Since wireless networks do not require cables, they are convenient and easy to install, so homes with high-speed Internet access and wireless internal networks are growing rapidly (especially the new wifi mesh systems from vendors like Netgear, Linksys, and Eero as discussed here).
Since the wireless network uses radio signals to transmit data, it may be more vulnerable to intrusion and security problems. Like signals from cellular and cordless phones, wifi signals can also be intercepted. Therefore you should take extra measures to protect wireless network security.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your wireless network security and developers are constantly working on improving these measures.
Below are five steps to be taken to protect your wireless network:
1. Change the wireless network name (SSID) from the default
The network name SSID (Service Set Identifier) it has a default value for wireless devices installed by the manufacturer. The SSID is the name of your wireless network, which can have up to 32 characters. Hackers know these default names and can use them to log into your network. Change the network name to something unique, not associated with your network equipment. As an extra precaution, change the name of the network regularly so any hacker who perhaps figured out the name of your network before he would have to find it out it again and again. This will limit the intrusion in the future.
2. Disable SSID broadcast
By default, most wireless networking devices are set to broadcast the SSID, so anyone can easily join the wireless network using only this information. But hackers can also connect to it, so if you do not have a public hotspot, the SSID broadcast is better to be off. You might think that broadcasting the network name is more convenient for you to be able to connect with one click, but you can in fact configure devices on the network to automatically connect to a specific SSID without broadcasting the network name of the router.
3. Change the default password
When using wireless devices like access points and routers, in order to connect and manage their settings will require a password. They have a factory default password. (The default password is usually admin). Hackers know these defaults and will try to use them to access the wireless device and change settings. To prevent unauthorized changes change the device default password, so it is hard to guess.
4. Turn on the MAC-address filtering
On most routers you can enable MAC address filtering (MAC = Media Access Control). MAC address is a unique number assigned to each network device. When the MAC-address filtering is configured, only devices with specific MAC addresses can access the wireless network. For example, you can allow access to the wireless network only for the computers in your home. The hacker will be very difficult to get access to your network using a random MAC-address.
5. Turn on encryption
Encryption protects data transmitted over a wireless network. There are Different levels of security for wireless networks such as the WEP protocol (Wired Equivalent Protocol) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Currently, the most widely used is WPA since it is more secure because it uses dynamic key encryption.
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