How do I secure my Wireless Wi-Fi Network using WEP?

On the assumption that you're using the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP), you'll need to start by enabling it at your Wireless Access Point (WAP) first, and how you do that will depend on the WAP in question and how it is normally configured.

When you do this, make sure you make a record of the WEP key you create as you'll need to enter this key on to each of your clients.

Once that's done, WEP is enabled through your wireless drivers in Windows, it varies from driver to driver, but it'll be in the same place at which you actually set the name of the network to join.

In Mac OS X you can configure the WEP key either by selecting the Wireless network from the Wireless menu in the menubar, or through the Network component of the System Preferences. Remember to add the WEP key to your keychain, otherwise you'll have to enter it each time you
connect.

Under Linux, it again depends on the driver, but usually it's set through the network configuration or through a separate configuration file.

If you're using ad-hoc mode, then the same basic rules apply - you need to configure the WEP password on each of your wireless devices. It needs to be configured on all of them or none of them, so make sure they are all capable of supporting the WEP level (40 or 128-bit) that you choose.

Having said that, you definitely want to make sure that your network has a WEP network key -- if the key is blank, the network is wide open.

Here's how to configure each Windows XP client: Right-click the connection in the Network Connections window and click View Available Wireless Networks to configure the connection. On the Wireless Network Connection dialog box that appears, type a key into the Network Key box, and again
into the Confirm Network Key box.

Hope that gets you going!