WiFi is now more of a need rather than luxury in this technological era, therefore you will find wireless internet everywhere in homes, workplaces and even the mall. However, owning a poorly secured wireless internet router can be easy targets for identity thieves, hackers and scammers. Whether it’s your home or your office, your WiFi router could be a liability if it runs on default manufacture settings.
While you may think that what harm could an open WiFi cause, the answer to that is more than you can even imagine. You are at the risk of exposing all of your sensitive information like banking details, emails and your everyday schedule if you live in a smart home, talk about breach of privacy. You are basically inviting cybercriminals to your home without handing out an official invitation.
So, how to configure router security you ask? Don’t worry we got you covered. This blog will guide you to set up your WiFi router security in 3 simple steps. Just follow along!
Inorder to secure your WiFi router, the first step is to access router settings.By doing so, it would allow you to make the necessary adjustments to enhance your network’s security.
Make sure your mobile or computer device is connected to your router. You can do this via an Ethernet cable for a stable connection or even Wifi.
Open up any web browser that you use like Safari, Chrome, Opera or Firefox, on your connected device.
In the address bar of your browser, type the router’s IP address. Usually the IP address looks like this: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
If you do not know the IP address, you can find it in the router’s manual or the device label.
After typing the IP address you will be directed to a page where you would need to enter the username and password to go through. By default, the credentials are often “admin” for both password and username.
In case you had changed the credentials but you forgot the username name and/or password, you may have to reset your router to factory settings.
Complete these steps and you will successfully access router settings and initiate the process of securing your network.
Once you have access to the router settings, the first security step is to change the default login details. It is very easy to obtain default usernames and passwords online which makes it even more imperative to customize these settings.
In the router’s admin interface, look for a section that is labeled as “Management” or “Administration”.
Now enter your customized user name along with a strong and unique password that only you can remember.
A strong password username usually includes a combo of lower and upper-case letters, special characters and numbers. Refrain from easily guessable passwords like “123456” or “password”.
Once you are happy with what you see, save your changes before exiting the admin page.
Changing the default login credentials adds an important layer of protection that makes it harder for cybercriminals to access router settings and mess with your network.
There is this final step to put the icing on the cake and then you are good to go! This involves configuring the Wifi security settings in order to protect the wireless network from unauthorized access and potential cyber attacks.
The SSID is the name of your Wifi network, you can get creative here. Change your default SSID to something unique, making the name of the router brand you use less obvious, thus deterring some attacks.
“Mind your own business” or “stop sneaking into my Wifi” has a ring to it, doesn’t it?
Here with the passwords again! Under the wireless security settings you will find an option to change your Wifi password. A strong Wifi password that is almost impossible to guess should do the trick, just don’t forget it yourself.
Avoid passwords with common phrases, simple sequences or personal information like your daughter’s birthday.
The most secure current standard is WPA3, in case your router does not support it, WPA2 ain’t half bad either. Do not use outdated old school security modes like WEP, it’s easily crackable.
Make sure that your network uses encryption to protect any data that is transmitted via Wifi. WPA3 or WPA2 with an AES encryption is the best Wifi security you can get.
WPS is designed to make things easier when connecting devices to your network. On the flip side it also is a major security risk. By disabling WPS, you can prevent all the potential unauthorized access through brute force attacks. Wish there was a way to prevent unauthorized people in your life, too.
Router Firmwares updates are often released to not only fix bugs but to also patch up security vulnerabilities. Keep a lookout for any updates and go for it!
If you tend to have a lot of visitors who use your Wifi, you should consider setting up a guest network. This would isolate your main network from the guests. Guest networks usually have their own SSID and password.
If you do not need to manage your router remotely, disable the feature to prevent external access.
Securing your Wifi router may seem daunting at first but by following these simple steps you learn how to configure router security to protect your Wifi network like a pro. Such practices should be done often and randomly, thus confusing your hacker and not making him/her predict your net move, keep it in rotation.
You never know who might be out there to get you, hypothetically. Better safe than sorry!
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