How To Protect Your Home Network
People having wireless home network want the job to get their internet connectivity fast. Everybody wants his internet connectivity very quickly. But it should be remembered that it can be risky. If you have a home network, keep the following points in mind so as to make the network secure.
- An access point or a router is the core of most of the home networks. A manufacturer provides web pages allowing their network address and account information to enter. These tools are protected with the help of a login screen in which user name or a password is required. But sometimes the login name and passwords are well known to hackers. It is recommended that the user should change these immediately.
- All home networks are supported by encryption which scrambles messages over wireless network so as to read by human being. So, naturally you will want to employ strong encryption working with wireless network.
- Home network has a default router known as SSID which is supplied by the manufacturer. It is normally "Linksys". So, everyone can break into your network. A network having a default SSID is poor network and can easily be attacked. So best thing to secure your network is to change the default SSID.
- Another tip is to enable MAC Address Filtering. There is a unique identifier in the home network which is called MAC address. Routers and access point track MAC addresses of the devices connecting them. The owner is offered an option to key in the MAC. But this feature is not much powerful. Software programs of hackers may fake the MAC address.
- The router or the wireless access point makes a broadcast of SSID over the air. This roaming in the home network is unnecessary and it increases the likelihood of someone logging in your network. So, you should disable SSID broadcast to protect your home network.
- Your computer network gets exposed to the neighbor's computer when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network. This network is automatically connected in most of the computers. So, this setting in computers should be disabled to prevent attacks.
- Home networks usually use dynamic IP addresses. There is DHCP technology set up in home networks. This technology unfortunately helps the attackers to obtain valid IP address from your home network's DHPC. So, DHCP on the router should be turned off. A fixed IP address should be set. A private IP address should be used which will help the computers to guard against direct reach.
- Generally a network has an in-built firewall that can be disabled. It should be confirmed that the firewall is turned on. It is prudent to use personal firewall software to have a greater home network security.
- Generally small amount of signals leak outside the home in a home network. But if these signals leak in greater amount, these signals may be employed by others. Generally home signals are leaked in streets and in neighbor's house. It is dangerous. So, the position of the access point or router should be positioned at the center of the home so that no signals are dropped outside the home.