The diffusion of Wi-Fi without a doubt it has improved the internet connection possibilities of millions of people. At the same time, however, poses some security problem.
Think in this sense of the router or the same Wi-Fi network, which often has vulnerabilities of various kinds. Not to mention the choice of all too simple Wi-Fi passwords.
That’s why it’s always useful to keep a few tips in mind for make your Wi-Fi connection hack-proof. Tips and actions to improve security for both the main network and any guest networks.
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1. Wi-Fi and Internet security: mistakes and actions to avoid
The first thing to do to improve the security of your Wi-Fi network is avoid a number of all too common mistakes. For example the very wrong habit of do not write down all the settings of any old router.
Staying on the subject of routers, it is equally important to remember change the default settings of a new device. Often these settings provide Wi-Fi passwords that can be recovered through a simple web search. As a result, these are routers exposed to an all too simple hack.
Beyond the actual errors, they exist then a lot of basically useless actions for the purpose of improving safety. Think in this sense of the habit of hide the Service Set Identifier of your Wi-Fi network.
A setting that simply makes it more difficult to access your home network and guest network. And the same goes for a possible modifies from Wi-Fi network name in uso.
Another very popular action until a few years ago is the disabling the DHCP server. The acronym DCHP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol: a feature found in many routers, which basically assign automatic network addresses to anyone connected to Wi-Fi.
Many common habits among users do not bring any improvement in Wi-Fi security. Novice users believe that disabling the DHCP server increases network security. But a true hacking expert would only waste a few minutes to overcome such an obstacle.
It’s definitely a mistake, or at least a waste of time, too assign static IPs to all devices that connect to the Wi-Fi network. This is a manual practice, often linked to the use of self-hosting services.
Again, however, it is a simple annoyance for the user, who in no way translates into an improvement in security in Internet.
Finally, it is impossible not to go back to the above in more detail password Wi-Fi. On the one hand it is true that many users use passwords that are too easy to hack: from first names to dates of birth, up to the (unfortunately!) very used “password” and “123456”.
At the same time it is a lot It is unlikely that a Wi-Fi network will become a victim of hacking due to the length of the password in use. Also because, from a purely technical point of view, there are no major differences between shorter and longer alphanumeric sequences.
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2. Useful tips to improve the security of your Wi-Fi network
After having given space to errors and false myths, it is certainly useful to go into the merits of the actions that allow for increase security of users connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi network.
The first suggestion in this sense is to evaluate the possibility of replace your router. Many users continue to connect to the Internet using devices produced more than ten years ago.
This kind of router does not support either current Wi-Fi standardsnor the wifi encryption. These are products that in all likelihood exhibit several permanent vulnerabilities and that they are now out of the reach of any kind of update.
When you have to buy a new router, it is very important to “start from scratch”. That means change the Wi-Fi network name and change the Wi-Fi password. Configuring the network from scratch is in fact the safest way to ensure access only to the devices and people you really want.
In case of purchase of a new router it is also essential to maintain a constant firmware update. The procedure may take some effort to locate the model number in use and search for the update process ideal.
But at the same time it represents a very important step for maintain a high level of security of your Wi-Fi network. The updates indeed fix any vulnerabilities and, in some cases, lead to real upgrades.
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3. More advanced anti hacking operations
In conclusion, space for some slightly more advanced operations, which allow you to further reduce the risk of hacking a router or Wi-Fi network.
The first tip is to check it safety standards being used on your device. Nowadays standards such as WEP, WPA and WPA2-TKIP are considered obsolete and no longer secure.
The old standards are very easy to break and therefore highly recommended switch to at least WPA2-AES or, if possible, WPA3. This step will only be possible if all network devices support the chosen standard.
After that many power users are usual create a guest network: a solution that is now also available on cheaper routers. With the guest network it is possible distribute temporary passwords to any visitors. And, at the same time, keep the main network safe.
Finally, it is definitely recommended disable all those functions of a router or Wi-Fi network that have known vulnerabilities. This is the case, for example, of WPS and UPnP: two acronyms that stand respectively for Wi-Fi Protected Setup e Universal Plug and Play.
Il WPS served the easily create an encrypted connection, but by now it is more than known to hacking experts. The same goes for the network protocol UPnPmeant for creare reti peer-to-peer between devices of various kinds.
To know more: How to write, what it means and how WiFi works