Improve Your WiFi Network's Security

how to find wifi password on mac - all the family can access the Internet simultaneously, you can use a laptop anywhere within the radius of the wireless network, freeing you from physical constraints, you don't have to string Cat-5 cabling throughout your house (no holes in the wall either!) - but a WiFi network also brings it's own set of security problems. The following recommendations itemise the steps which should be taken to improve your WiFi network's security.

1. Put the access point in a central position

WiFi signals radiate from the router or access point, so positioning the access device as centrally as possible achieves two objectives. Firstly it ensures that the WiFi signal will reach all areas in your house, and secondly it will minimize the amount of signal leakage beyond your property. This is important to minimize the chance of drive-by access to your system. If your signal can be accessed by someone in the street, it may be detected and exploited by unscrupulous people, and if your network security is not sufficient, they may even be able to access your confidential information.

2. Enable an Encryption Scheme for devices on your network

All WiFi equipment supports some form of encryption which makes messages sent over a wireless network less likely to be read by an external entity. Available encryption schemes vary, with WEP being the weakest (and oldest) and WPA - and now WPA2 - being stronger and better. You can't mix and match, though, as all WiFi devices on your network must use the same encryption scheme. WEP may be not as good as the WPA settings, but remember that it's far better than no encryption at all.

3. Choose new default Usernames and Administrator Passwords 

An Access Point or Router is the heart of a home WiFi network. These come from the factory with default administrator usernames and passwords. Manufacturers set both the account username and password at the factory. The admin account allows a user to enter network addresses and account information. The username is often simply the word admin or administrator. The password is typically blank or consists of the words "admin", "public" or "password". Hackers are well aware of these defaults and if you don't change them, there is a grave danger of leaving your network open to access by a baddie. As soon as you set up your access point or router, change the admin username and password and it's a good idea to change them on a regular basis, say every 30 to 60 days.

4. Change the default SSID name

Manufacturers of WiFi access points and routers normally ship their products with a default network name (the SSID). SSID stands for Service Set Identifier, which is a 32-character sequence that uniquely identifies a wireless LAN. In other words, the SSID is the name of the wireless network. In order for a wireless device to connect to a wireless network it must know the SSID of the wireless network in question. If you plug your wireless router or access point in and leave the default SSID, it won't take long for an attacker to determine what the SSID is. As soon as you configure your access point or router, change the SSID to a unique name that will be difficult to guess.