How to set up a secure home network
Date: 24/09/24
Author: Shia Mitchell
Setting up a secure home network
Most of us take steps to protect our online accounts and devices from unwanted attacks, but did you know your home network could be vulnerable without proper precautions in place?
Poor wireless network security poses several risks, such as people using your WiFi without permission.
At Community Fibre, digital privacy is important to us. We provide the fastest speeds in London and the most reliable broadband technology in the UK to reduce vulnerabilities.
9 steps to better home network security
Optimising your router is key to improving your network security, which is essential in the digital age where hackers are getting craftier.
Here are our top 9 tips for better wireless security:
1. Secure router placement:
Choosing the right spot for your WiFi router ensures maximum signal coverage throughout your home. This can be limited by the location of your access point, but ideally your router should be placed in a central, elevated location.
Avoid placing your router near windows or exterior walls, as this could make it easier for people outside your home to detect and try to infiltrate your network.
If you look at the available WiFi networks on your device, you will likely only see networks owned by your immediate neighbours if they keep routers near adjoining walls.
2. Strong router and WiFi passwords:
Every WiFi router comes with two passwords by default:
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Router password - This is the password you can use to access the admin management of your router, where you can update your WiFi password as well as other settings.
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WiFi password - This will be the password you input when connecting to the network.
It’s important to change both of these passwords as soon as possible, as these default passwords are easy to guess and hack.
Choose passwords that are strong, random, and hard to guess. If you struggle to remember passwords, write these down and keep them somewhere safe, but away from your computers and router.
You can also use a secure online password manager to store these details.
3. WPA3/WPA2 encryption:
Every WiFi router uses a security protocol to protect your data — though these standards vary. Older routers may be using outdated standards with known vulnerabilities, leaving your network open to attacks.
If you have an iPhone, you might see a ‘weak security WiFi’ message, which is triggered when you connect to a network using one of these older encryption types.
But don't worry; you can change the security protocol on your router at home to level up your encryption.
The strongest security protocol is currently WPA3 (WiFi Protected Access 3), though this has not been widely rolled out yet. If WPA3 isn’t available on your router, WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access 2) is widely available and should provide sufficient protection.
Learn how to check and update your WiFi security protocols.
4. Regular firmware updates
Keeping your router firmware up to date ensures you are benefitting from the latest security patches and bug fixes.
The incremental improvements help protect you from newly identified threats as hackers evolve their techniques, as well as improve the overall performance of your router.
Your router should be downloading updates automatically. If it isn’t you can manually update your firmware within your router management, or change the settings to enable automatic updates.
The exact path to firmware updates will depend on your specific router, but follow a general process:
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Type your router address into a browser and log in to your router management area. This information should be included somewhere on your router. Some routers have an app — like the Linksys router supplied with Community Fibre packages — which makes accessing this more straightforward.
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Find an area called ‘Software’, ‘Firmware’, or ‘Updates.
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Select ‘Update’, and enable automatic updates if this option is available. This means you shouldn’t have to think about manually installing firmware yourself.
5. MAC address filtering
Make access to your home network extra exclusive by using MAC address filtering to control the devices that can use your network. You can configure a list of devices that can request to connect to your network and block any devices not on your list.
As with most configurations, the specific way to do this will depend on your router. But for a Linksys router, you can locate the filter by logging into your router management area, and going to ‘Wireless’, and then finding ‘Wireless MAC Filter’.
Once in this area, you can add the addresses of all the devices you want to allow access.
6. Disable WPS
Most WiFi routers have WPS (WiFi Protected Access) functionality, which is a small button that allows any device to connect easily when being pressed, or when a specific PIN is entered.
The benefit of WPS is a quick and easy connection, but is very vulnerable to attacks, which outweighs the convenience by far.
Log in to your router management settings to disable WPS. The configuration will be slightly different for each router, but it’s likely found in an area called ‘Wireless’ or Advanced’.
Look for a specific tab called ‘WPS’ or ‘WiFi Protected Access’. Select the option to ‘Disable’ or turn off WPS and save your changes.
7. Strong firewall settings
Most routers come with a hardware-based, built-in firewall, but it may not be switched on. Your computer might have a software-based firewall to help protect you from attacks travelling through the network.
Hardware-based firewalls work similarly, preventing viruses from spreading from one device to another.
First, you need to check if your router has firewall capabilities. Look for a setting within your router management area called ‘Firewall’, or ‘Security’. If the settings indicate this is already on, no further action is required. If it looks like it’s available but not switched on, select the option to change it.
Your router might need to restart after this to apply the changes.
8. VPN for added security
It’s pretty common for people to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on their laptops, phones, and other devices to mask their data online and protect it from third-party attacks. But you can use a VPN on your router itself to protect the entire network. This is especially helpful for devices that don’t have specific VPN capabilities.
You’ll need to check if your router can support VPN capabilities. Simply search your router model online to find this out, or look within the router management area to see if it mentions VPNs.
If it does support VPN, shop around to find one that can be installed on your router. The VPN you choose should come with instructions on how to set it up for your specific model, but it is generally done within the router management area.
Doing this on a laptop or computer will make it a little easier to use this area. Once this is set up, your network will be reliably disguised for enhanced security.
9. Monitoring and alerts
Continuous network monitoring is a helpful preventative measure you can easily set up. Monitoring tools keep an eye on how your network is performing and let you know if there are any threats you need to be aware of.
There are a lot of different tools available to help you monitor your router. Look for one that prioritises security rather than any enterprise-level metrics, as those are better for businesses.
Set up your tool to monitor your router traffic and detect any suspicious activity. As a bonus, having visibility of how your network is distributing traffic and handling demands helps you understand whether your current broadband speed is fast enough.
Importance of secure broadband
These tips can help strengthen the digital security of your home network. For customers using our Linksys router, head over to our WiFi help area for support.
If your current broadband uses older copper cables to deliver the connection to your home, consider upgrading to full fibre to reduce vulnerabilities.
We value your security online, which is why we use full fibre broadband across our entire network.
Never compromise on network security
Creating a secure home network is essential in the digital environment we live in today. Hackers are getting more intelligent, and we all must take steps to safeguard our data and privacy.
Start by switching to a reliable broadband provider who offers secure hardware and network protection with the latest technology. Community Fibre’s network uses the UK’s best broadband technology — delivering 100% full fibre in London.
Our broadband packages come with high-quality WiFi routers, which provide better coverage and protection than vulnerable WiFi extenders, plus optional security features.
Check your postcode to see availability in your area.