Cyber security is gaining weight along with rapid internet development. As an important internet entry of home users, routers' capability to block unauthorized users has become a critical feature to consider during router purchases. Here are some tips on how to set a router to completely block unauthorized user.
Tip 1: Set a Wi-Fi password.
Encrypt your Wi-Fi network. You are recommended to change the default Wi-Fi password of your router to a complex password, which consists of at least letters and digits.
Most vulnerable Wi-Fi password of the year 2016
Tip 2: Hide your Wi-Fi network.
Complex passwords may also be cracked. Your router can become more secure if you hide your Wi-Fi network in addition to adopting a complex password. After it is hidden, your wireless clients are unable to detect the SSID of your Wi-Fi network. You can manually enter the SSID on the clients to connect to the network. The configuration method varies across routers. Take Tenda AC18 as an example. On the web UI of AC18, choose Wireless Settings > Wi-Fi Name & Password, and select Hide. In this case, hackers' wireless devices are unable to detect your Wi-Fi network.
Tip 3: Filter MAC addresses.
A hidden network may be found by professional tools. If you filter MAC addresses, hackers are unable to connect to your Wi-Fi network even if they know your SSID and password. Take Tenda AC18 as an example. On the web UI of AC18, choose Advanced Settings > Filter MAC Address, Select Whitelist, add the MAC addresses of your wireless clients to the list, and save the change. You can also click Add all online devices to the whitelist to add all the wireless clients currently online to the whitelist.
Tip 4: Set a guest network.
Some visiting friends will ask for your Wi-Fi password. It is inconvenient for them to remember your complex password and you are unable to determine whether their wireless clients affect your cyber security. In recent years, Wi-Fi sharing software is gaining popularity quickly, and such software installed in your friends' wireless clients may expose your Wi-Fi password over the internet, leading to risks of unauthorized access. To prevent this problem, you only need to set a guest network.
A guest network is a independent Wi-Fi network that allows clients to access only the internet. This ensures security of your home Wi-Fi network as well as the devices connected to it, including portable hard disks.
You can set a password different from your home Wi-Fi password for the guest network, or apply no password to the guest network. You can also specify the available period of your guest network, so that the network becomes unavailable after your friends leave your home. This effectively prevents Wi-Fi password leakage caused by Wi-Fi sharing software.
Tip 5: Manage your router using an app.
This is the most advanced means to block unauthorized access in the mobile internet era. Take Tenda App 3.0 that works with Tenda F9 as an example. It offers 9 outstanding functions to close the door on unauthorized users, including:
Remote control, which allows you to understand home network users when you are away from home
Collected devices list, which allows you to understand the devices connected to your home network
Device connection notification, which keeps you informed of device connection attempts
Device connection and disconnection records, which helps you track Wi-Fi usage history of devices
Blacklist, which enables you to permanently deny connection requests from unauthorized users
Wi-Fi encryption, which is the first step to ensure network security
Hiding network, which makes your Wi-Fi network invisible
Guest network, which enables you to easily share your Wi-Fi network with visitors and at the same time ensures network security
Security inspection, which detects network risks for better security
Check whether your router can offer such security now. If you care much about home network security like I do, get a router with excellent capability to block unauthorized access.
