How to Keep Others From Accessing My Wireless Internet
As wireless devices become more common, the risk that someone might use a device to access your wireless network grows. Not only does an unsecured wireless connection mean that others can take advantage of the internet service that you pay for, it also opens your home network up to those who might try to steal your personal information or perform illegal acts using your Internet connection. To protect your network from these risks, you should always make sure to secure your wireless router and prevent others from accessing your wireless internet without your permission.
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Instructions
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New wireless routers are able to utilize a type of wireless encryption called WPA2, which is the most secure type of encryption available. WPA2 connections use a password to grant access, and you can set a password of your choice from your router's administrative interface. To ensure that a WPA2 connection is secure, make sure to choose a password that isn't easy to guess.
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If your router doesn't have WPA2 encryption avaiable, WPA is a slightly less secure option. You can turn on WPA encryption and set a password from your router's administrative interface. Just like WPA2 encryption, for a WPA-secured network to be truly secured, you need to set a strong password that can't be guessed easily.
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Older routers may not have WPA2 or WPA encryption available. If your router doesn't have these types of encryption, you can turn on WEP encryption in your router's administrative interface to give your network some level of security. If at all possible, you should enable 128-bit WEP over 64-bit WEP, since 128-bit encryption is more difficult for attackers to crack. However, if WEP encryption is all that is available, you should consider upgrading to a newer router that is capable of utilizing WPA2 or WPA encryption.
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Besides encryption, you can undertake a few other steps to secure your wireless network. You can enable MAC address filtering in your router's administrative interface, which will allow you to pick and choose devices that connect to your network. You can also reduce the power of your wireless router's transmitter, which will reduce the range at which devices can pick up a signal. Lastly, you can set a strong password for your router's administrative interface to prevent unauthorized changes to your connection settings.
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