How to protect wireless connection?

[/////AMG]

Ok, I'm with a new broadband provider, and one of their terms of conditions is that you can't download (P2P software) between their peak hours (6PM-11PM). I'm avoided it as much as possible. I think twice I’ve forgotten about it and let the download run after 6PM, but did turn them off as soon as a realized (not like it was effected anyway because my BT connection is shit.. 5kB/s.

Anyway I had just set up a 3Com wireless modem/router. Everything was fine. Until my internet provider told me their putting a restriction on my speed because I downloaded 1.6GB last week during peak hours.
Of course it’s BS because I can’t even download 1.6GB in a month if I tried because of their crap P2P connection, my internet was actually slower than dial-up for the last 2 days, they said it will be like that for the next 4-5 days.

Anyway this got me thinking that my wireless connection could be open to my neighbours. I've gone through all the settings but it seems to be correct.
I’ve just activated the WPA encryption (when someone connects wirelessly they need to input a password). There are too many abbreviated words so I don’t want to screw up my settings.

Questions are:
Is there anything else I can do to protect my connection?
Also, I don't need to make any changes to the firewall do I? Do I even need to worry about the firewall, even though I use the windows firewall?

As you can tell I'm clueless about all this. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[Lexxan]

WPA should be all that you need.. but to be even more safe you can do mac address filtering and turn off broadcast SSID

[eblend]

yah turn off ssid broadcast, mac is the most effective but annoying if u got friends coming over and wanting to connect

[Das_Amaretto]

sounds like u need a new provider. go with shaw or 3web

[punky]

1- new provider, yeah with shaw i download 200gb/month and they wont care.
but if i upload like 12gb they'll bite my ass.
2- i think mac filtering is the best. u only have to add a new mac address each time you add a new comp to the network.

[/////AMG]

^^ I'm in the UK, and I'll probably cancel my debit payments if they keep it up (even though I'm in a 12 month contract).

The WPA encryption made my wireless connection worse, can barely connect. I've just hooked up both computer to the router with wires since they are close together. I'll have to experiment with the wireless connection.

Guess I could always phone 3Com and ask them whats up. New firmware didn't do much either.

[forced14]

Disabling broadcast SSID wont help much if someone really wants to connect, they can just use NetStumbler or Kismet to pick up the connection. Your wireless device still sends out beacons which you cannot disable, and those programs listen to the beacons. However, it is still nice to turn off.

MAC filter is probably worth it, and at the least, if WPA slows down the connection too much for you, use as strong of a WEP key as possible. Even though WEP is not as secure as WPA, it will at least stop people from randomly connecting to your wireless. I think windows, if it can see an open wireless connection, by default automatically connects to it.

Hope this was of some help.

--forced

[BlackArcher101]

As the others said, use mac filtering. You have to put the mac address of the computer you want a connection to into the router. This will only allow the computers you entered to connect to your wireless network.