Your household doesn’t have to leverage all the newest smart home technologies to make use of a modern, updated and connected network. Odds are, especially if you’re reading this at home, you have some kind of home router and possibly an extra modem that helps deliver the internet access you pay for.
You may use this internet to connect several devices through WiFi connections every day. This might include smart televisions, smartphones, games consoles, desktop computers and laptops, and even smart devices such as app-controlled lamps, air purification filters, and more.
No matter if you’re trying to protect a home business running on this network, or you’re trying to build a safe and secure home server, it’s always wise to consider some essential methods of protecting your home network. If you can do that, then the end result is you’ll prevent anyone from accessing your network, keeping your information and sensitive personal data safe.
In this post, we’ll discuss three essential steps anyone can use to achieve that outcome:
Regularly Update Your Router Firmware
In some cases, your internet provider will furnish you with your router, and they’ll push out updates to it which should install automatically, pending a slight interruption in your service. However, that’s not always the case, so it’s best to check how the firmware is being updated and if you need to manually approve or apply it at all. These firmware updates will help with device efficiency settings and install the latest patches to make sure you’re protected from evolving threats.
Set Your Parameters Within Your Administrative Settings
It’s also good to set up certain parameters within the administrative settings of your router. Your router should offer you the password to your admin settings, which you should change for your own needs, while retaining the complexity of the phrases involved. Certain settings you may wish to switch off involve allowing other people to join your guest network if they have the same service and app, which may offer less security, too. This article outlining ‘what is SSID’ can help you understand more about your router and how to keep it protected at an administrative level.
Use A VPN & Consider The Protection Of Your Ports
It’s important to make sure your ports are configured correctly and that you have no open ports that could potentially be accessed if someone were to know your IP address. It’s also wise to encrypt your traffic from your network provider by using a VPN, which can be paid for (many yearly subscriptions offer deep discounts). This enables you to protect yourself while surfing online, and also comes with fun other benefits, like being able to access country-gated content, for example, you may be able to see content from other streaming subcription services, like Netflix in the US or UK.
With this advice, you’re sure to keep your home network as safe as can be. This can provide everything a casual user needs, and provides the baseline practice for an advanced user to become familiar with their best network protection habits.