Home Wifi PT2

Getting into your router.

So there are a few ways that you can get into your router. Depending on your manufacturer there may be a specific way to do so. Most that I know require a IP address and your internet browser. Check your routers manual or FAQ or support section on your manufacturer’s website.

Ok so were in your router. familiarize yourself with the different tabs or different areas that are within your router. Most have security tabs or networking tabs or something of that nature. Click around, you want to browse all the tabs or different areas. I can not make a walk through for every router on the market and each model. So we will just ensure some of the most important things are taken care of in order to ensure your security and privacy.

Find where you can change your SSID. This is the name of your network. You can keep it the same but to prevent confusion if there are four others broadcasting the same thing you will want to rename it. Yes people outside the walls of your home will see the name. But thats not an issue and is an option to turn off but I will not cover those in great detail here. We just want to cover the basics. Name it something friendly like your pets name or your favorite planet or something.

Look around to find an are to change your security. You will see that there will be different types of security options to choose from. There are a few types on the market WEP, WPA, WPA2. You may even see WPA or WPA2 Personal and Enterprise. These are other names or higher security for other things then home network. Im not sure what is in your Wifi Router but these should be normal naming conventions. If WPA2 or WPA2 Personal is there go for it. Nothing wrong with getting the most security if you can. Just be aware some of the devices you may want to hook up to your wireless network may not support it. So if you have to, then just select WPA. WEP or Wired Equivalent Protection is broken. While it may thwart casual browsers it can be cracked in minuets by people who want to get in or have 10 mins and google to figure it out.

Ok now you have to make a password. Remember, you will have to type it in on all your devices that support Wifi. So some devices may not have the same character selection. Pick something easy for you to remember yet it is strong enough to keep your Wifi safe. Using “Cats” is not a great password, using “ILoveCATS!!!” is much stronger and will stand up longer to password cracking. Now if you want to go all out “1L0veC@t$!!!” is even stronger and will give crackers a run for their money. They may just move on to the next Wifi and try there. I will get more in depth on passwords in another post.

There are a couple of other options you can choose that will make it more secure. MAC filtering and not broadcasting your SSID (the name of your network) and many more.

Ok. This should cove the bare bones basics. If you need more clarification or need a little help post a comment and I will get to it as soon as possible.