[Continued from Part #1 here]

Once you have access to your router, change the administrator password. This is very important if your administrative password by default was left blank. On most routers this is listed under System Settings or a similar type option. Your router manual should provide this information. Also of note, sometimes the user manuals are in .pdf format on the CD provided with your router. You may wish to print out this information as well.

Next, turn on encryption. There are two types of encryption.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WEP provides a level of security that can help to deter casual snooping and eavesdropping. However, a season computer veteran can usually crack a WEP code within several minutes using the correct software. My opinion. WEP is the difference between leaving your front door locked or unlocked when you leave your home. A determined burglary may not be deterred, but a casual passerby will be kept out. Using a WEP key is the lowest level of security that a user should use.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). WPA was intended as an intermediate measure to take the place of WEP. But has two minor drawbacks. Though WPA was designed to work with wireless network, some older hardware may not function properly. Also, some users may experience symptoms such as lock-out, where they can’t access the internet or network. If you experience either of these problems, then you may have to use WEP instead.

Either WEP or WPA can normally be located under the Security menu of your router. It may also be listed as Encryption. With either WEP or WPA you will need to set a Key and each of your computers will need to be configured to use this Key to access the router and to also access the internet and network. This sounds more complicated than what it really is. When you attempt to connect to the router, you are prompted for the Key, which you enter, than access is granted.

Service Set Identifier (SSID) It is basically the name you chose to identify your network to the router. It’s also a good idea to change the SSID from the default, which is usually ‘linksys’, ‘dlink’,’belkin’, or something similar. Choose a SSID name using something you will remember. You also have the option to disable the SSID which will make your router invisible for public viewing. But there are softwares available that allows a hacker to still locate your SSID, so this is not 100% safe.

Firmware Updates are patches and fixes for the software that is part of your router system. Firmware updates are designed to correct ‘bugs’ that may cause your router not to perform correctly. You can obtain firmware patches from the manufacturers website, along with the manual for your router, in case you misplace yours.

So there you have it. Some of the basics of securing your router. For more information on your particular router, visit the website for your router and model number.

[tags]network, wi-fi, router, security, firmware, [/tags]