How to Stop Wireless Hackers

Many people use their wireless routers right out of the box with all of the default settings intact. Unfortunately, this often leaves the wireless network vulnerable to wireless hackers. Changing just a few settings on the router can greatly improve the security of your network. One of the biggest things you can do is to add a wireless security key, which makes it so you need the key to connect to the network. You can also change the SSID (network name) and disable SSID broadcasts so that you have to enter the SSID name to connect instead of double-clicking from a list.

• 1

  Connect an Ethernet cable from your computer to one of the LAN ports on the router.

• 2

  Open a web browser, and type in the address to your router's web interface. The address will look similar to "192.168.X.X." Refer to your router's user guide for the specific address for your router's web interface.

• 3

  Enter the login information for the web interface. A typical username and password is "admin" and "password." Refer to your router's user guide for specific login information.

• 4

  Click on "System Settings" or "Set Password," then change the password for router login to prevent anyone from changing the router configuration.

• 5

  Click on "Wireless" or "Wireless Settings," then change the SSID (Network Name) of your wireless network.

• 6

  Click "Wireless Security" or, on the same page as the one from Step 5, click the option to enable wireless security, and select a security type. It is recommended that you use WPA over WEP because WEP is easier to crack than WPA. Enter the wireless security key you want to use, then click "Apply."

• 7

  Click "Advanced Wireless" or "Advanced Wireless Settings," and click the "No" option on whether to enable SSID broadcasts. Click "Apply," and close the browser.