| It may not just be malicious attackers who cause | | | | even if you stop broadcasting your SSID, |
| problems. If you don't change the defaults of | | | | intruders can easily guess your router's name and |
| your wireless network, a neighbor with the same | | | | log on. To solve the problem, first change your |
| router make and model might accidentally connect | | | | SSID's name, and then hide it |
| to your network, stealing your bandwidth or | | | | 3)Enabling encryption |
| reconfiguring your router and network without | | | | Wi-Fi networks are incredibly convenient and |
| your knowledge. | | | | incredibly easy to spy upon. All that data going |
| Fear not, though. There's plenty you can do to | | | | out over the air among your PCs and between |
| protect yourself. | | | | your PCs and the Internet can easily be snooped |
| 1)Change your administrator password | | | | on by anyone nearby using simple, off-the-shelf |
| Before you do anything else, change the | | | | software such as packet sniffers. Using |
| administrator password on your router. Every | | | | encryption is the single most important step to |
| model of router comes preconfigured with a | | | | protect your home or small office network. |
| standard password, and hackers know this. So it's | | | | 4)Protect yourself using MAC addresses |
| exceedingly easy for someone to hop onto your | | | | Another way to protect your wireless network is |
| network, gain full control over its administrative | | | | to allow only certain computers to connect, and |
| rights and wreak havoc. | | | | ban all others. To do that, you'll filter by Media |
| 2)Stop broadcasting your network's SSID and | | | | Access Control (MAC) addresses and so you'll be |
| change its name | | | | able to tell your router to allow only specific MAC |
| Your service set identifier (SSID) is your | | | | addresses onto the network and keep all others |
| network's name, and if people know what your | | | | off. |
| SSID is, it's easier for them to find your network | | | | 5)Turn off your network when you're not using it |
| and connect to it. Your router broadcasts its | | | | This simple precaution can go a very long way |
| SSID, and that broadcast tells passersby there's a | | | | toward keeping you safe: Simply turn off your |
| network there. It also gives out the name. So, if | | | | router when you're not using your network. The |
| you turn off SSID broadcasting, you'll go partway | | | | less time your wireless network is available, the |
| toward keeping casual users from seeing your | | | | less likely it is to get hacked. |
| network. But doing that, by itself, won't | | | | 6)Checking for wireless intruders |
| necessarily solve the problem. Even if you stop | | | | You can never be too safe, and so even if |
| broadcasting your network's name, people might | | | | you've taken all this advice, it's a good idea to |
| still be able to connect to your network. That's | | | | check your network to see if intruders have |
| because manufacturers generally ship their | | | | made their way in. And if you haven't taken all |
| wireless routers with the same generic SSID. So, | | | | this advice, that's all the more reason to check. |