Security is something most people should think about when they ever decide to install a wireless router. It doesn’t matter if you have DSL, cable or any other provider as long as you are on wireless you will be less security than you would be wired. It doesn’t have to be something that you should be worried about. Of course wireless is not completely vulnerable.
Nowadays, security comes built-in in most wireless routers. However, you may need to configure for the basic security for wireless and that is to have a closed Wi-fi rather than open. This itself would make it so that only an authorized person would be allowed on your network. Generally, when you first setup your router, you would have gone through the process. If you have your instruction manual it can help you a bit on setting the security up or changing it. If you can get on to the router configuration then you are one step closer to setting a secure wireless connection.
Now, when you are able to get on to the router configuration page there should be something labeled SSID (Service Set Identifier). This is to identify a wireless routers’ individual network, or your WLAN. It can be be 32 characters long combining letters or numbers. To prevent anyone in finding your wireless network you should disable the SSID. This would make your network invisible. If you do this you must now reconfigure any other computers or wireless devices to the routers new name, and password if you enabled it as well.
Another thing that can be done to further improve your wireless security is to apply encryption on to your network. The standard encryption is WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) which you must also setup a WEP key pass phrase, basically a password. The WEP key can be made up of characters comprising of numeric numbers 0-9 and the letters from A-F 10 characters long. When you save the settings on the router it would generally ask you to restate it.
Then there is Media Access Control or MAC. This is another level of security that you can setup that you can add for further improved security. On you computers’ controller panel under network you can find your wireless cards’ MAC address. When you find it you should go back to your routers’ configuration page where you would find a place where you can enter the MAC address. This would help keep unwanted users of you wireless network.
These steps may seem a lot to do and it maybe but for security it may be enough. There are other forms of setting up more security, most of with would require additional hardware so if you want that extra security you should.