Ways To Save Your Home Router From Any Damage

Protecting your wireless home network from any form of damage is important to ensure that you continue to perform better without facing any networking troubles. Wireless home router provides you with the convenience of sharing the same Internet connection with several computers or other devises within the home. However, the convenience of connecting multiple computers to the same connection also opens up a potential security threat. The wireless signal can be used by other people for their use. If it is used by hackers then confidential information taken from your network can be misused. This may also slow down your Internet connectivity and speed, thereby hampering your work.

Therefore, it is important to save your home router from vulnerable attacks. There are different ways of protecting the home network. Some of the simple steps that you can follow for saving the wireless Internet router installed at your home are enlisted below:

1. Change the default ID system

Default system ID known as the Service Set Identifier or the SSID or the Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) is the ID that is given to a computer or any other device that is attached to a wireless local area network (WLAN). Wireless home routers as manufactured by same manufacturers share a common system ID. Due to this reason, it becomes easy for the hacker to hack into a default system ID of a user of a wireless device.

Anyone can log into your network and do a lot of damage once they come to know of the default ID number of your device attached to your WLAN. Hence, always remember to change the default SSID with a unique number which only you know of in order to make sure that hackers and unwelcome people cannot open your network and use your connection. Also change the default password which is common to all wireless routers and access points manufactured by the same manufacturer in order to improve the security.

2. Do not broadcast SSID

Disable your default ID system as that can encourage hackers to use your Internet connection thereby resulting in slow down, viruses and spam.

3. Use Encryption

Encryption is used for scrambling the data on your home router so that no one else can log onto your system and only computers with the right encryption code can figure out your data. Avoid using WEP to encrypt your data as it has some serious security flaws. You can use the newer WPA encryption method.

4. Stop Unwanted Traffic

Use built-in firewalls that come with most wireless routers to prevent unnecessary traffic. Although most built-in firewalls are not advanced but they are effective in restricting unwanted traffic. You can read the manual or set up default settings to filter out the unwanted traffic.

5. Reduce infiltration by hackers

Install a personal firewall and also use an anti-virus software before you connect your device to the Internet through the wireless home router. This will ensure that any virus does not bug your system and damage your files stored in the computer.