Almost all houses are equipped with Wireless Network equipment nowadays, but most users do not know enough about the security of Wireless Network. If we search around a bit, carefully we find many Wifi Network with the default name. When the SSID (Service Set Identifier) is by default or factory name, maybe the password is also.

So let’s see some steps of securing a home Wireless network to protect our network from being hacked by hackers or neighbour kids;).

1. Find a Good WAP for Home Wireless Network 

Buying a good branded Wireless Access Point (AP) which support newly strong wireless security protocols with flexible features and try to install and configure it correctly. If you don’t know how to install, configure and secure the WAP, ask someone expert or read the Guide Notes. Be careful, don’t use it by default.

2. Change the Default SSID of Access Point

Change the default name and hide it by turning off SSID broadcasting and connect all wireless devices manually. When a Wireless Network SSID is hidden the wireless access point doesn’t broadcast its name around, and no one can find and guess it simply. But it’s possible to find with wireless Hacking tools.

3. Enable Security with WPA2 and Strong Password

Enable Security options of  Wireless Access Point with a most strong wireless security protocol like WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access II) and set a complex password. A complex password contains Number, Symbols, lower case letter and upper case letter.

4. Enable MAC Address Filtering

MAC Filtering (Media Access Controller) prevent unknown devices from being connected to WAP without your permission. You see tow option, Deny and Allow, the deny option will deny the clients specified by any enabled entries in the list to access. Allow option will permit the clients specified by any enabled entries in the list to access the WAP.

Note: You can find the MAC address of your connected devices from the DHCP section of WAP and get the others from its network settings or using soft tools to find them. The easiest way to get the MAC address of all devices, first connect them to WAP and then check the DHCP Clients List.

5. Change the Interface default username and password

Change the factory default username and password of the web-based interface of Wireless Access Point and set a different username and secure password. Each manufacturer Wireless Routers has a simple username and password like Admin, pass or 12345 to ease access for the first time.

Optionally, you can configure DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to limit the range of IP address from DHCP scope.

Finally, you must keep Wireless Access Point in a secure area or in a box and locked to prevent from being reset to factory settings. Don’t forget to check it up sometime and update your knowledge about Information Security.

So it is enough for Securing a SOHO (small office or home) network. If you don’t know the basic Wireless Access point configuration, I recommend you to read the How to Setup My Home Wireless Network? article.

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Keeping Secure Home Wireless Network is a responsibility of each person at home. Your smart devices like mobile, laptop, tablet etc. may make you ease communication with friends, family and work staffs. But using them without keeping safe and secure is a big risk for your personal data and files.

Most users don’t know how to secure their smart devices. They think it’s quite enough if the devices will not be lost or steal. It’s just physical security of a device, what about installing apps from non-trusted resource, update the apps, installing any antivirus and anti spyware apps will make your device riskier then stolen or losing.

The below categories are about securing your smart devices at home and work or at public places.

1. How do I Secure Home Wireless Network?

Previously we had explained completely in detail about how to secure a home wireless network? From buying a modern Wireless access point or Wireless router that support security protocols and features for home to setup Wireless network security. I recommend you to read this article which explain the below steps to secure your home wireless network.

• Change the Wireless Router SSID
• Choose a strong password to Secure Home Wireless Network
• Enable encryption
• Hide your Wireless SSID name
• Change the default user name and password of Wireless management interface
• Disable remote access for management to secure home wireless network

2. Update Operating System and Apps

Updating operating system will install the latest critical and security update to patch the OS bugs, solve issues and get better performance. If your smart phone is Android, iOS, Windows Phone or other OS, try to upgrade to the latest version. Also update your mobile Apps too.

Always the latest version lonely is not secure if you don’t have installed any antivirus. Most well-known antivirus will secure your devices against viruses, worms, and spywares. But it will not be keeping it secure from installing pirate apps by you. A pirate app might have some viruses or tracking codes. So don’t install app from unknown source and  keep your devices OS and Apps up to date for security reasons.

3. Pirate and Cracked Apps

A pirate or cracked app might have some viruses or tracking codes to collect your system cookies and personal information illegally. Certainly, most anti virus software collects user information as well, to improve their functionality and performance for upcoming version.

4. Connecting to Public Internet

There are a lot of free wireless signal around when you are outside home. Connecting to internet and checking your social media network or emails push you to use these free Internets. Before connecting your mobile, make sure that it should be quite secure or don’t connect them.

I strongly recommend you that do not connect your mobile to public network when you are not sure about the owners.

5. Multi User Devices

For computer, always assign the appropriate permission for users. If you are admin and know computer security, then remove the others from admins group and they will not bring changes to your system without your permission.

Your mobile is always your own and no one should work with. But sometime you can’t  your friends will get your mobile. For this situation apply your own policy. Keep your eyes on person that working with your mobile. If he/she is not care about security, don’t give your mobile or lock it with a secure password.

Most antivirus has builtin app locker to lock your apps. The best one I recommend you is CM Antivirus. It will take a photo and send to your email when someone want to enter a wrong password. Yes, that is really fantastic.

6. Encrypt Your Devices Storage

Encryption will help you to secure hard disks and memory cards information. It will change the clear data to cipher which non readable data for an unauthorized access. In Windows Bit locker is best and compatible. For mobile devices, do it from settings and encryption section.

7. Backup Your Personal Files

This is the most important step’s you should apply on your mobile and computer. A weekly backup schedules will help you to back up your personal files and photos. In case of losing or crash a device, you must have a copy of your files and documents.

In Windows use File history to back up your personal files. For mobile devices connect to an online could such as Google Drive, One Drive, or iCloud for backup solution.

Conclusion

While you are trying update your system apps and operating system, try to keep update you knowledge as well. Subscribe to security news websites and be aware of most recent information security.

Photo credit: OneDrive

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Your home network is wireless or wired? No matter wired or wireless, but you need to fully understand how to set up a home wireless network. It’s pretty simple and easy, you must learn to configure your home wireless router from setup to secure your home wireless network.

First of all, you must buy a good brand wireless router and be sure that it supports the latest wireless technology for home users. It must compatible with your devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile, tablet and other connectable devices to your network. A Wireless N Router with up to 150 Mbps and an antenna is good for home network.

1. Prepare Wireless Router to Setup a Home Wireless Network

So, I assume that you bought or already have it. Now try to prepare for physical configuration first. Connect your internet cable and power on the wireless router. Do it like the below screenshot. My wireless router is a TP-Link. You might have another, but the configuration is the same on both.

Connect the internet cable to the WAN port’s of the wireless router and then connect one of the other port to your computer network card. Plug the power cable and turn your wireless router on and try to open the configuration interface.

Related articles: 6 Tips For Troubleshooting WiFi Network

2. Connecting to Wireless Setting Interface and Configuring

Now, physically your wireless router is ready for configuration. Open one of the internet browser, IE, Firefox or Chrome and type the router IP address on the address bar then press enter. Where to find the wireless router IP address?

You can find it on the back of the router with default login user name and password. Or find with “ipconfig” command line on cmd on Windows, terminal on Linux and Mac OS X. I’m using Windows, so the Default Gateway is the IP address of the wireless router. you can copy and past it to the browser address bar. 

Now enter the user name and password. The default user name is admin and password is admin. Type and enter it in order to open the router setting interface.

Remember some wireless router has a CD. You can install the software and configure it with its own software. But a modern router can simply configure with web interface.

When the setting interface has opened, go to the Quick Setup tab and click Next. This is the first step you must do.

On the Quick setup – WAN connection type, select Auto-Detect option and click next. This option will detect automatically the WAN connection types of your internet.

On the MAC address Clone page, leave it by default and click Next.

On the Wireless page name your wireless network and select the exact region you are living. From the Wireless Security select WPA-Persona/WPA2-Personal and enter a complex password. Done? So click Next to finish the configuration.

On the Finishing page of configuring a wireless router, click Reboot to apply all new changes. Some device needs to reboot once in order to apply the new configuration. When the device is reboot successfully, you can connect all your home network devices.

More: How To Find WiFi Password On Windows 10?

This is just a simple way to set up a home wireless network. In order to know more about your wireless router, you must check some other wireless settings also. The most important is to keep your home network secure. To secure your home wireless network, just read the article “5 Steps to Secure your home Wireless Network“.  In this security article, you can secure your network and understand more about wireless.

Finally, hope you would find this article helpful and let us know if you have any problem with the wireless router.

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