Looking around my wireless drop down menu I see many people have wireless routers.  Of course the easist way to connect to the Internet today is a wireless router like the Linksys, apple airport, netgear or other brands.  No matter which brand you choose (that would be a another post) one must understand the basics of security.

Realize that all routers can be broken into if someone really really wanted too.  This is like someone can break into your home if they really really wanted to even if you had the latest alarm system. However we still lock our doors and put an alarm on, we take precautions and make it  hard as possible for people to break into our house without getting caught.  Wireless networking should be taken in the same respect. Also most people do not need to go for the extra security features.  I will list them at the end of the article, but you will be safe enough with the basic precautions.

The first thing you need to do with wireless networking is put a password on your wireless network.  This is making it secure.  Since your computer saves the password most people create the password then forget it.

Tip #1 – Use your phone number.  Ten digit phone numbers including the area code make the perfect password for a wireless network.  That is only if the next steps are taken.  If you use your phone number and no one in the area can link your Network Name with you, then it is easy to remember and secure.

Tip # 2 – Do not use anything personal or the name of your router.  The two most secure things you can do is in naming your router.  Do not keep the defualt name.  You are telling people how to break into your router.  If you just do a google search with your router name and ‘hack’, you will see the tools needed to break into your router.  Also if you use your name, first or last, address or anything that your neighbors can realizie its your router then a bad neigbor can try to break into your router.  Use names that don’t draw attention or look like they aren’t working.  AN example is ‘no-connection’ or ‘none’ or ‘unavailable’.  Most people scanning the network will stay away from these and will not be able to connect the network to you.

Doing the above two will also allow you to give this out easily to friends and guest who come over.  It is also a conversation piece on why you choose that name.  Giving your number and not a personal password allows you to securely give that info to people you wish to use your network.

Tip # 3 – Wireless Router Admin password.  You should change this admin password.  Some adapters force you to change it.  You should keep this password in a safe place. This password you should never give out to anyone.

Just with the above tips your wireless router is more secure.  If someone else is on your wirless router they aren’t only getting free internet from you but with many free tools out on the internet they can see what you are doing online.  They also maybe able to steal information that you are sending through the internet and if you have any shared folders on your network, they might be able to access them.

The above tips should be fine for the average user.  I have heard many people take the wireless secuirty to extrems.  There are not nessarry for most people.

• Turning off SSID Broadcast.  This is turning off your routers name on the drop down list on your computer.  Equivalent to an unlisted phone number.  The problem is its hard to find your router and connect to it from your computer or other devices. It’s not recommended and your wireless should be secure enough with the above tips.
• MAC Address Filtering.  If you don’t know what a MAC Address is (it has nothing to do with an apple Macintosh) then you shouldn’t be filtering for it.  This will limit your computers and devices and is extremely secure but adding a new computer to your network is very time consuming and friends will not be able to connect at all.
• WPA and WEP Differences.  For the average user the difference doesn’t matter.  Many IT people will disagree with me on this one.  As long as your network is locked up 99% of possible break-ins are avoided. Use the one that will work with your password.  Some of the encryption need very long passwords.  However WPA is better and should be used if possible.  Some devices may have an issue.  Using a 10 digit WPA password like your phone number will still take a very long time for someone to crack.  (we are talking years here!)
• Realize that most people will not bother trying to hack or enter your secure network if it is secure and they don’t know who it belongs too.  Why waste the time (it still takes hours and hours to break into a wireless network) when you can still find someone who keeps the network completely open.