Setting up a secure home network has never been more critical, given the sheer amount of gadgets customers now have under their control. Increasing cybercrime and hacking incidences necessitate that our home networks be as safe as they are widely linked. An authorized home internet agent can help prevent a neighbor or hacker from getting their hands on your Wi-Fi signal, and they can also help keep your home network safe. In this blog, we will attempt to guide you through the process of establishing a secure home network.
Wireless or Wired?
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Choosing whether you want a “wired” or a “wireless” connection is the first step in setting up a home network. With Wi-Fi becoming the norm in most homes and workplaces, a cable connection may not always be an option.
On the other hand, some individuals still prefer a wired network because of the increased reliability that comes with having all of your network devices physically linked to a router through an Ethernet connection.
There is a good chance that wireless communication may eventually replace wired technology in our daily lives. By 2020, wireless and mobile devices accounted for two-thirds of all IP traffic.
To set up a wireless network, you need to know that most routers use two frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Smaller houses and flats can benefit from the 5GHz spectrum, which is newer, quicker, and more dependable than the older 2.4GHz band.
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Steps to Establishing a Safe Network
1. Connect Your Router to the Internet
An Ethernet cable is required to connect the router to a modem provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This is how you do it:
Ensure that the modem is unplugged or turned off.
Connect the ethernet cord that came with your Wi-Fi connection to the port labeled Internet or WAN on the router.
Activate the modem by connecting the other end to the cable or DSL modem.
When the router and modem show a good signal, you may begin connecting devices.
2. Find Your Router’s Settings
All routers have web interfaces that allow us to configure them using a web browser easily. To ensure the safety of your home network, you need to log into your router’s settings and make the necessary adjustments.
Entering 192.xxx.x.x into a web browser and replacing the “x” with your router’s local address is the quickest and most straightforward method. Checking the router’s address online is the easiest way to ensure that you’re using the correct one.
3. Change the Default Password on Your Router
The login and password provided with routers are usually weak. A hacker can find your router’s default username and password by visiting sites like RouterPasswords and DefaultPassword. The first and most crucial step is to change your router’s default admin password.
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4. Update Router Encryption
The first step in safeguarding your wireless network is using WPA2 encryption. Hackers can get access to your network without even needing to know your password if your encryption settings are outdated.
5. Disable the Router’s Remote Access
Even though accessing your router’s admin panel is safe, doing it wirelessly puts you in danger of hackers stealing your passwords. Even if hackers get access to your wireless network, they will not be able to change the settings on your router if remote access is off.
6. Rename Your Network’s SSID
Your wireless network’s primary name is its SSID (Service Set Identifier). You should modify the default network SSID to keep off unauthorized intruders when you initially set up your network.
7. Reconfigure the Router’s Default IP address
As a precaution, it is preferable to alter the router’s default IP (the IP address you input in your browser to connect to the network), making it more difficult for someone to spy on your transactions.
Once you’re logged in as an admin, look for the Network Configuration option or anything of the such.
In the LAN IP Address box, change one or more of the last two numbers of the IP address. You can, for example, modify the default IP address of 192.168.200.01 of your network to 192.168.200.36.
Let your router restart once you’ve clicked “Apply” or “Save.”
8. Create a DHCP Reservation (Static IP Addresses)
The router’s DHCP settings may usually be left behind in most networks without making any changes. As a result, clients connected to your network will automatically receive IP addresses from the router, saving you the time and effort of manually managing IP addresses.
You should use DHCP Reservation when planning to connect servers or other devices that will be accessible from outside your network. That’s all it really means: You’re telling the router that you want a certain device always to utilize the same static IP address.
Keeping your private data safe from attackers and preventing unwanted access to your network are two of the most critical aspects of network security. It’s worth every effort today when it comes to protecting your home network.
