Making Your Wireless Connection Secure

Many people set up a wireless connection without securing the network which can lead to other people using the network or hackers having easy access. With a few changes to your settings you can make the wireless network in your home more secure. These changes usually only take a few minutes of your time and using them will give you the best possible protection.

Using Wireless Encryption:

Using wireless encryption jumbles up the signal of your wireless network so the network can only be read using the specific password (key) configured.

Today, most routers use encryption as a standard feature; however you should check the settings as (particularly with older models) encryption is usually set to use WEP (Wired Equivalent Protection). WEP is a basic level of protection which has known weaknesses meaning that it is quite easy for a determined hacker to bypass it.

If you wish to achieve the best level of security for you wireless network, you should use WPA2 (please check your hardware supports it). If your hardware does not support WPA2, it is advised to use WPA instead of WEP - while there are ways to bypass WPA, it's extremely difficult for a hacker to gain access so you should not need to worry.

Creating your wireless password (key):

1. Try to use a mixture of letters and numeric values.
2. Avoid using single words especially relating to your known hobbies etc.
3. It is advised to change your password (key) every few months.

Please be aware, it is highly recommended to avoid connecting to wireless networks that have no protection as it can be easy for others on the network to monitor your computers traffic.

Switching off your Wireless Network when idol:

If you are aware that you are going to be offline for an extended period of time, i.e. if you are going away on holiday, or know that you're going to be offline for a while; it is advised to switch your wireless network off as this ensures nobody else can gain access to it.

Tip: If your hardware has the capability of using wireless however you only connect via USB or Ethernet, why not turn off the Wireless Broadcasting as a hacker cannot hack a network they cannot see.

Change your Wireless SSID:

SSID stands for Service Set Identifier and this is the name of your wireless network. When you scan to find the available wireless connections in reach of your device, it is the SSID that will display for the wireless connection as below:

It is advised to change the SSID of your network as this can help put a potential hacker off as the hacker can see that you have been changing your wireless settings and spent time making your network more secure.

It may seem like a good idea to have your SSID set as your home address or in relation to this; however it is NOT as this can make it easy for a hacker to identify where the wireless network is located.

TIP: When changing your SSID, do not:

1. Use your home address, name, date of birth or any personal information
2. Use a name you usually use, i.e. your normal password
3. Name your network 'No Access', 'Top Secret', 'Keep Out' or anything relating to the previous as this will only make a hacker even more curious to gain entry.

Change your routers password:

Today most routers are configured by using a web browser. To enter your router you are able to enter the default gateway into your address bar which will look similar to "192.168.0.1". Although these pages are protected by a login screen, certain manufacturers keep the same default login and password the same for all their routers meaning anyone could gain entry to your router with the generic details. As of this you should change the default password to something of your own choice.

Creating your router password:

1. Try to use a mixture of letters and numeric values
2. Avoid using single words especially relating to your known hobbies etc.
3. It is advised to change your password every few months.

1. Keep the default password as it is easy to guess.
2. Use personal information, such as your name or date of birth
3. Use a name you usually use, i.e. your normal password

Positioning your Router:

The position of your wireless router is very important. Your wireless signal is not always only displayed inside your home but can range outside as well. Depending on where your router is positioned depends on how much 'leakage' you will have outside of your home. Wireless signals are capable of reaching your neighbours homes or even further.

Try to position your router near the centre of your home to minimise 'leakage'.

Do Not:

1. Put your router or access point near windows as this will cause your wireless signal to range further outdoors.