Unauthorized access, eavesdropping, and theft of personal information are common because wireless connections are not secure enough. The only good thing about these pesky cables is that they make it harder for someone to steal your bandwidth – now anyone can access your network, even people a few doors away. With such easy access, paying per byte of data transfer increases your monthly bill. The internet can slow down later if too many people are using the connection. Additionally, if someone else is using your internet connection, they can hijack your computer and gain access to your files. Sharing a network can be harmful because it increases the risk of exposing your data and personnel files to danger.
Three strategies are covered:
- Encryption
- MAC address restriction
- Broadcast SSID prevention
You can use them individually or in combination to build stronger defenses against network compromise.
Steps to Set up a Secure Network:
Step 1: As a first step, find and access your router’s settings page.
- In your web browser, type “192.168.1.1”. Here is the web URL where you can write the web address to access the settings page for your router.
- When asked, enter your username and password. If this doesn’t work, follow the directions in the user manual for your router.
Step 2: The second step is to create a password for your router.
- Once logged into your router, create a password to start protecting your network. Only you can maintain and change your settings as other users will not be able to access your network.
- You should have no trouble finding your password information there when you go to Settings to update your password.
- Note that this password, like any other password, should be difficult to guess.
Make it as unusual and abstract as possible. It should probably be an odd collection of letters and numbers. Creating this password is important, but keeping it secure and confidential is even more important. Due to the fact that the password is effectively entered into the device and only appears as a series of dots or asterisks, the person sharing the password will not let anyone know what it is.
Passwords should ideally be 20 characters long and consist of many randomly mixed characters. Of course, it should be very difficult to remember your password.
Step 3: Change the SSID of your network.
- The router’s SSID (Service Configured Identifier) is pre-configured at the time of purchase and is set to something very simple (usually the product name). Better to change that name. It is clear which network you are connected to, even if nothing seems to have changed.
- If you go to your router’s Settings home page, you’ll find this setting and instructions for renaming it under Wireless Settings. By changing your name, you can always be sure that you are joining the correct name in a sea of other random networks. Must be random and unique. Try to be very creative when choosing passwords, as this software quickly cycles through many passwords and password patterns.
Step 4: Enable network encryption.
- In the network transmission layer, slightly above the data link layer and below the application layer, network encryption is a security technique that leverages cryptographic services. For the less technically savvy, this means that data sent over the communication networks is secure.
- Encrypting your network is very important if you want to prevent or prevent other computers or users from using your network to access your files.
- Go to and open your router’s wireless security settings and/or configuration page to enable encryption on your home or office network. This screen will then allow you to select the desired security method. Please enter the password to access the network.
Step 5: Filter MAC address from the list
- All of these systems have a MAC address, whether you’re using a desktop, laptop, or WiFi-enabled smartphone. Media Access Control addresses (MAC addresses) are used to communicate with network segments.
- If the MAC addresses of all your devices are added to your wireless router selection, only your devices will be able to connect to your secure network. With this configuration, MAC addresses are highly coded, and only one device is allowed on the network. Although it is possible to spoof your MAC address, it should be emphasized that using these additional security measures is a little more difficult.
- To enable and allow MAC address “filtering”, you need to enter all the addresses you trust to connect to your network (think of all the devices you use to connect to the Internet). Find the “MAC Address” of these devices and add them to the list under Settings. You can learn how to find the MAC address of any device by quickly searching Google for instructions for your device.
Step 6: Reduce the range of your wireless signal.
- Try switching your router mode to 802.11g or using a completely different wireless channel to reduce the signal range.
- Put your router in a drawer or box, or wrap the tape around your router’s antenna to reduce the direction of the signal.
- Recently, with the development of Wi-Fi-blocking paint, it has become possible to block radio waves simply by absorbing them. By painting your router this color, you can increase the security of your network.
Step 7: Update Firmware
It can be important to make sure your router’s firmware is up-to-date. If you are using the 192.168 method above, you may be able to find the latest updated firmware for your router from your router’s dashboard.
Step 8: Connect to a secure wireless network.
- After successfully completing the various steps outlined and enabling various security options, it is essential to populate all devices with the new security options. This allows them all to easily connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- You can also let your computer connect to this network itself without entering a password.
Firewall installation is step 9.
- You can protect your network from external attacks by installing a firewall.
- The firewall prevents malicious traffic from accessing your secure network and alerts you when potentially dangerous activity is initiated. It also acts as a deterrent to insider threats by preventing files from leaving your computer if properly configured and set up.
- Most, if not all, wireless routers seem to include an access control network firewall with built-in Denial of Service (DoS) protection and configuration options.
Please note that the firewall may be turned off by default after purchase. Make sure your firewall is enabled and that you have selected all the options and settings that best suit your needs. Additionally, many firewalls can be purchased online. Again, choose the one that best suits your needs.