Keep Your Wireless Networks Secure

Now that wireless networks are so ubiquitous and easy to set up, there are many ways that other people can “jump on” your connection. This may not be harmful for people just trying to find the strongest available signal to browse web pages, but for those that know what they’re doing can possibly steal personal information and see what you’re doing on your network. Since setting up a new WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is generally as simple as “plug and play,” it may be worth while to take a few minutes to configure some security features.

Here are some of the things you can do to protect your wireless network:

• Secure your wireless router or access point administration interface. Most router settings are setup by default as an unprotected network. This lets anyone with a wireless card access to your network. When you do setup the secured network, make sure to change the password from its default password. Many times the default password would be something simple like “password.” Create a password that is unique so that only you would know it. However, don’t make it so obscure that you forget it, as you will only use the new password occasionally.
• Don't broadcast your SSID (Service Set IDentifier). Most WLAN access points and routers automatically broadcast the network's name. This makes setting up wireless clients extremely convenient since you can locate a WLAN without having to know what it's called, but it will also make your WLAN visible to anyone with a wireless card. Turning off SSID broadcast for your network makes it invisible to your neighbors and passers-by. This isn’t much of a security feature because once you have connected to the network, anyone can save the connection settings to automatically connect.
• Enable WPA encryption instead of WEP. Encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. WPA provides much better protection and is also easier to use, since your password characters aren't limited to 0-9 and A-F as they are with WEP. WPA support is built into Windows XP (with the latest Service Pack) and virtually all modern wireless hardware and operating systems. A more recent version, WPA2, is found in newer hardware and provides even stronger encryption. At least use WEP encryption if that’s all you have available, it is better than nothing. Using WPA encryption along with a secured password to access the network is typically enough security to prevent unwanted users.
• Control the range and strength of your signal. Not all routers have this capability, but with some you can lower the power and strength of your signal. It is very unlikely that you can broadcast the signal do the exact distance you want it, but it is worth a try. Additionally, you never know how far or strong a signal you yourself may need. Sometimes a stronger signal is worth more than the chance of other people at least seeing your connection exists.
• Disable remote administration. Most WLAN routers have the ability to be remotely administered via the Internet. Ideally, you should use this feature only if it lets you define a specific IP address or limited range of addresses that will be able to access the router. Otherwise, almost anyone anywhere could potentially find and access your router. As a rule, unless you absolutely need this capability, it's best to keep remote administration turned off. (It's usually turned off by default, but it's always a good idea to check.)

It is important to know that none of these suggestions are a complete protection; they just make it a little harder for people to access your wireless network. To be honest, most of us with laptops and wireless capable devices have jumped onto others wireless networks. The majority of the time people are just looking to access their email or general websites. Without encryption and other protective measures, anyone can use readily available tools to see all your Wi-Fi traffic. Being prepared and securing your connection can save you some hassle and interruptions from the other not so honest users.

I found a great tutorial on how to setup and secure a wireless network. It walks you through step by step. Better yet it even gives pictures to guide you through the process. Click here for the tutorial.