10 steps to secure Wi-Fi

Unsecured Wi-Fi network exposes us to many threats. It is worth taking care that no people unknown to us can connect to our network. Here are some simple tips on how to improve the security of your wireless network and protect it from intruders.

How can you reduce the risk of using your network?

1. change your administrative password

It's worth to do it right from the beginning - when you start the router for the first time. If someone wants to hack into your network, they will probably try to use the default data of your network device, which are on a publicly available list on the Internet.

2. define the address from which you can access the device configuration

Use the ACL (Access Control List) option to check which IP address the router can be accessed from, and whether it can be set only from the local area network (LAN), or from anywhere in the world (WAN). For greater security, select LAN.

3. encrypt the transmission

Use the available solutions that force you to enter a password when you want to connect to the network and encode the data sent by us. Make sure your password is unique and complex.

4. block the broadcast of the network

Just change the default Wi-Fi network name set by the manufacturer to your own and hide it. Use "Broadcast SSID" and set to "DISABLED" to turn off broadcasting the wireless network name. Thanks to this, people searching for available networks will not see yours.

5. check who is connected to the network

You can do this in your router's administration panel. This will allow you to check if unknown devices are connected to your network.

6. access control based on MAC address

To prevent unknown devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi network, use MAC (Mac Address Filtering) filtering. It may be tedious, but it will protect you from being connected to your network by unauthorized persons.

7. configure access for children

Use the access management option and parental control. It allows you to limit the access of individual devices to specific domains or keywords, as well as to determine the hours at which access to the network is active.

8. upgrade your router's software

The best way to do it right after you start the router. You can use the wizard in its interface or download the appropriate software from the manufacturer's website. This is the easiest way to detect errors, malfunctions and security vulnerabilities.

Turn on the firewall

Modern routers have a built-in mechanism for filtering network traffic - the so-called Stateful Packet Inspection firewall. It checks the packets passing through the router and blocks those that do not meet the specified parameters, so you should have it active.

10. shape your radio signal

This will enhance the security of your Wi-Fi network. Place the router in the central location where the signal is to be available.