How to secure wireless networks (Wi-Fi)?

Browsing internet wirelessly over Wi-Fi is a new style statement. Buying and setting up a Wi-Fi connection is easy. Any one can do it. But most people either do not have the knowledge or simply forget to setup the security side of this wonderful device. What ever the reason may be either lack of knowledge or simply forgotten may turn this amazing, easy to use and reliable device into a night mare.

List of problems you may face and can even landed yourself in big trouble:-

• First of all if you are using 3G or 4G or broadband with or without an unlimited option (which too comes with a FUP) then bad boys of your area may use up your free or limited usage and may increase your billed usage. Which may results in a hefty bill amount at the end of the month. 
• You may not be able to get proper internet speed as promised by your ISP because you have to share your speed with your neighbouring bad boys. Results in a slow internet speed.
• This may land you in judicial problem because the bad boys may use your network to upload adult movies or may sent threatning emails to various government departments. You may be an innocent but you have to face trails.
• Your personal files on your computer will be at a risk because hackers will able to hack your computer wirelessly and gain access to your personal files.

But by applying some simple steps you can stop them from manipulating your computer wirelessly and stop them from using your internet. It is not very hard to secure your wireless network, just follow five steps listed below and get your work done.

1. First of all type http://192.168.1.1 on your web browser and put right username and password by default D-Link routers comes with "admin" as username and password. Then change the default username to something unique but it should not be your name or your pets name. Then comes the password which should be only alphanumeric. Because D-Link does not allow special characters. Go through your modem's manual or call technical department of your modem brand to know whether you will be able to use special characters or not. If your's one allows then you can insert special characters with your alpha numeric password and this will boost your security.
2. Then change your SSID to something very unique but should not contain any personal information of yours. By default your router's SSID is its brand-name i.e. Mine one was D-Link. You can play a trick by changing the SSID to something scary to hear e.g. Trojan_is_in_attack. You should give something you may recognise because in city areas you will find a number of SSIDs when your Wi-Fi is in scanning mode. Because the neighbors of your may use his / her Wi-Fi with different SSID. When your are scanning using your laptop's Wi-Fi you can see yours SSID along with others.
3. Then come network encryption a vital part when comes to the security of your wireless network. By switching on your network encryption you can prevent unauthorized access to your internet connection. There are several encryption methods available like WEP, WPA, WPA2. The WEP is the lowest level of encryption and it had been cracked several times. WPA-Personal is the latest security level for personal use. To setup WPA-Personal enter a WPA / WPAI passphrase, the passphrase will contain a combination of numbers letters special characters. You will find this option under wireless security section of your admin panel of your router. Remember the passphrase because you will be asked from the next time you login wirelessly.
4. Every Wi-Fi device comes with a unique MAC address which is like your computer's IP address. You should register your computer's MAC address with your router to restrict other computer with different MAC address from logging into your network. The MAC address has no relation with Apple Mac and should not be confused.
5. Being admin of your modem you can restrict the number of client / persons who can use your network simply by increasing and decreasing the Global Max client. If only you are using the Wi-Fi then change the Global Max Client to one if your friends are using too then change it according to the number of friends. 

The wrong doers or the bad boys can manipulate most of the above security measure by using their some open-source softwares like Aircrack-ng, Macshift, Nmap etc. Hackers with "cantenna" can detect your network from a very long distance, even from those places from where your Wi-Fi network detection is not possible. But the amature hacker may use this technique to manipulate your network form a very long distance. So, I will advice you to keep your Wi-Fi on when required and switch it off when you are not using your computer. By applying the above listed technique you may make the hacker's task bit difficult but you cannot make hacker proof. So, go ahead.