0 Securing Home Wireless Networks

---

Please Leave A Comment~ Thank You...!!!

---

Many people setting up wireless home networks rush through the job to get their Internet connectivity working as quickly as possible. The small office, home office (SOHO) networking products on the market make setup quick and easy but not necessarily secure. Configuring additional security features can be time consuming and nonintuitive for some home users, and therefore they may not implement any security mechanism at all. These days wireless networking products are so ubiquitous and inexpensive that just about anyone can set up a WLAN in a matter of minutes with less than $100 worth of equipment. This widespread use of wireless networks means that there may be dozens of potential network intruders within range of your home or office WLAN. Most WLAN hardware has gotten easy enough to set up that many users simply plug it in and start using the network without giving much thought to security. Nevertheless, taking a few extra minutes to configure the security features of your wireless router or access point is time well spent.

The following recommendations will improve the security of your home wireless network:

Change default administrator passwords and usernames. When configuring your home access point, you usually use a web browser to access the configuration interface. Almost all routers and access points have an administrator password that’s needed to log into the device and modify any configuration settings. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide a default username and password. Many of the default logins are simple (such as username=admin and password=admin) and very well known to hackers on the Internet. Most devices use a weak default password like “password” or the manufacturer’s name, and some don’t have a default password at all. You should change the default password on your home AP as soon as possible. As soon as you set up a new WLAN router or access point, your first step should be to change the default administrative password to something else.

Use WEP/WPA encryption. Most Wi-Fi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by hackers. You should configure the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless clients. 802.11’s WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) encryption has wellknown weaknesses that make it relatively easy for a determined user with the right equipment to crack the encryption and access the wireless network. A better way to protect your WLAN is with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WPA provides much better protection and is also easier to use, since your password characters aren’t limited to 0–9 and A–F as they are with WEP. (Note: WEP can also use ASCII keys.)

Change the default SSID. Access points use a network name called an SSID to advertise the network to wireless users. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally “Linksys.” Just knowing the SSID does not by itself allow your neighbors to break into your network, but it is a start. More importantly, when someone finds a default SSID, it is usually an indication of a poorly configured network. You should change the default SSID immediately when configuring wireless security on your network.

Do not auto-connect to open Wi-Fi networks. Connecting to an open Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot or an unknown WLAN exposes your computer to security risks. Most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you. Most versions of Windows will reconnect to a previously connected SSID. This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations.

Enable firewall settings on your laptop and home access point. Most network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router’s firewall is turned on. You should always install and configure personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.

Reduce your WLAN transmitter power. You won’t find this feature on all wireless routers and access points, but some allow you to lower the power of your WLAN transmitter and thus reduce the range of the signal. (Normally this feature is only available with enterpriseclass access points.) Although it’s usually impossible to fine-tune a signal so precisely that it won’t leak outside your home or business, with some trial and error you can often limit how far outside your premises the signal reaches, minimizing the opportunity for outsiders to access your WLAN. This will also improve your throughput on your access point by limiting the wireless cell to just your premise.

Disable remote administration. Most WLAN routers have the ability to be remotely administered via the Internet. Ideally, you should use this feature only if it lets you define a specific IP address or limited range of addresses that will be able to access the router. Otherwise, almost anyone anywhere could potentially find and access your router. As a rule, unless you absolutely need this capability, it’s best to keep remote administration turned off.