You may think that the password you use to connect to WiFi is the definitive step to be protected and have maximum security. But no, it is not the most important thing and there are other factors that are essential if you want to protect your WiFi and if you want to have a secure network in which to prevent thieves from entering or stealing our data or our connection.
Surely you know someone who steals or has stolen the neighbor’s Internet. Or what it says to do. And this may worry you if your connection is too slow or you notice that it is not working as it should. In that case, there are a number of aspects that are essential to protect yourself and you should not only worry about having a secure password.
Check encryption type
WiFi connections have encryption that allows us to be protected when connecting to the Internet and that you have surely seen when configuring a network. This encryption can be of several different types and has been advancing as time has passed or as technologies have improved. Surely you have heard of WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3… we see them in most routers, WiFi devices and adapters and they allow us to prevent unauthorized users from obtaining personal information or using our connection for illegal purposes. For this reason, there have been types of encryption since the late nineties…
There are several types of encryption and most current WLAN routers and adapters support the latest versions but you may have an outdated device that is not capable of supporting WPA2 or WPA3 , for example. Currently, WPA2 and WPA3 are the most recommended and you should not have previous encryption, so you should always pay attention to this aspect in the specifications of your router, although if it is the device installed by an operator, you will see that it works with this type of encryption. without any problem.
Update the router
Updating the router is essential to be protected and to protect your WiFi. Not only choosing good encryption is important to keep us protected, but updating our devices is always important if we want maximum security. In this case, updating your router to the latest firmware version is a way to ensure that there is no possibility of security holes or glitches that could compromise your connection or your privacy. In this case, it will depend on the model and brand.
Some router models are updated automatically if there is a new firmware available, but other models are updated through the software we use to manage it on the computer or from mobile applications that allow us to control all its parameters. If it is manual, remember to update it periodically if you want to stay safe and not have outdated firmware that has many risks.
Use a good password
Change the password of your router once it is installed and bet on a secure key. Do not use obvious or easy to guess things or use the passwords that appear by default for the model you have installed at home. Nothing from 123456 or qwerty. Although it seems obvious, it is very common for these types of passwords to be used and it will be totally ineffective if you want to protect your router. Although the key is not the most important thing, you shouldn’t neglect it either, and you should choose one that is strong, hard to guess, long, and complex.
The most advisable thing to always choose a password, whatever its use, is that you use lowercase and uppercase letters and that you combine letters with numbers and all kinds of symbols. In addition, it is advisable that the password always have more than six or seven characters. The longer and with more combination and variety, the more difficult it will be for them to guess.
