WiFi has become a part of our daily connected lives, and since almost everyone is using it, there will always the risk that someone might try to take advantage of a network especially if it is not secured enough.
Everyone should be concerned about network security so we’re providing you with 6 basic tips on how to secure your WiFi connection at home.
Table of Contents
1. Change your network’s default Service Set Identifier (SSID)
One of the most basic tips when securing your WiFi network is to Change your network’s default Service Set Identifier (SSID). For hackers or people with malicious intents, if they see that your network still uses a default SSID that’s preconfigured out of the box, it’s a strong hint that your network has been poorly set-up which means it could be easily accessed or hacked.
2. Enable Password Encryption
Once you have chosen a SSID, you can go directly to your router’s password section, type in your password, then enable password encryption. Enabling password encryption will make it harder for hackers to get into your network. It is highly recommended to enable WiFi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 since this secures your wireless computer network.
(Provide Screenshot of password creation)
3. Enable MAC Address Filtering
Every user should enable MAC Address filtering so you can monitor and control the access from your network. Media Access Control (MAC) Address is a unique identifier to every networked device and cannot be easily changed. By simply including a user’s MAC Address in the filter list, you can easily prevent them from using the wireless network, including the internet connection. To enable MAC Address filtering, you can go the wireless settings tab of your router which you can find your MAC Address filtering setting then enable it.
4. Change SSID Broadcast Settings
Users have the option to make their network invisible by changing the SSID Broadcast Settings. With this, ordinary users who try to browse for Wireless networks cannot see your network unless they enter the right SSID and password of your router. By doing this, you can prevent a majority of people from trying to access your network. To change your SSID broadcast settings, go to Wireless Settings tab and under the Basic Wireless Settings, you can change the broadcast setting of your SSID. (It varies on routers if it can be enabled or not)
5. Keep your Router’s firmware up to date
A user should always update his/her router’s firmware in order to lessen the risk of vulnerability from security “holes” on your router due to old or dated software. This is similar to upgrading firmware on your smartphones in order to fix some bugs and improve security.
6. Change the router’s administrator username and password
Last but not the least, change the router’s administrator username and password. Normally, there will be a default username and password for every router in order for users to have an easy access to its configurations. After setting everything up, it is highly recommended that the user change at least their router’s username and password for security measures. This is to prevent hackers that already have access to the network from further configuring your router.
It is important to have your WiFi routers or connections secure to prevent malicious users from hi-jacking your own connection and stealing your data, and we hope we have helped you achieve that with the tips above. If you have something to add, let us know in the comments below.
Keeping our Firmware up-to-date is the topmost essential thing as we often complain about slowing down the speed of our router, it happens because our router has outdated firmware which makes it less compatible with the new devices.
Dont forget to disable routers WPS access.
Good and useful article.