This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your indoors and out.
The average US home now has more than 10 devices connected to a home Wi-Fi network. From laptops and tablets to phones, smartwatches and streaming devices, things add up fast. And with a lot of data stored on those devices — credit card numbers, bank records, login credentials and other personal and private information — you want to make sure you protect yourself from hackers if your network is ever compromised. are.
Home network hacking happens very often. Internet crime cost more than $6.9 billion in 2021, and while phishing and scams contributed to losses, personal data breaches were also a significant factor. A secure home network will help reduce the risk of someone getting hacked and accessing your sensitive information. Not only that, it will keep away any unwanted or unauthorized users and devices that will slow down your connection or freeload on the internet service you pay for.
Creating and maintaining a secure home Wi-Fi network is easy. Below, you’ll find 10 tips for securing your network. Some are more effective than others at keeping hackers and freeloaders away, but all are useful in their own way. Keep in mind that no one can guarantee complete protection from hacking attempts, but these tips will certainly make it harder for anyone to compromise your network and data.
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Table of Contents
How to secure your home Wi-Fi network
Here are the basics for protecting your home Wi-Fi network. Keep reading for more information about each below.
1, Keep your router in a central location.
2, Create a strong Wi-Fi password and change it often.
3, Change the default router login credentials.
4, Turn on Firewall and Wi-Fi Encryption.
5, Create a guest network.
6, Use a VPN.
7, Keep your router and equipment up to date.
8, Disable remote router access.
9, Verify the connected device.
10, Upgrade to WPA3 Router.
Put Your Router in a Central Location
Strong network security starts with a smart setup. If possible, keep your router in the middle of your house. Routers send wireless signals in all directions, so strategically placing your router in a central location will help keep your connection up to the range of your home. As a bonus, it will also make for the best connection quality possible.
For example, if you have internet in an apartment where neighbors are immediately to your left and right, placing your router next to a shared wall can give a strong, and attractive, signal their way. Even if you’re not in an apartment, a good router can put out a signal next door or across the street. Placing your router in a central location will help reduce how far those signals travel outside of your home.
Create a Strong Wi-Fi Password and Change It Often
This should Going without saying, but I’m going to cover it still to emphasize its importance. Creating a unique password for your Wi-Fi network is necessary to maintain a secure connection. Avoid easily guessing passwords or phrases such as someone’s name, birthday, phone number or other general information. While simple Wi-Fi passwords make them easy to remember, they also make it easier for others to figure them out. (Here’s how to access your router settings to update your Wi-Fi password.)
Be sure to change your password every six months, or any time you think your network security may be compromised.
Chris Monroe / CNET
Change default router login credentials
Along the same lines of password-protecting your Wi-Fi network, you’ll want to prevent anyone from directly accessing your router settings. To do so, go ahead and change the administrator name and password for your router. You can log into your router settings by typing your IP address into the URL bar, but most routers and providers have an app that lets you access similar settings and information.
Your router login credentials are separate from your Wi-Fi network name and password. If you’re not sure what the default is, you should be able to find it on the bottom of the router. Or, if it has been changed from the default somewhere along the way, here again, how to access your router settings to update the username and password.
Turn on Firewall and Wi-Fi Encryption
Most routers have a firewall to prevent external hacking, as well as Wi-Fi encryption to prevent anyone eavesdropping on data sent between your router and connected devices. Both are typically activated by default, but you’ll want to check to make sure they’re on.
Now that you know how to log into your router settings, check to make sure firewall and Wi-Fi encryption are enabled. If they’re off for whatever reason, go ahead and turn them on. Your network security will thank you.
Create Guest Wi-Fi Network
“Can I get the Wi-Fi password?” Undoubtedly something that all the hosts have heard. Before sharing access to your main home network, consider creating a separate guest network for visitors. I’m not suggesting that your guests are going to try anything nefarious with your main Wi-Fi connection, but whatever they download while connected to their devices or your network may be malware or viruses. who can target your network without them knowing it.
A guest network is also ideal for your IoT devices, such as Wi-Fi cameras, thermostats and smart speakers – devices that don’t hold a lot of sensitive information and are probably more easily hacked than smart devices like computers or phones. can go. ,
James Martin / CNET
use a vpn
There are a few reasons to use a good VPN, and network security is definitely one of them. Among other things, the virtual private network hides your IP address and Wi-Fi activity, including browsing data.
VPNs are probably more useful when connecting to a public network, but they can still add a level of security and privacy to your home network. Some VPNs are better than others, but like anything, you often get what you pay for. There are free VPN services available, but paying a little extra (seriously, only a few bucks per month) will provide a better, more secure service.
Keep your router and equipment up to date
Software updates always appear when you need to be online the most. While they can be annoying, they have a purpose and often include security updates. When companies become aware of potential or exposed security vulnerabilities, they release updates and patches to reduce or eliminate the risk. you want to download them.
Keeping your router and connected devices running on the latest updates will help ensure that you have the best protection against known malware and hacking attempts. Set your router to update automatically in the administrator settings, if possible, and check from time to time to make sure your router is up to date.
disable remote router access
Remote Router Access does not allow anyone directly connected to your Wi-Fi network to access router settings. There should be no reason to enable remote access, for example, to check or change the configuration of a child’s connected device unless the need to access your router away from home.
You can disable remote access under the router’s admin settings. Unlike other security measures, disabled remote router access may not be the default.
Verify Connected Devices
Inspect the devices connected to your network frequently and verify that you know what they are. If anything looks suspicious in there, disconnect it and change your Wi-Fi password. You’ll need to reconnect all your previously connected devices after changing your password, but any users or devices that aren’t authorized to use your network will get booted.
Some devices, especially obscure IoT ones, may have some weird default names of random numbers and letters that you don’t recognize right away. If you find something like this when checking your connected devices, go ahead and disconnect it. Later on, when you can’t start your robot vacuum cleaner from your phone, you’ll know what it was.
Upgrade to WPA3 Router
WPA3 is the latest security protocol for routers. All new routers should be equipped with WPA3, so if you buy a new router, you should have nothing to worry about. However, many people rent their routers directly from a provider, which may not include the most up-to-date equipment.
If your router was made before 2018, it’s possible that you have a WPA2 device that lacks the same security protocols as the newer, WPA3 device. A quick search for your device’s model will tell you when it came out and any specific features like whether it has WPA2 or WPA3. If you have a router with WPA2, call your provider and negotiate for a better, more recent router.
Network security is no guarantee
Again, even with the most recent and effective methods of protecting your home network, security will never be 100% certain. As long as the internet is there, hackers and cybercriminals will continue to find ways to take advantage of it. But with the above tips, hopefully you can better protect your network from anyone trying to use your connection or access your data.
For more information, see How to find out if your Internet provider is throttling your Wi-Fi and our tips on how to speed up your Wi-Fi connection.
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