Importance of Host Names in Routers
When you decide to use a router in your home or place of business, you are giving yourself access to the Internet. Routers are fairly easy to obtain and install today, but many router buyers may forget to consider the importance of using a host name for your router. There are several reasons that this can be a time-saver and a safety measure.
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Recognize Your Router Name From a List of Wireless Routers
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When you log on to your computer and search for a wireless network to connect to (some computers are configured to do this automatically,) you will be presented with a list of all the wireless networks in the area. In some cases, you will see multiple available routers. If your router does not have a host name, you may not know which router on the list is yours. For example, if your neighbor has the same brand router as you do, you will not immediately know which one is yours. When you give your router a host name you will be easily able to choose it from any list of routers when you search for wireless networks at home.
Prevent Others From Using Your Wired or Wireless Connection
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When you designate a host name for your router, you are prompted to assign a password to it as well. If you have a wireless router, this password will need to be entered by any person who is attempting to use your wireless connection. Therefore, you can prevent others from using your router without permission. A host name is equally important with a wired router because designating a host name will require you to create a password. This password can prevent access to your wired router by those who should not be using it. For example, it could be a form of parental control.
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Keeping Information Private
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Since leaving a wireless router with no host name and password means that anyone could potentially use the connection, it also means that others may be able to view your private information. When you are on the Internet you may be entering information -- credit card numbers, for example -- that you want to be seen only by you. When your router has a host name and a password, it will prevent others not only from using your router connection to access the Web for their own purposes but also from potentially seeing and stealing information about you. Wired routers are less vulnerable than wireless ones in regards to potential information theft, but naming the network and designating a password is still a helpful way to keep information as private as possible.
Allowing Wired or Wireless Access to Others
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When you designate a host name for your router, you can make it easy to allow access to your wireless or wired connection for those who you wish to give it to. You would need only to tell the person who you would like to give Web access to the name of the network and the password. This can help save time since your authorized users won't have to waste effort trying to find the name of the router or to access the Web through a secured connection.
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