Have I secured my Wi-fi correctly?
Q I’ve cancelled my broadband, bought a dual-band ZTE MF286R router (pictured) and inserted a data-only SIM. Now that I've managed to set up my first personal network, I wonder if I’ve ticked all the right boxes to make it secure. Briefly, I’ve changed the password for the router, and changed the network name and the network key. At the moment, just two people make use of the Wi-fi network I’ve created. I’m not sure about the configuration for the dual bands. Why do I have to give each a different name and password and does it mean that I must choose between them? I’m not so tech-savvy, so I’d appreciate any pointers, as I’ll spending some time in Europe. Jenny Benn
A It sounds like you’ve done all that’s needed to ensure your router cannot be accessed by any Tom, Dick or Harriet, so we can reassure you it should be safe to use in the UK and abroad.
On the dual-band front, it’s generally possible to configure a router so that the 2.4 and 5GHZ bands appear either as two distinct networks – as you have done – or a single network. Unfortunately, the manual for your particular model is exceedingly light on detail about what’s possible, so we can’t offer specifics. However, we can explain the pros and cons.
Having two different networks means you can ensure that certain devices connect to a specific band. This can be useful if you want to keep one band clear for certain users or devices, say. Another reason for splitting the bands into different networks relates to a potential disadvantage of not doing so, but we’ll return to that at the end.
Now, while we can’t say for certain, effectively creating a dual-band network with your router model could be a case of setting up both the 2.4 and 5GHZ frequencies with the same network name (SSID) and password. Then, devices wishing to connect to the router should automatically detect the strongest signal and negotiate a connection.
From your or the other users’ perspective, this would generally be seamless. However, note that some devices – particularly older 2.4Ghzonly gadgets – might not like this setup, as they can get confused about the dual bands. However, as technology only ever moves forward, that’s an annoyance in retreat.