We all use the internet for our daily use, be at home or at offices. But with increased usage, there has been an increase in the number of flaws and security issues with our router and modems. Whenever you get a new router, you should focus on certain security measures that can help you strengthen the security of your router.

In this article, we are going to talk about how you can make your wifi router as secure as possible. You should be aware that all the wireless routers have a user interface that can appear only if you know the default login IP of that router model. Each model has a different naming for settings so the router manual can always come handy.

Access your router’s settings

Most routers have a user interface which appears on your web browser once you enter the IP address in the URL. A default login IP is one of the most important aspects. It could be in the series of 10.0.0.1 or 192.168.1.254 depending upon the router’s manufacturer. If you don’t know the IP of your router then follow the below steps to get your IP address. Make sure a lot of people mistake the characters in the IP address, its always made up of numbers and not english letter like 192.168.l.254.

For Windows:

Type CMD or command prompt in search option

Type the command ipconfig , you will see your default gateway

For Macintosh:

Click on System Preferences on top left,

Then click on Network, click advanced option in right corner

Click on TCP/IP and you will get your IP

#1 Update Your Firmware

This is a very important aspect, just like you would update your apps in phone, you should also keep your router up to date. Though finding the option to do so may be little tricky but its an important step. For updating you need to log into the apps or the user interface of router. Always ensure that your router is running the most up to date firmware.

In some routers, the firmware update is an automatic process but in some you need to manually check for new updates. Most people may take the router for granted but you should never leave the stuff that actually gives you the coveted Internet. So ensure that you keep the firmware up to date.

There could be a case you need to manually download certain update and install it and if required you can also consult the router manufacturer for installation. These devices don’t usually get OTA updates.

Change your router login and password

By default, every router comes with a set of default username and password. Most common ones are the words admin or Username as default username and 1234 or password as the default password. If you still haven’t changed it, please change the default username and password.

Tips to change your username and password:

  • Your password should have a mixture of alphanumeric characters and special characters
  • Your password should be 8-16 characters long, complex yet easy to remember
  • Username should be user-friendly and simple
  • Username and password for Huawei router needs to be written down somewhere

Use WPA2 as your security settings

You need to stay updated with the latest settings for your router. One of the most important things here is the encryption security settings option. You will get 4 options when choosing. One is WEP, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise and WPA-WPA2-Personal. You should always choose the WPA/WPA2-Personal. This is the current industry standard and ensures your router blocks any basic level of security attacks.

Turn Off WPS

WPS means Wi-Fi protected setup. It means that instead of using a huge complex password, you can just type a PIN number and protect your router. SUch PIN numbers are strong and much more complex than the passphrase or password. The best way is thus to switch off the WPS totally. You may have to type the password but its for your own good.

Use a better DNS

A DNS is called Domain Name Server, there are many popular DNS like OpenDNS, Cloudflare or Google DNS. There are many great benefits of using a good quality DNS as it protects you from things like MIMA which is a man in the middle attacks. You may have seen a lot of popups, redirects and annoying ads which your ISP uses.

If you are worried about your child opening something by mistake, you can take control of the system using the parental control option.

Conclusion

Always make sure to not take the router and modems for granted. They provide you web and if taken lightly then can cause harm to you. Always have a look at their default gateway to notice changes, keep changing the password and updating the firmware. Just a few measure can be very useful