6 Ways To Secure Your WiFi Network

#1 Change the Default Router Login

If you’re wondering “How to Secure My WiFi”, start here: don’t use the default password. Too often the default password is “000” or “password” or in the case of routers, it’s the serial number, which is on the side of the router.

So the first thing to do when looking to secure a WiFi router:

1. Connect to the router via an Ethernet connection. Do not use a WiFi connection to get to the administrative access. Check the manual, but usually, the Admin interface for a router is at http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1.
2. Once in, log in with the default admin username and password. Even though you want to change it, you still have to get in the first time.
3. Depending on your router, the steps to change the administrative username and password will be different. For Arris, this is listed under Login settings:

4. Change both the username and the password. Write these down and store them in a secure location, like a home safe. Don’t give it to your kids — you know that will end badly.

That’s the first step to securing your WiFi network. But it’s not the last.

#2 Change and Hide your SSID

The SSID is the identity for your secure WiFi network. It’s the name people use to find it and connect to the network, and how to set it apart. It’s also set by default by your router, usually some combination of its serial number like “F27N37552” or, even worse it identifies what kind of router it is like “NetGear001” or the provider with “VerizonBox”.

All of these are bad for different reasons. With the SSID telling the user what kind of network or router is being used makes it easier for hackers to figure out the best way to attack your network.

Stop them by changing the SSID.

Some routers even let you specify multiple networks (more on that in a moment).

Check your manual, but the typical steps are:

1. Log into your router (you did set up a new username and password from Step 1, right?).
2. Select your WiFi network.
3. Change the SSID, and turn off “Broadcast Network Name.”

Save those settings. The WiFi network will still work, it just won’t tell everyone about it. While you’re at it, make sure that the Pre-Shared Key is something unique.

Expert Tip: Use memorable phrases rather than simple words or numbers.

Now we’re hidden and people just can’t get in without permission. But hiding your SSID doesn’t make your network completely invisible or fully secure. Specialized WiFi analyzer apps such as NetSpot can detect hidden networks, although they won’t display the hidden SSID itself.

#5 Set Up The Firewall

A firewall functions as a defensive mechanism that regulates network traffic coming into and going out of a system based on established security rules.

• Rule 1: Reject all inbound connections that were not explicitly requested (Any: DENY).
• Rule 2: Permit inbound connections solely when they are responses to outgoing requests initiated by devices within the network (stateful firewall).
• Rule 3: Enable “Ping Blocking” to prevent your router from responding to external ping requests (ICMP Echo requests). Hackers often ping networks to identify active systems. By blocking ping responses, you make your network less visible.

Another setting is to block “fragmented packets.” A packet is a bit of network, containing a header saying where the packet is going and what information it carries. It’s like a letter that computers send each other on the network. The envelope shows where the letter came from and where it’s going to, and inside the letter is the actual information.

But sometimes a hacker will send a fragmented packet. This is a packet that is formed badly on purpose to confuse the router or computers into accepting bad information that they usually would deny. It can trick the computer into granting access because the computer will do it’s best to guess what the fragmented traffic is trying to get to. By denying these, it prevents those issues in the first place:

Expert Tip: Regularly review firewall logs to rapidly identify and address possible security risks by monitoring suspicious behavior.

#6 Monitor Nearby Wi-Fi Networks Regularly

Locking down the network with the five steps listed are a good start to good wireless network security.

Past just locking it down, you should also know what’s out there on the network, and in your building. Sometimes a clever hacker can get into a business and plug in a small WiFi router into the Ethernet network so they can access it from outside the building.

You’re going to want a good network analyzer to find any rogue WiFi networks in your building. Download NetSpot — the free version can show the different networks it detects. If there are networks that are coming on strong or aren’t ones you know about, it can help you find them and shut down.

Secure your network with a bit of simple locking down of the system, and using NetSpot to find anything that doesn’t belong and turn it off so people can snitch on what your network is doing without your authorization. It’ll grant peace of mind and save a lot of heartaches after.