WRT54G resets password after disconnect?

Our WRT54G router is old and has been abused by toddlers so we'll be
replacing it soon. However, I'd like an explanation regarding its
security behavior. As usual I was having trouble getting to the router
webpage so I restarted it by pulling the plug and waiting. When I
accessed the page it didn't recognize its password and instead reset
itself to the default password. It also disabled MAC filtering. I once
again had to set a new password and reenable filtering. Is that normal
behavior for the router? Thanks.

 

It's not normal for the router to perform a factory reset as a result
of pulling the power plug, but once you mentioned the factory reset it
became normal for the MAC filtering to revert to its defaults. Maybe
the toddler abuse is more extensive than we know.

Regarding MAC filtering, most people recommend disabling it. It does
very little or nothing to stop hackers, so it's really not
contributing a whole lot to your security.

 

Thanks for your reply. We will be replacing the router when we can
find a location to place it out of reach of the toddlers.

How can hackers spoof an unknown MAC ID? I enabled the filtering to
keep neighbors from innocently connecting. I doubt there are any
hackers in the vicinity.

 

There are tools available that show a person which MACs are
successfully connecting to a given access point, so a hacker takes a
look with a tool like that, makes a note of a working MAC, changes his
own MAC to match, and Bob's your uncle.

If you just want to keep the neighbors away, make sure your SSID is
unique and use encryption.

With a unique SSID, they won't connect accidentally.
With encryption, they won't connect intentionally.

 

Thanks for the info Char. I'll definitely change the SSID on our new
router. There are no hackers in the vicinity so we'll use MAC
filtering to keep neighbors out. Our WiFi range doesn't extend beyond
our yards.

 

Sounds good, though you might be surprised when it comes to usable
range. A directional antenna can work wonders.

 

Why doesn't my Linksys router detect my internet?

I have a WRT54G router that I have been using for the past year. All was fine until recently I reset my modem to prevent it from constantly disconnecting from the internet. The internet was never really working during the daytime, so after many times of disconnecting the modem for ten seconds, I decided to reset it. Now the internet works ALL of the time but I can't seem to set up my Linksys router to it, the router doesn't detect my internet. I have tried logging in with my dsl username and password but no luck. I have also tried reseting the router but I probably didn't do it properly.
Details: At&t Dsl internet
Linksys router and Linksys wireless G usb adapter
Won't somebody help?