Friday, December 14, 2012

Secure your wireless Internet Network through these security tips

By Christian Detrick


When getting an Internet connection at a house, it is best to purchase a wireless router as well. Many ISPs will provide users with a router for free when they purchase a monthly subscription. However, there are various device models and manufacturers available. Therefore, it is better to purchase a device with features that you need rather than using the one provided by an ISP for free.

Ethernet routers require computers to be directly connected to the device via LAN cables. On the other hand, wireless routers can be connected to via wireless cards. Majority of the wireless routers also provide Ethernet ports allowing computers to utilize LAN connections as well.

Wireless Internet Security Methods

A wireless connection provides access points within a certain radius. In reality, the range of a wireless connection can be thought of as a sphere. Any computer devices present within the sphere can connect to the router and then surf the web. That is why it is necessary to employ Wireless Internet Security protocols.

WEP/ WPA/WPA-2 Wireless Internet Security Key

The most basic form of security for any router is a security key. Any users that want to connect to the router must possess the key.

Users can setup a security passkey by logging onto a routers interface. The interface can be accessed via the localhost which has an IP address of 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. The localhost IP address is fed directly into a browser?s address bar.

Both WPA (Wi-FI Protected Access) and WPA-2 are considered to be extremely secure. These two keys are much harder to crack as compared with the weak encryption that WEP provides.

Broadcasting your SSID

The Broadcast SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of the network that a router creates. If this name is not changed, the router automatically sets the name to the manufacturer of the device. A network with a default SSID is easier to breach as compared to a network where the SSID name has been changed. On the other hand, there is an option in most browsers to stop broadcasting the SSID altogether. This makes the network invisible to unauthorized users.

Enabling MAC Filtering on your device

Every device including a router has its own MAC address. Unlike an IP address that can change, a MAC address stays the same. Therefore, it can be used to identify a device.

Many routers provide a MAC filtering feature that only allows those users to connect whose MAC ID has been fed into the router. All other users will be prevented from accessing the router even when they have the security key. MAC filtering is considered to be a great way of ensuring wireless Internet Security within a neighbourhood.

Preventing Wireless access to user interface

Every router device has a user based setup interface. This interface is needed when a user wants to setup the network or change configurations. One of the best ways to ensure wireless Internet security is to block users from having access to the setup interface wirelessly.

Consequently, the above mentioned Internet security tips can allow users to successfully prevent their Internet connection from being used illegally.




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