PC Wireless Networking: Secure Your Wireless Network

1. Turn off file sharing. Turning off file sharing in Windows XP is one of the most effective ways to keep hackers out of your computer.

2. Change your router's password. Leaving the router's default password unchanged is an invitation for trouble (see Figure 1).

   

   Figure 1: Change your router's password.

3. Hide the SSID. Many routers broadcast the SSID identifier assigned to your network (see Figure 2). Most router setup programs have an option that allows you to disable this feature.

   

   Figure 2: Disable SSID broadcasting in the setup program.

   

   If your router won't let you disable SSID broadcasting, change the name of the SSID; the manufacturer's default name just gives hackers one more piece of useful information.

4. Enable the MAC filter. Keep hackers out of your network by telling the router which computers can access your network. Go to the security section of the router setup program and enable MAC filtering (see Figure 3). Enter the MAC address for each computer that has access to your network. To find a particular computer's MAC address, go to Start | Run, type cmd in the text box, and click OK. Type ipconfig/all at the prompt. The computer's MAC address is the string of numbers labeled Physical Address.

   

   Figure 3: Enable MAC filtering to restrict access to your network.

5. Enable WPA or WEP encryption. WPA and WEP are encryption technologies that scramble data broadcast over the network so that it's unintelligible to digital eavesdroppers. WPA is the most secure; WEP is older and can be easily broken by a determined hacker. The router and each computer must be set up with a key phrase that's used to scramble data. Before setting up WEP or WPA, carefully read the instructions that came with your router.
6. Enable the firewall. Most wireless routers have a built-in firewall that keeps hackers from invading your network and your computers. Make sure the firewall is enabled in the router's setup program.