Advanced Tips and Tricks for Your Home Router Security

Eradicating the need of the long and crumbled wired networks nowadays, users prefer to set up a Wi-Fi router in their home to stay connected wirelessly. Serving as a technological workhorse of the modern home, users can easily choose a router for bringing the Internet to many devices, used within the specified range. Wireless speed and users/router security are the prime issues that a user faces while managing routers on a personal level.

An unprotected router is an open invite to various kinds of threats including viruses, data stealers, password hackers, and malware authors. Several researchers have reported that a potential hacker can easily access and change the configuration of the routers installed with home networks and make you data available for their personal use.

In this article, you will read about the advanced tips and tricks that can help you to add enhanced protection to your home router.

Change the Default SSID name

Many users think that taking the pain of changing the default settings is just a waste of time however, it is actually not. Changing the default wireless SSID, like you did for your router's administrative password is really important to add up an extra layer of security to your home network. Keeping the default wireless SSID can help a potential hacker or malware author to easily grab device loopholes from its OEM’s website and make it possible to infer information. Therefore, it is recommended to change the default settings and create a custom SSID without using any details like family name or address.

Turn off SSID Broadcast immediately

You might have heard that broadcasting your router’s SSID will make it easier for wireless devices to be connected to your network, but it also works as a security loophole. Broadcasting the SSID will make your router available or advertises it to any passers-by/neighbors, which isn't a secured environment. You can easily turn off this feature to hide your network's presence from unnecessary users however, the device once connected to the network will always show the connection, when active. A user should remember his SSID as the new connected device may ask for the settings and details while setting it up with the home network.

Use WPA, instead of WEP

Since technology has evolved at a rapid pace, WEP encryption techniques are now out of the picture. Dotted with various weaknesses, WEP have been widely used mostly with non-PC devices like those used for media streaming nowadays. Although, it can be a default encryption method at some devices, but it is recommended to immediately stop using such devices.

Look at the back side of the router’s carton to ensure that it works on the WPA encryption techniques to protect your wireless network. Users should avoid buying or using devices operating on WEP technique to take advantage of the greatly improved security with WPA. WPA doesn't need users to choose between ASCII or HEX, and encryption keys aren’t limited to specific lengths, like 13 or 26 characters for 128-bit WEP.

Eliminate extensive use of DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a standardized networking protocol that automates the allocation of IP addresses, when you have lots of systems to manage. One of the major advantages of this feature is that DHCP will easily issue an IP address to any system that demands for one. Turning off this feature will create tech issues for unregistered users, who have got valid address to access your network.

You can easily leave your DHCP ON and thus reduce the size of its address pool to ensure that even some unauthorized users can gain access to the network, if not recognized properly. Restricting the access to DHCP will limit the number of available DHCP addresses and will prevent the wireless trespassers from accessing the connection easily.

Turn off your DMZ

The router's DMZ feature, short for Demilitarized Zone, is a danger prone area for a PC or network security, if left enabled. This feature usually comes in a turned off mode by default, but sometimes users enable it for performing basic Internet troubleshooting, and then forget to disable it. This feature serves as an IP address (or address range) that will be left open to the Internet, if enabled. The adverse effect of this feature is that any system, placed on that network, will be completely exposed and will be at higher security risk.

The above mentioned tips will help you to secure your home network’s router in an easier and better way. You can also avoid using the remote management features as it allows you to log-in and manage the device even from outside your network, but with a greater security threat. Therefore, you are recommended to change the default port number (usually 8080 or 8888) to something that can’t be guessed easily for a safer and secured network environment. Additionally, changing the administrative password, reducing wireless power, turning on MAC filtering, and turning off ping response can also help you to secure your home router to a greater extent.

About the Author: Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve online computer support with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphone. With a strong track record of devising effective ways of online tech support and system security, she has so far helped thousands of users across the globe. Her writings on tech issues are the reflection of her in-depth interest and command she carries as a pc security support technician. Her blogs and articles have been rated high for their lucid style and easy to understand language.

Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve computer security, with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.