Wireless routers are probably one of the most common network equipment these days, which have found ways towards many households and office complexes these days. Since wired local area network (LAN) connections have become much popular across the world in recent times, people actually rely on wireless routers to re-route the internet connection to more devices in a single perimeter. Using a wireless router, a single internet connection could be used in different computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, televisions, internet of things (IoT) and plenty other stuff. Apparently, without an internet router these days, life will become difficult.
Routers route a whole lot of information every moment, and it is crucial that they are protected. Routers are network devices that run on some basic operating system, so they could be infected with malwares and could be altered with different settings if access to a wireless router isn’t strictly protected. Here are few mistakes people do, and a discussion how overcoming them could potentially secure internet connection over a wireless router.
Change Default Admin Password
Many people don’t bother changing the admin password of the wireless router they use. This is the most common case in household networks. People just buy a router, do some initial set up and once the internet connection is set, they don’t really care about the admin password. However, that’s a serious mistake people anyone who can connect to the Wi-Fi network or physically get a cable connected to the router itself, will be able to access the admin panel and implant malware to still data, or simply change settings to hamper access to the internet, or steal internet data allocation. Changing the admin password while setting up a router for the first time could save a user from all of these issues. Usually, the admin password settings are located under general router settings.
Wi-Fi Encryption Scheme
Over time, several different encryption and security schemes have been invented for providing security over Wi-Fi networks. The words WEP, WPA and WPA-2 might not make any sense to the general users of wireless routers, but the inside technology of these encryption schemes vary by a large amount. WEP was developed way back in 1999, and eventually WPA and WPA-2 followed into the industry. Some devices don’t really support latest WPA2 technology; WPA is a safe bet for anyone who wants Wi-Fi in their homes. Sticking to WEP could be harmful.
Old Firmware for Router
Like the smartphone updates, even the routers get firmware update via their manufacturer websites. New firmware comes with additional security and new features, which could be highly beneficial for the users. TheMoon was a router malware that infected Linksys routers with older firmware. A non-permitted CGI script could run on those routers, because the firmware was old and it couldn’t detect the intrusion and later is history. User should check for regular updates for their router in manufacturer’s website.
A router is a simple piece of tech with the ability of processing many complex data through it. Make the above procedures a basic practice, this way you can keep your router protected from malware and your internet connectivity more secure.