How do I secure my wireless network?

Wireless networks are extremely convenient, but they are also vulnerable to hackers. This problem is made worse by the fact that many Wi-Fi networks have very little or no security. Below is a short guide to some of the security settings available for your network and how best to implement them.

Router security

Router security might be the single most important part of keeping your network safe. Not only is it your networks entry point, but if your router isn't secure a hacker can just use it to turn off any other security settings that you may have in place. Due to this, you will have to make sure that your router is no longer using its default password. Not only are these very weak, but it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to use the same password on all of its routers making them extremely vulnerable for wireless range. Next, if your router has a remote administration feature, make sure that it is turned off unless you actually plan to use it. If you decide to leave it turned on, make sure that you set the IP address filter to help you to limit which machines can access it. Lastly, consider turning off your router's SSID broadcasting. This makes your network invisible and only accessible to someone who knows your network's name. Though, be aware that with the proper equipment, a hacker can still find it.

Encryption

WEP, WAP, and WAP2 are all encryption methods to help to protect your network.
WEP WEP is the oldest and least secure method, but it may be necessary to use, if there are devices on your network that don't support WAP encryption. Keep in mind though, that its weaknesses are well-known to hackers. WAP WAP not only uses more possible characters in its passwords than WEP, but monitors their integrity, making it a far more secure method. WAP2 WAP2 is an improvement on WAP encryption and the best possible choice, but WAP2 is only supported by newer machines and operating systems. Use this method, if possible.

MAC Filtering

Every network adapter has a unique 12 character MAC address. By setting your network up to only machines with MAC addresses off a specific list, you can make a very secure network. The down side is that, especially on a larger network or one with a lot of turn over, it can be extremely inconvenient to gather all the addresses and set up. Keep in mind that it is also possible for a determined hacker to trick your router by spoofing a MAC address.