If you have to connect two or more computers at home for networking and Internet access, wireless networking is a painless, mess-less way to do it. It requires you to purchase a router or Wireless Access Point (WAP), usually from your Internet service provider, which will get the wireless signal to your home. You’ll also need network cards for wireless access in each machine, which can receive the signal broadcast by the WAP.
The threat factor comes in because the signal broadcast by your router can be accessed by anyone in the vicinity, who has a wireless network card and the know-how to tap into unsecured wireless networks. So once your wireless setup is in place, here are a few things you must do to block users, with malicious intent or otherwise, from using your network.
Change the equipment’s system ID
All manufacturers of wireless equipment have default system IDs (called SSIDs – Service Set Identifiers or ESSIDs – Extended Service Set Identifiers) that are unique to each of their devices. These IDs serve as the ‘password’ that you need to access the router’s base station, that is, your Internet service provider. A hacker can easily find out the SSID or ESSID of your device. So, the first step is to change this—as with passwords, don’t use easily guessable combinations, such as your name, house or car number, birth date, and so on.Change the administrator password
While you’re at it, change the default administrator password of your router as well, again taking care to make it hard to crack. Since many users forget to do this, it’s one of the first places that hackers try to access. Write this down and keep it somewhere safe, so you can retrieve it when needed.No identifier broadcasting
Most routers have a feature called identifier broadcasting, which broadcasts the network’s presence to any other computers in the vicinity. Read your router manual and find out how you can turn this off, because hackers can use the information in this broadcast to access your network. Once you’ve changed the SSID, note it down, so you can use it to connect manually to the device when needed.Encrypt all communication
Encrypting or scrambling all communication over your wireless network is one of the best ways to prevent hackers from getting at it. When you buy a wireless router, ensure that it has encryption built-in. There are two types of encryption available: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is older and less strong than the newer WPA (Wi-Fi Private Access). Prefer to get a device that supports the latter. Your device may come with encryption turned off; be sure to turn it on before sending any communication across your network.Turn it off
When you know you won’t be using the wireless network for a long period, turn the WAP or router off. This provides hackers with less opportunity to get into your network.Don’t forget the basics
Any computer on any network requires anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall. That holds true for wireless networks as well. In addition, many wireless routers come with basic firewalls, which you can configure to allow only approved network traffic. Be sure to use this feature if your router supports it. Also remember to update all the software installed on your computer by downloading and installing security patches when they become available.
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