5 Wireless Networking Security Tips

By: Stephen Thiele

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Computer safety, and wireless network safety, is a huge concern in the world today, so we have brought you a list of 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips. The price of internet is constantly rising and no one wants an outside mooching off of their internet connection, so it is important to protect yourself.

  1. Wireless encryption.  Encrypting your wireless network is the most important topic on our 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips list. If you do not encrypt your wireless network, others will be able to use your internet and possibly steal usernames, passwords, etc. Do not use WEP protection and do not use an easy to guess word for your encryption password.
  2. Turn your network off.  Another one of our 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips is turning off your modem, router, and/or access point when you are not home or are not using the internet. If everything is turned off, then it is impossible for any outsides to use your connection or steal valuable personal information.
  3. Update firmware. Updating the firmware for your modem, router, and/or access point is one of the most critical 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips, yet it is often something that goes forgotten. Keeping your wireless networking components up to date is key to having the highest level of security, so next time you see that little box pop up that is telling you about an update, don't ignore it.
  4. Default passwords.  Changing the default password that your wireless networking components comes with is something that we cannot stress enough, which is why it has made our 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips list. Generally, the company manufacturing the wireless networking component is gong to set all of their products to the same default password, so if you don't change it, you are almost asking for someone to enter your wireless network. As previously mentioned, use a unique password that will not be easily guessed by others. Do not include your address number, birth date, etc. in the password.
  5. Enable HTTPS. Enabling HTTPS is the final item on our 5 Wireless Networking Security Tips list. The default setting for many access points is HTTP. However, HTTP passes traffic in clear text, while HTTPS encrypts the data.
Posted on: Apr. 13, 2010