Lock down your network
Stop hackers and snoopers from accessing your router.
Even if you’ve yet to embrace the concept of the smarthome, the chances are you will still have a number of devices, as well as your PC, competing for bandwidth on your home network. Read on to discover how to reduce its vulnerability with a home network security audit.
LOCK YOUR ROUTER
Let’s start with the gateway between your home and the internet. If you’ve never carried out admin on your router before, then you will definitely find ways in which to strengthen its security. You can usually manage your router through your web browser by entering its four-digit IP address into the Address Bar. To do that, first open ‘Settings > Network and Internet’ and click ‘View your network properties’, then make a note of your router’s IP address under Default Gateway.
Type the IP address into your browser, and you will now see a status or login page. Each router handles things differently, but they all follow a broadly similar pattern. Consult its documentation, look on the router box or visit its support website for the default login details to gain access.
It’s possible for drive-by hackers to target routers remotely, relying on users having left the default password in place, so if that’s the case on your router, you should look for the option to change this — on our TP-Link router it’s under ‘System Tools > Manage Control’, but other routers will vary. See page 52 for tools that can help you help create a strong password.
PROTECT YOUR WI-FI
Once the router password has been changed, it’s time to tighten up your Wi-Fi network. Your router should have already set encryption (WPA2-PSK with AES encryption ideally), but it’s a good idea to change the default password. Yes, you’ll have to reconnect all your wireless devices, but you’ll immediately kick off any unauthorised devices who might have been using it without your knowledge. If you have separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks set up, repeat for both (and consider setting unique passwords for each separate network).
Each computer or device on your network is identified using its MAC address, a six-digit hexadecimal code. If your router supports MAC filtering, it means you can lock down your wireless network even further, by only accepting connections from devices with specific MAC addresses.
First, you need to identify the MAC address for each device you own, which we recommend you write down and record somewhere secure. You’ll need to look up instructions for your specific device, but it’ll typically be under Settings somewhere. In the case of your wirelessly connected PC, look under ‘Settings > Network and Internet > View your network properties’ in the Physical Address (MAC) section.
Once you’ve got all the MAC addresses you need — including, critically, your wireless PC if applicable — enable MAC address filtering and enter the addresses one by one. If prompted, choose the option to only allow devices with MAC addresses that match.
If you frequently allow family and friends to access your Wi-Fi network, enabling MAC address filtering may be a step too far. That said, explore your Wi-Fi router’s settings to see if it offers a guest network function — if it does, you can give visitors internet access without opening up the rest of your network to them. Make sure that you enable the WPA/WPA2 encryption option for the guest network, and set a unique wireless password for your guests to use.