Harry can get onto the internet via your wireless router. But assign a password, a WEP, and Tom or Dick or Harry can only use your wireless router if they know the password (WEP). (Technically a WEP isn't a password it's an encryption key but think of it as a password and you'll be OK.)

What is a MAC address?

A MAC address is a number that identifies your computer, or more precisely it identifies the wireless adaptor inside your computer. MAC addresses look a bit like this 00-16-4F-6A-32-D9. (To find the MAC address: click Start, click Run, type "cmd", type "ipconfig/all". Scroll down to find the MAC of the Wireless Connection.)

What is MAC address filtering?

We said above that someone can only get online via your wireless router if they know the password (the WEP). But clever hackers can bypass that. So as an extra level of security you can tell your wireless router only to allow certain computers to connect to it. How do you do that? Yes, you guessed it - you tell your router only to allow computers with certain MAC addresses to connect. So, if the family has 3 PCs/laptops and your visiting uncle has a laptop, you tell the router only to allow those 4 MAC addresses to connect. Your router won't allow any other MAC addresses to connect to it - it'll filter them out.