Wireless Networks are an open door to your computer. Unless you take appropriate measures your wireless network could be used for inappropriate means. Don't make the criminals life any easier by running an unsecure wireless network.
Wireless networking has helped to revolutionise the way that we use computers in today's society. For the first time it became possible for a person to connect to the Internet or other computers within a network without the need for expensive cables that often restricted the positioning of computers. Suddenly it became possible to use a laptop on the go or in multiple locations within a house or office.
The average range of a wireless network can vary from 50 meters to 500 meters depending on where the wireless router is located, the strength of the router and how many thick walls the signal has to travel through. This means that if your router is located at the top of your house near a window then it possible that someone could connect to your network anywhere within a 50 to 500 meter range of your router. So you may never even see a person connecting to your network and not realise that they are monitoring all the data that is travelling along your network.
Before I explain how to protect your network from hackers I would just like to mention the positive sides of having a wireless network.
1) It gives you the freedom to position your Laptop or computer just about anywhere that is within range of the wireless router. This means that you can use your laptop in the garden or have a computer in a room without the need to trail expensive cables and telephone lines throughout the premises.
2) Share one connection with multiple users - If you have a big family then before the advent of networking it meant that anyone wishing to use the Internet would have to wait their turn or install multiple telephone lines which was expensive.
Now with the advent of networking and in particular wireless networking it is possible to have lots of people connecting to the internet from just one telephone line.
3) Share files, printers, music & pictures with the whole family. With a wireless network you can now pass music between computers, share one printer with multiple users and share documents without the need of burning them disk or tape.
Yes there are a lot of positive reasons why having a wireless network makes sense and as long as you take a few basic security measures then running a wireless network can be a very rewarding & positive thing to do.
1) Change the default router password - It never stops amazing me just how many people forget to change the default password of their router. Did you know that most routers use a standard set of login details which makes it very easy for anybody who knows these details to gain instant access to your router. From this they can then divert the traffic from your router to their computer, change your encryption so you can't connect to your own network, change the default password! so that you can't get in to your own router! There are viruses that can travel from one router to another and they do this by relying on people not using encryption and not changing the router password. Avoid your worst nightmares by taking a few minutes to lock down your network.
2) Use encryption - Never leave your wireless network open to all. A network that does not use encryption is like a house without locks on the door and sooner or later you will get broken into.
What is encryption? Encryption takes the data that is being sent across your network and scrambles it up so that any one without the key used to scramble it up can not decode what is being sent. The level of security is determined by the type of encryption used and there are currently 3 main types of encryption available on most modern routers:-
1) WEP - The weakest form encryption but can be used on most equipment despite its age.
2) WPA-PSK - Fairly good encryption and can be used on most equipment built after 2003
3) WPA2 - PSK - One of the latest in secure encryption but can only be used with fairly modern equipment built after 2003.
When your network is encrypted then a person wishing to get onto your network must have the key otherwise they will not be able to connect. This is exactly the same as giving keys to your front door to members of the family. Without a key they can not gain access.
By just changing your default password and using encryption will protect you from 97% of the hacking attacks and this is because a person looking for wireless networks will have to spend time and effort trying to break your encryption & router password and the more time that they have to spend doing this means that the are more vulnerable to being caught. So a potential attacker is much more likely to concentrate on the thousands of unprotected networks that are out there rather then spend time and effort cracking into yours.
4) Change the default router / network name - Most routers are shipped with a default name that often tends to be similar to the type of router that you have bought. This is done for convenience but it is also very handy for a hacker. Most routers in particular older ones have bugs / flaws that allows a hacker with the knowledge to break into your system. If your network / router name is the same as the router then you have just made it a lot easier for a hacker as he already knows the type of router you are using and can therefore research the net for known flaws. DO NOT NAME YOUR ROUTER ACCORDING TO YOUR HOUSE NAME / NUMBER OR FAMILY NAME. Why make it easy for people who don't like you to make your life a misery? By name your router 'No 42' or 'Jones Network' you are effectively identifying your network to people who are looking to do you harm. Make it difficult and call it 'banana network' etc and then no one knows who owns the network.
5) Regularly check who is on your network - All routers provide the ability to see who is using your network and also to store login attempts to a file called a log that can be viewed at a later time. It takes less then 3 minutes to login to your router and just have a quick check on the machines that are connected.
6) Do a little research on Google. If you are having problems setting up your router / network then check online for help. The power of knowledge is now at your fingertips 24 hours a day and yet so few people have really comprehended just how powerful that is. Stick the name of your router into Google and you will be amazed at just how many pages are devoted to helping you solve just about every issue that will ever arise.
Not confident with setting up your wireless network in North Devon? Then why not get it done by a professional for only £50.00. Includes setting up printer sharing, file sharing & securing your network at home. This Normally takes less then 1 hour and could prevent you from becoming a victim of hackers. Contact us for more information.
Coming soon
How to get into your router