Tips for securing your wireless connection
These days due to the proliferation of broadband connections and inexpensive laptops with wireless connections, it has become very common for many households to have a wireless network router setup so they can enjoy the mobility that it provides. Computer users are no longer tied to a desk, they can compute and browse the internet from the comfort of the living room, bedroom or from the patio in the backyard on a nice sunny day.
Most wireless routers have gotten so easy to setup that many users simply plug it in and start using without giving much thought to security thereby exposing their computers to unauthorized users.
Securing your wireless network is just a matter of following a few simple tips:
- Most wireless routers come with a web-based administration interface that can be used to configure its settings. They all come company setup with a weak default password such as “password” or the manufacturer’s name and some do not even have a default password at all. Which is why the first step after setting up your Wireless Lan (WLAN) router or access point is to change the default password to something more difficult for others to guess.
- Change the default name of your WLAN known as SSID to something hard to guess and in addition turn off SSID broadcast. This will prevent hackers or curious neighbors from getting into your Wi-Fi network.
- Wireless routers provide an option for encrypting the data that passes back and forth between the router and your computer. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) are a strong encryption system then WEP an older system which is still better than no encryption at all. If you do have to use WEP then make sure that you use an encryption key that is difficult to guess.
- Wi-Fi routers and access points have an ability to prevent undesired devices from connecting to the network which is based on the fact that every network adapter has a unique MAC address. MAC filtering can be used to limit network access only to those systems that you desire or know about to provide access to. So you need to enter the MAC address of every wireless device that will be connecting to the network. This list will be used to compare and provide access to any device trying to connect to the wi-fi router.
- Most WLAN routers come with the ability to be administered remotely via the internet. Unless the router allows you the option to define a specific IP address range that will only have access to the router it is possible for anyone anywhere to be able to find and access your router. Therefore only keep this setting ON when and if you need this capability.
- If your router allows you to limit the power of your WLAN transmitter to reduce the range of its signal, you should try to limit how far outside your premises the signal reaches thus reducing the opportunity for outsiders to access your WLAN. You should also research with trial and error the best location for your router or access point like the center of your home rather than near a window or outside wall.
- Wireless routers also come with the ability to restrict internet access to certain times of the day or night. You can use this functionality to restrict access when you know you are not around to use the internet, say when you are away at work on weekdays.
- It is always a good practice to enable your routers firewall and only open ports as and when they are needed. Be sure to consult your router manual to see if your router provides additional security features like blocking ping requests.
- Make sure your computers are always up-to-date with the latest service packs and security patches released by the vendors of any software application residing on your computer including but not limited to anti-virus and firewall software solutions.
- Always read any requests for downloading and installing a software via any website carefully to ensure it is something you need and not a malware or spyware program.
About the Author
Rajesh Sharma is a solutions architect specializing in web development using Microsoft technologies. He currently does independant consulting in and around the Chicago area. To contact Raj email Raj@Rajesh-sharma.com.
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