Steps to Secure a Wireless Network

Wireless Internet access is rapidly gaining popularity over the whole world. Most people prefer the unplugged experience that wireless networks provide. Wi-fi hot spots have mushroomed everywhere and home users are also increasingly going the wireless way. A wireless network operates much like a radio station as it transmits data over the waves. While this feature enables portability and unplugged access, it has a downside, which is exposure of your network to eavesdroppers and hackers. Ergo, it's very essential that you know how to secure a wireless network, which can effectively prevent malicious attacks.

Simple Steps to Secure a Wireless Networks

Since the dawn of wireless communication technology, security of transmission has always been an issue of consideration. The very feature of wireless networks that make them convenient alternatives to wired Internet access (radio transmission), also makes it vulnerable to hacking. Transmissions can be intercepted and your network can be hacked by eavesdroppers to gain wireless Internet access. To prevent this from happening, wireless router manufacturers have now included many security features to prevent this from occurring. The text that follows will make you aware about them. Even if you do nothing other than following these simple steps to secure wireless networks, you can rest assured that you are protected from hackers. I assume that you are familiar about basics of setting up wireless network and know about how does a wireless network work.

Upgrade to WPA2 Encryption
You can protect the data transmitted over radio waves by enabling the 'toughest to crack' encryption technology which is currently WPA2. When checking out wireless router reviews, see to it that it has WPA2 encryption. It is based on Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is the most cutting edge encryption standard made available yet. So opting for WPA2, makes your network extremely secure.

Turn On the Router Firewall
Any tutorial on wireless network setup, will tell you that every router, along with every computer that is connected to your network has a software firewall, to prevent unauthorized remote access. Make sure that while setting up your wireless router, its firewall is turned on.

Change Administrator Login Name & Password
When you configure your wireless router, you need to set up an administrator login name and password. Most people don't change both and let them be default manufacturer set values. This is a bad idea as hackers can completely gain control over your network if they know the default values. So set up as strong a password as possible and also change the login name. In fact, it's a good idea to keep changing the password periodically.

Change SSID Name & Disable Broadcast
You must change the SSID (Service Set Identifier) of your wireless network. If you let it be the default one, hackers generally get an idea about what kind of configuration you have, just from the name. In fact, for home networks, it's best that you disable the SSID broadcasts and mask it from exposure to hackers.

Use MAC Filtering
You can restrict which computers have access to your wireless network by setting up MAC (Media Access Control) addresses that are uniquely set for wireless adapters installed in desktop and laptop computers. By restricting accessibility of your network to a select list of MAC addresses, you protect your network from outside access.

Turn Off Wireless Router When Internet is Not in Use
Another step for securing wireless networks is to simply turn your router off when not in use and avoid unnecessary exposure. You can save power too in the process.

Opt For Static IP Addresses & Turn Off DHCP
Most network administrators advise that you set the wireless network to allow static IP addresses that require administrative intervention instead of DHCP which assigns them automatically. The latter allows hackers to pick up IP addresses. Hence it's a good practice to set DHCP to be switched off and opt for a restricted range of static IP addresses.

Limit Signal Strength & Position Router Smartly
Your wireless network can extend far beyond your home and fall prey to hacking attempts. If you restrict signal power of your wireless router, you can restrict the range to just home premises. This can be achieved through smart positioning of your router. To secure a network (Netgear or any other router based), this is a precaution that you can take.

Turn Off Remote Administration
Most wireless routers can be programmed remotely to make administrative changes. It is best that you turn off this remote administration facility as it also provides a chance for hackers to gain entry.

Following these steps, you will have plugged most of the vulnerable spots in the system which hackers normally use. Hope you found this short guide on wireless networking security to be insightful.