Wireless Security

So, everyone has a wireless network these days.. Very few people seem to be able to set one up properly though. Here are my suggestions: (Specific instrustions on how to enable/disable these options for your hardware will vary by who made it.. All can usually be found in the Owner's Manual.)

  1. Change the password - The very first thing to do is change the password used to configure the router! Even if you change the password to something horribly simple like "hello", it's enough to keep the useless kid down the block from reconfiguring YOUR connection to his likeness. Almost always, you can reset the router by using a paperclip, so don't worry about forgetting the password. You'll just have to start over if you forget it.
  2. Stop broadcasting your SSID - The SSID is the name of your network. It is much harder to connect to a network when you can't see that it's there.. Plus, it is generally taken as an invitation to connect to a network when it willingly annouces itself and accepts connections. When roaming about, if a network is broadcasting it's SSID, I see it as a sign that whomever is operating the access point wishes to share (which, many people want to do). One should never go about connecting to a network that isn't making itself open.
  3. Encryption - Yes, even though the encryption in most consumer devices is worthless, you had better use it. Again, if you're using it and your neighbor isn't, the kid down the block will go after the other guy's network first. WPA is better than WEP, and WEP is better than nothing.
  4. Limit access - You can set the MAC address filtering to only allow your computers on the wireless network. Then, you can set it to only give out IP Addresses to those machines and no others. This keeps random people from driving by or plugging in. Both can be very dangerous, and while this won't keep them all out, it'll just make you less inviting to a "hacker".

While these things won't keep you completely secure.. ("Security is a mindset, not a product to be bought.") They are a lot better than leaving everything as the standard defaults.