Cable Resources:
• Comcast Security
• Time Warner Cable
• Cox Security

A wireless router on your home network is a great addition to your High-Speed Internet connection. With it, you’re able to use your laptop or desktop anywhere in the house without the need to run costly network cables through walls, floors, and ceilings.

However, if you don’t take the proper precautions, you may be letting anyone in your neighborhood to “steal” your Internet connection.

Out of the box, some wireless routers are non-discriminatory. That means, anyone within range of your home who has a wireless card in their PC or laptop can connect to your network and use your Internet access – all without you knowing! Your next-door neighbor, the family in the apartment downstairs, or even the guy across the street from you can be connected to you right now. And if the actions those people are doing happen to be illegal, it’s your account that comes under scrutiny. That’s a problem you don't want to deal with.

So, what can you do to prevent this?

First off, know that no wireless network is 100% secure. No matter what levels of security you implement, there is someone somewhere who knows how to crack it. But there are actions you can take that will discourage the casual hacker.

Each wireless router is different, but the concepts outlined in this article can be applied to all. Refer to your manual for specific procedures that you can perform on your own broadband wireless router. You may also utilize the resource links to a few of the major manufacturer and cable company websites. These links are found on the left of this page.

There are basically two things you can easily do to make your wireless network more secure. The first (and simplest) is to require a password to connect.

Passwords in the wireless world are called “keys,” and they come in two flavors: WEP and WPA. WEP is an older encryption process, but is still effective. It uses a master “passphrase” that each computer is required to match before the router lets them connect. When selecting a passphrase, try not to be overly simplistic. Meaning, don’t choose a basic word. Intermix numbers and letters. This will make cracking the code more difficult.

If you wish to be a little more secure, choose the newer encryption method, WPA.

The principle behind WPA is similar to WEP, but WPA is more difficult to crack. WPA was created for this reason; it’s more secure than WEP. However, since it is a newer technology, older equipment or operating systems may not support it. In those cases, you must use WEP keys.

Regardless of the method you choose, both the router and wireless computers on your network must be set to the same encryption method.

Another way to lock down your wireless router is to specify which computers are allowed to connect.

Each wireless device has a unique identification number embedded into them. These numbers are called MAC addresses. And like snowflakes, there are no two MAC addresses alike.

You can usually find the MAC of your wireless card written somewhere on the card itself. MAC addresses are 12 characters long, and have numbers and letters intermixed. Sometimes they are written in 6 groups of 2 characters.

Write down the MAC addresses of all your wireless devices and enter them exactly into your wireless router’s MAC address filter list. When you only allow access to your network based on this exception list, you’re reasonably secure. And if you use both MAC addresses filters and a WEP or WPA passphrase key, you’re ahead of the game.

It should be noted, however, that even after you take these actions to secure your router, you are not totally “unhackable.” But the casual user next door, or they guy parked outside your house, will have a much more difficult time trying to compromise your wireless network.