Secure Wireless Network FAQ:
I want my wireless network at my house to be secure so that nobody else but the computers in my house can connect. How do I do this? I need really detailed step by step instructions either here or linked on another website.
I want my wireless network at my house to be secure so that nobody else but the computers in my house can connect. How do I do this? I need really detailed step by step instructions either here or linked on another website.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Because routers differ as to details, I can’t be specific about how to accomplish these steps, but they’re almost all done from within the router’s administration pages. Have you:
1.Changed your SSID from the default? Hackers know that routers come with default SSIDs and look for them.
2.Turned off the SSID broadcast from the router? There’s no need to advertise your network’s presence. You’re not running a hotspot; everyone who should be on your network should know its name.
3.Set up encryption with an encryption key? The longer, the better.
4.Limited access to only the computers you want on the network via MAC filtering? (MAC refers to unique NIC (Network Interface Card) addresses, not Macintosh computers, and not IP addresses.) This isn’t a defense against ******** freeloaders — it’s possible to fake MAC addresses — but it keeps out casual interlopers.
5.Changed the range of and/or limited the number of automatically assigned IP addresses (DHCP) to reduce the chance of extra users? Again, hackers know what ranges routers come from the factory with. Changing them makes it a little harder to hop on board.
6.Deactivated wireless access to your router’s administration web pages so only a computer connected via an Ethernet cable can reach them? Here’s the horror story of someone who didn’t:
That should go far toward hardening your wireless network.