WRT54G Security Mass Confusion

I'm very advanced computer wise, but very confused by wireless security. I have read countless instructions on securing my wireless connection, even a couple from Linksys, but each and every darn time, the instructions don't match my screen. That, or some error or warning stops my progress.
I changed my SSID and passwords. Now none of my other computers can get Internet. I disabled SSID Broadcast (went back and enabled as well) trying to get other computers on board. I went through he Mac filter instructions, got lost some how, and I've even used the instructions from Linksys "Configuring a Non-Linksys Wireless Adapter with a Linksys Wireless Network." I couldn't get those instructions anywhere close to what was on my other computers screen (ncpa.cpl). That process went no place.
Can someone please help here? Pointing me to Linksys instructions is not helping. I guess products change, but when it says to click on something that does not exist, DEAD in the water.
I just don't know what I'm missing here. This should not be so freaking confusing.
Please, please, can someone give me some step by step, SIMPLE instructions? Yes, setting up my Linksys for a secure connection, but my girls are going nuts because I've changed my settings and they can't get a connection. Crapppppollla!!
Thank you,
Joe

Well, the wireless security you can use depends on what clients you want to connect and what security they are able to use. The best is to setup WPA2...
First: make sure you are running the most current firmware on your router. Check the download pages on the linksys website. Select your router model and hardware version (printed on the label underneath the router). It shows you a page with all available downloads for this router. Click firmware. It shows you the firmware version which you can download. Go to http://192.168.1.1/ The router firmware is shown somewhere in the upper right corner. Other firmware version may be different and it is somewhere else if it is not there. Check the status tabs or the administration tabs and look for the firmware version. If you are not running the current version, download the current version from the server and upload the .bin file to your router through the firmware upgrade function in the administration tab.
Second: setting up wireless security consists of several steps, some are optional:
1. change the router password, i.e. the password for the router web configuration. This password is request when connecting to http://192.168.1.1/ You can change it on the administration tab. You don't want anyone else access or change the configuration. For instance, the wireless encryption keys can be read in the configuration in plaintext. (O.K. This was not about wireless security, but the overall security of the router). Save the setting.
2. Wireless tab. Change the SSID from linksys to something unique. It prevents a lot of confusion in case your neighbor buys a linksys router, too, and runs it out-of-the-box with the same SSID. Save the setting. (Leave the SSID broadcast enabled for the moment).
3. Wireless security tab. Choose security mode "WPA2 Personal". Choose algorithms "TKIP+AES" unless all your clients can do AES. Enter a good preshared key into the field. 8-63 characters long. Leave the key renewal interval as it is. Save the setting.
Now try to connect your wireless clients to your network. If you are using Windows Zero Configuration for your wireless card you simply have to connect the wireless to your SSID network and it will automatically ask you for the preshared key. Enter it twice and you should get connected. If not, please check that the wireless card in the computer is actually compatible with WPA/WPA2.
After you verified that all computers in fact work, you may also do the following:
4. turn off the SSID broadcast. You network name is not broadcasted. This is not really a security measure as the SSID name is always transmitted when there is wireless communication in your network. So the bad guy quickly finds the SSID anyway. It hides the network (the existence of the network ) from your neighbors, though, which use a normal wireless adapter. This may be a good or bad, depending on how you see it. It will prevent your neighbor from finding out which wireless channels are used in his proximity and select a channel which is free. Two access points running on channel 11 can cut down the maximum bandwidth well below half of the theoretical 54Mbit/s of a 11g router. It is thus good to know what channels are used. But then again, hardly anyone will bother checking the channels of other routers around you but will rather simply complain about the limited bandwidth...
5. Wireless MAC address filter. This is another "security" measure. Again, as the MAC address is used for addressing in plaintext, it is quickly to pick up. You can configure all mac addresses of all wireless clients which are supposed to connect to your router in this list. The mac address is usually printed on the adapter or on the computer if it is built-in. You can use the list function in the wireless mac address list window and select all clients which are currently connected to add them to the list. If your network is protected with WPA2 and a good preshared key I would not bother with the MAC address filter. People cannot connect without the key anyway.

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