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Securing Your Wireless Home Network Through MAC Filtering

January 21st, 2010

One problem with wireless networks is that people who have wireless devices that are within the range of your network can access them. Even if you have set up a password for your wireless network, that password can also be hacked and access to your network can be gained. One way to further tighten up your network security is through MAC filtering.

MAC filtering is a network security procedure that only allows access to registered MAC addresses. A MAC address is the unique ID of a network device; no two computers or network device has the same. What this means is that only registered and authorized machines can access your wireless network. So even if they somehow managed to break or hack your password, they won’t still have access if their address is not registered. This is a very effective way to ensure the network security of your wireless home network.

What you need to do is enable the MAC filtering function of your wireless router or access points. Most routers at present have this function. Next, you need to input the MAC address of the computers in your home network. Getting the MAC address is different from one operating system to another, but this should be found in the properties of the network device. Check your computer’s manual or technical support for the procedure on getting the MAC address.

So, if you’re very particular about the network security of your wireless network, then one thing you can do is to enable MAC filtering in your network.

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How To Protect Your Home Network From Security Threats

December 30th, 2009

Technical computer jargon has become a part of our everyday lives and not only at work but at home as well. If you have setup your own computer network at home you probably know all about wireless cards, routers, and firewalls. Most computer components are easy to install and get set up, making it possible create a safe and secure home network. One Internet connection can mean connectivity for every computer in the house.

However, you need to make sure your network is safe from hackers and viruses, which can destroy computers and result in irreplaceable data loss. Start by reading the manual of each network product you have since they typically go into great detail about security configurations. But there is still more you need to know.

Router Ports

The first thing you should do is rename the standard administrator account and password since it is likely quite common and would be easy to find. Router ports are basically network numbers which is used by some applications to distinguish traffic. For instance, port 80 is used for web browsing and is the standard for HTTP.

In order to make your ports secure you may want to forgo dynamic IP addresses and purchase a static IP address. This means that you can specify which IP addresses generate traffic leaving your network. This is especially important if you have a wireless network since someone next door can potentially use your network to get onto the Internet. By specifying which IP addresses may do that youíre preventing this from happening. This is especially important if you live in an apartment building since using someone elseís network is surprisingly easy.

Port 80 should be configured to accept all incoming traffic. Some corporations specify which IP addresses can come into the network but this is very time consuming and labor intensive. You will also need to open port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming mail if you are using a desktop email program.

Once you have your router setup as described above youíre essentially good to go. There are some extra settings you may need to concern yourself with such as ftp ports, but this can leave your network open to attack. » Read more: How To Protect Your Home Network From Security Threats

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Guide to Choosing Network Router

December 14th, 2009

When you are getting ready to pick a network router, you may feel as though one is very much like the other. After all, as long as you can connect the household computers to it, and as long as everything mostly comes up, it’s all fine, right?

The truth of the matter is that routers come in all sorts of specifications and if you want to get the top performance out of yours, you will need to make sure that you are thinking this through. Getting a good router that will take care of your needs is a lot simpler than you might think, but there are some basic considerations that have to be made.

In the first place, start with speed. This can be quite important if you do a lot of downloading or uploading, or even if you play a lot of games. For the most part, routers will advertise their speed in megabits per second, written as Mbps. Older models claim that they will transfer 11 Mbps, while currently, the mid-grade routers offer 54 Mbps and the top of the line will boast 300 Mbps. These are just the top that they will ever achieve, so take the time to match them to the internet speed that you are getting in your home.

Another point that you will want to look at is warranties. How long will the router be ensured to last, and what are your options for return in case something does go wrong. Remember that a better warranty is likely indicative of a better service. If a company is confident in their service, they tend to be able to provide a significantly higher package when it comes to replacing the occasionally faulty model.

You will also find that you will have a fair amount of luck by matching your router to the network cards that are used by your computers. This is something that most people do not do, but the rewards can be significant. Most router companies, while their routers are considered universal, will tend to optimize their routers for their network cards. This can help you make a choice between a few different models, and at the very least it gives you a place to look. Some people will suggest getting all of your networking equipment in one fell swoop if at all possible for this very reason.

Finally consider where you are going to be installing your router. Some routers are meant to be packed into a confined space, while others are meant to be freestanding. Consider the area where you are going to be installing it, and make sure that you purchase a router that will work well with it. This can be instrumental in making sure that the router stays a functional part of your network for years to come.

There are a number of different things that you can do to ensure that you get a good model that will work for your home network, so consider what your choices are and what parameters you can use to make your decision.

By: Derek Rogers

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