How to secure your WiFi network/router

In my previous post, i mentioned about the WiFi Network Extender/Cracking device that able to stole your password, basically it just rely on a piece of WiFi decryption software which able to decrypt your protected WiFi network.

And i promised will give you a tutorial how to secure your WiFi router/network. Please spend some time to read this tutorial if you really care about protection and privacy.

Before you go into this tutorial, please note what i’m wrote here just to help you to prevent/avoid those people using WiFi unlocker hardware/software to unauthorised accessing your WiFi network/router. There might be some security hole or possibility that they can still find a way access it, there is no 100% secure method to protect your network (from what i know). However, there are chances to keep them away and giving up to hacking your WiFi network/signal, and try others.

* There is no other personal reason/purposes when i wrote this tutorial, the basic idea just to HELP PEOPLE. Help them secure from their WiFi Network.

You got to learn this by yourself and DIY (Do It Yourself), as no one will goto your home to help you to setup, even those ISP technician won’t offer any help for this. But you need to have some basic computer knowledge to do this, if you don’t know how, ask someone to help you.

Before you go into the tutorials below, please spend some time to watch this youtube video to understand the different between WPA/WEP/Open system etc.

(I’m using DLink Dl-524 wireless router in this tutorial, i knew it is old WiFi router, but it is still useful. And i got my way to keep it more secure rather than just rely on WEP/WPA encryption)

1. Change admin password

* If you already changed your admin password, skip this.

if you are using DLink/LinkSys/Belkin, usually your router admin panel should be able to access through your web browser, by  enter this IP : 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2 (either one)

if not, try 10.0.0.1 (Usually for Aztech) If still cannot, refer to your router user manual.

Once you enter the admin panel, you can goto “Tool” and you can change your default admin password there.

Click “Apply” to reboot the router.

2. Secure your WiFi channel using WEP/WPA/WPA2 password protection

* If you done this, skip this and goto step 3.

Now login to your WiFi router/modem admin panel again. Goto “Wireless” or the section that allow you to change your WiFi channel name (SSID), password etc.
I’m using DLink, so it is “Wireless” button under “Home” tab.

Here you should change your “security” option to WEP/WPA or WPA2. However, not all WiFi device/network card support WPA/WPA2, you may need to try to connect later. If not support, using WEP is more compatible, but make sure don’t check “Both” under “Authentication Type”. Check “Shared Key”. And select 128 Bit encryption, Key Mode change to “ASCII”. The reason to do this is to allow you to enter longer password (13 ASCII characters, mixed with numeric and alphabets).

Now please enter your WiFi channel password, something hard to guess. Example like Tgd123Kjs09zO0. And click “Apply” to reboot the router.

* Please note WEP or WPA or WPA2 is not 100% secure, those WiFi Unlocker Software are hacking your WiFi router by decrypt this password. Follow next steps to make your WiFi router/AP/Modem more hard to decrypt and access

3. Apply MAC filter. This will make them more troublesome to access your WiFi router/AP/Modem

Go to “Advanced” tab, click “Filter” button, select “Mac Filter”. And check “Only allow computers with MAC address listed below to access the network”

Select your DHCP Client, which is your allow connected PC/Mac/iPhone or whatever WiFi device. And Click “Clone” button to copy the MAC address.
And click “Apply”.

Repeat these steps until all your allowed devices added to the MAC Filter list. Refer to sample below:

Now your WiFi network is secured with protection and filter, even those people trying to access your WiFi router with your WEP/WAP password, if their device are not in your “MAC Filter” list, they won’t be able to connect to your network. They will get error message like this :

* Please note one disadvantage of this method is, your WiFi network are not friendly for guest or someone visiting your house/office and want to borrow your WiFi network, you will have to goto “MAC Filter” section to add their device into the list, otherwise they won’t be able to connect. So do remember remove their device from your MAC filter list once they left.

Difficult? Complicated? Ask someone who familiar with router setting to help you then

I hope you find this info is useful, if you failed to setup this security setting, just remember always use your LAN cable plug into your WiFi router, and access the admin panel to reset the setting. Otherwise, reset the factory setting by pressing the small hole behind your WiFi router.

Good luck. Welcome to the Internet World.