Wifi secure network

If your router has a firewall, enable it. This helps to block unrequested traffic from outside of your network. Many router consoles will display a list or diagram showing all of the devices connected to your router. In , it was discovered that the firmware used in certain routers ran a process that listened at port Any open port can allow hackers entry to your network, and they can then cause havoc on the router or your network.

Affected routers include hardware from a supplier called SerComm. Check here to find out if your router is on the list of known affected routers. You can also check to see if port is open by visiting this website. If it is open, contact your router manufacturer for assistance. While you can manually close this, or other open ports, on your router, they can be reopened without your knowledge.

This pertains to the devices that connect to your Wi-Fi network. Never install software or copy files from untrusted or unknown sources. Pirated copies of software and other files will sometimes include viruses or malware. Be careful when sharing and downloading files via BitTorrent or when downloading files from the internet.

Make sure all of the devices that connect to your Wi-Fi network are updated. Updating your computers, mobile devices and other connected devices will help ensure that the devices are running the latest version of the software, which often includes fixes for security issues.

Most computer and mobile operating systems can be set to update automatically. Most other connected devices will also offer updates. Some devices, such as Wi-Fi-enabled security cameras, doorbells, smart speakers and other devices may require you to check in the app you use to control the device. Always run antivirus software and anti-malware apps on your devices.

Internet security software protects your computer and mobile devices from becoming infected by malicious software that hackers can use to access your Wi-Fi network from inside. For more information about Internet security software, in particular antivirus software and malware protection, read my article here.

A VPN is designed to encrypt your internet connection, preventing outside parties like your ISP, the government and hackers from monitoring your online activities. A VPN can also open access to online content that might usually be unavailable in your region of the world. Find the best VPN for your router. When your internet service provider installed your internet pipeline, they likely installed the connection outlet on an outside wall.

This likely also means that your Wi-Fi router is located on that same outside wall, as that puts it near the cable or DSL modem. However, once you stepped a few feet into my home, your bars would drop to zero.

I eventually found out that the older home I lived in included chicken wire in its list of construction materials. The chicken wire was used inside the outside walls of the home. The metal chicken wire prevented the cell phone signals from passing through the walls, killing any chance of successful cellular-based communications.

The chicken wire in the old house created what is called a Faraday Cage. A Faraday Cage also known as a Faraday Shield is an enclosure designed to block electromagnetic fields, like those used by a cell phone or your Wi-Fi router. This option is likely best left to users who are planning to build a new home or remodel an existing one, as tearing out your walls to put in chicken wire or metal bars is likely too extreme for even the most enthusiastic home network security aware user.

You can also hang window curtains that contain metallic thread, or paint your interior walls using EMF shielding paint. While all of these will help block your Wi-Fi signal from escaping your home and possibly prevent aliens from monitoring your brainwaves as you sleep , be advised that it will also reduce the bars on your cell phone. So these suggestions are best left to homeowners that are heavily into privacy or tin foil hats. However, this also prevents you from checking on your home and cats by remotely accessing your internet-connected security cams.

Just for guests. They can have the WiFi password for this network, connect in, and not have central access to the main WiFi network.

Why do it this way? But if they have your WiFi SSID and password, if their laptop or tablet is ever compromised, that means a hacker can have it as well and get into your network.

Setting up a guest network and allowing access only when needed cuts down on the odds of someone breaking into the network. A firewall is a barrier where only traffic that allows comes in or out.

Most of the time, the most effective rule for any firewall goes like this. There are other important settings to tweak on the firewall. But sometimes a hacker will send a fragmented packet.

This is a packet that is formed badly on purpose to confuse the router or computers into accepting bad information that they usually would deny. By denying these, it prevents those issues in the first place:. Locking down the network with the five steps listed are a good start to good wireless network security. Sometimes a clever hacker can get into a business and plug in a small WiFi router into the Ethernet network so they can access it from outside the building.

Download NetSpot — the free version can show the different networks it detects. With all our devices connected to the Internet, we have an indescribable physical mobility that leads to increased productivity. It is safe to say that the Internet is for everyone and does not limit itself to the tech savvy. Unfortunately, when not safeguarded, the Internet can be a playground for nefarious activities caused by people with malicious intent.

Take a home wireless network as an example. Almost every member of the family accesses it through laptops, PCs, cell phones and tablets. With the Internet of Things, there is a gamut of other elements in the home that access the Wi-Fi. A small vulnerability in the home Wi-Fi network can give a criminal access to almost all the devices that access that Wi-Fi.

This could spell trouble for bank accounts, credit card details, child safety, and a whole lot of other concerns. Many manufactures give all their wireless routers a default SSID. When a computer with a wireless connection searches for and displays the wireless networks nearby, it lists each network that publicly broadcasts its SSID. This gives a hacker a better chance of breaking into your network.

Most wireless routers come pre-set with a default password. This default password is easy to guess by hackers, especially if they know the router manufacturer. When selecting a good password for your wireless network, make sure it is at least 20 characters long and includes numbers, letters, and various symbols.

This setting will make it difficult for hackers to access your network. Almost all wireless routers come with an encryption feature.