How to protect your Wi-Fi network and router

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

An unsecured wireless network and router can be a source of big problems.

I'll tell you a story that is still going on with one Internet provider in my city. Once, visiting a friend, I asked him for Wi-Fi access. The network is preserved in the smartphone. While in another area of the city, I suddenly found myself reconnecting to my friend's Wi-Fi. How is this possible? It turns out that the Internet provider set the same network name and password for all routers that were issued to subscribers upon connection. More than one year has passed, and I still have free Wi-Fi in almost every yard. The login and password for accessing the routers, by the way, are also the same.:)

Naturally, I informed my friend about the funny discovery and reconfigured his router. Are you sure you are not in a similar situation?

Why unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi and router is dangerous

Imagine that an attacker connected to your Wi-Fi, downloaded several gigabytes of child pornography, and posted a couple of hundred extremist and other "incitement" messages. The contract for the provision of Internet services is drawn up on you, and you will be asked for violation of the law, respectively.

Even if the connected person does not commit illegal actions, he can download and distribute large files for days (including illegal content from torrent trackers), which will affect the speed and stability of your Internet connection. The network is full of stories with free neighborhood Wi-Fi. Perhaps you are that kind neighbor too?

The situation when an outsider knows the login and password for the router itself includes all the above risks, and also adds several new ones.

For example, a joker simply changes the password for Wi-Fi and you lose access to the Internet. He can change the password for the router, and you will have to reset to factory settings and re-configure everything (or call a specialist if you do not have the appropriate skills) to regain control over your equipment. Also, the joker himself can reset the settings.

There is no absolute protection, but you don't need it

There are many ways to hack networks. The probability of hacking is directly proportional to the motivation and professionalism of the hacker. If you have not made enemies for yourself and do not have any super valuable information, then you are unlikely to be purposefully and diligently hacked.

In order not to provoke random passers-by and neighbors eager for freebies, it is enough to close basic security holes. Having met the slightest resistance on the way to your router or Wi-Fi, such a person will abandon his plan or choose a less protected victim.

We bring to your attention the minimum sufficient set of actions with a Wi-Fi router, which will allow you not to become the object of cruel jokes or someone's free access point.

1. Access your Wi-Fi router

The first step is to take control of your own router. You must know:

• Router IP address,
• login and password to access the router settings.

To find the IP address of your router, turn the device over and look at the sticker underneath. There, among other information, the IP will be indicated. Usually this is either 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.

Also, the address of the router is indicated in the user manual. If the box with the instructions from the router has not been preserved, then Google will help you find the user manual in electronic form.

You can find out the address of the router yourself from your computer.

1. In Windows, press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
2. In the window that appears, type cmd and press Enter.
3. In the window that appears, enter ipconfig and press Enter.
4. Find the line "Default gateway". This is the address of your router.

Enter the received IP address of the router in the browser. You will see a page for entering the settings of the router.

Here you need to enter a username and password, which you should know. In most cases, the default login is the word admin, and the password is either an empty field or also admin (the default login and password are also indicated at the bottom of the router). If the router came from an Internet provider, then call him and find out.

Without the ability to change settings, you effectively lose control of your own hardware. Even if you have to reset your router and set it up again, it's worth it. To avoid problems with accessing the router in the future, write down your username and password and keep them in a safe place without access for strangers.

2. Come up with a strong password to access the router

After gaining access to the router, the first step is to change the password. Router interfaces differ depending on the manufacturer, specific model and firmware version. In this matter, as well as in the subsequent steps to improve protection, you will be helped by the user manual for your router.

3. Come up with a unique name (SSID) for the Wi-Fi network

If your neighbors don't understand technology at all, then a network name like fsbwifi or virus.exe may scare them away. In fact, a unique name will help you better navigate among other access points and uniquely identify your network.

4. Come up with a strong Wi-Fi password

By creating a hotspot without a password, you effectively make it public. A strong password will prevent unauthorized people from connecting to your wireless network.

5. Make your Wi-Fi network invisible

You will reduce the likelihood of an attack on your network if it cannot be detected without special software. Hiding the access point name increases security.

6. Turn on encryption

Modern routers support a variety of wireless encryption methods, including WEP, WPA, and WPA2. WEP is inferior to others in terms of reliability, but it is supported by old equipment. WPA2 is optimal in terms of reliability.

7. Disable WPS

WPS was created as a simplified way to create wireless networks, but in fact, it turned out to be extremely unbreakable. Disable WPS in the router settings.

8. Turn on MAC filtering

Router settings allow you to filter network access by unique identifiers called MAC addresses. Each device with a network card or network interface has its own MAC address.

You can create a list of MAC addresses of trusted devices, or deny connections to devices with specific MAC addresses.

If desired, an attacker can spoof the MAC address of the device from which he is trying to connect to your network, but for an ordinary household wireless access point, such a scenario is extremely unlikely.

9. Reduce the range of the Wi-Fi signal

Routers allow you to change the signal strength, thus increasing and decreasing the range of the wireless network. Obviously, you only use Wi-Fi inside your apartment or office. By lowering the transmission power to a value where the network signal is confidently received only within the premises, you, on the one hand, will make your network less visible to others, and on the other hand, you will reduce the amount of interference for neighboring Wi-Fi.

10. Update the router's firmware

There are no perfect technologies. Craftsmen find new vulnerabilities, manufacturers fix them and release patches for existing devices. By periodically updating your router's firmware, you reduce the likelihood that an attacker will exploit the flaws in older software versions to bypass protection and access your router and network.

11. Block remote access to the router

Even if you protect your wireless network and entering the router settings with passwords, attackers can still gain access to the router via the Internet. To protect the device from such outside interference, find the remote access function in the settings and disable it.

12. Firewall

Some routers have a built-in firewall to protect against various network attacks. Look in the security settings of your router for a function with a name like Firewall, "Firewall" or "Firewall" and enable it if present. If you see additional firewall parameters, read the official instructions on how to configure them.

13. VPN

VPN services create a kind of encrypted tunnel for the secure transfer of data between the device and the server. This technology reduces the likelihood of identity theft and makes it difficult to find the user's location.

To use a VPN, you need to install a special client program on the gadget. Such software exists for mobile devices and computers. However, some routers can also be connected to VPN services. This function allows you to immediately protect all gadgets on the local Wi-Fi network, even if they do not have special programs.

You can find out if your router supports VPN in the instructions or on the manufacturer's website. The same goes for the required settings.