Wireless home networks offer convenience but compromise security. Encryption methods such as WPA or WPA2 and strong passwords with regular changes can increase security. WEP encryption is not recommended.
The main benefit of using a wireless home network is convenience. A wireless network provides the opportunity to connect to the Internet from virtually anywhere in the home, leaving users free to work from kitchen tables and sofas, rather than having to use a fixed wired connection. Unfortunately, this comes at a significant cost. When you use a wireless network, anyone within range can see and potentially connect to your network, compromising the security of personal files and information on computers on your home network. To avoid this, quick and regular maintenance of wireless LAN security is required.
Arguably the most effective method of implementing wireless LAN security is to implement an encryption method on your wireless network. An encryption method scrambles information traveling over the network, preventing prying eyes from “sniffing” packets as they move from one point to another. Enable it through the router in your wireless home network. Typically, most routers offer a choice between Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Some routers also offer WPA2, an updated version of the original WPA encryption method. To strengthen the security of wireless LAN, choose WPA or WPA2 methods.
If your network uses WEP encryption, a persistent hacker can use a program to randomly guess your password in about 10 minutes. Using WPA or WPA2, the same procedure would take 10 to 20 years. Therefore, WPA is the highly preferred choice to increase the security of wireless LAN.
The strength of the wireless network password is also an important factor when it comes to strengthening security. Ideally, a wireless password should be at least 10 characters, using a random mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, along with special characters such as “!” “%” and so on. Since the password can be saved on computers on the network, don’t worry about choosing something that can be easily remembered; instead choose something as secure as possible to avoid problems with hackers and snoopers.
Also, regularly changing the password on your wireless network is the best way to keep unwanted people out of your system. Ideally, change your wireless network password at least once a month. If there is significant personal financial data on networked computers, consider changing it once a week or once every two weeks. Many routers offer the ability to generate random password keys for wireless networks; use it whenever possible, as it will avoid predictive patterns that can develop over time with solely human-generated password strings.
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