If you’ve ever had to troubleshoot your wireless router, then you know how frustrating it can be. But understanding this electronic device goes far beyond knowing how to restart it. If you want to protect your home network and all of its devices from hacking attempts and cyberattacks, then knowing the basics of your wireless router—and how these devices work together—can make all the difference.
Here are five things that every Internet user should know about their wireless router:
Wireless Router
Your wireless router is an electronic device that controls your network’s Internet access. It receives data from devices on the network and sends it to the internet, and vice versa. Information transmission between various networks is a router’s primary purpose.
Understanding how routers operate is the first thing you should do. When you connect a device—like your computer or phone—to your home wireless network through WiFi, it sends packets of information back and forth between itself and other devices within range of this signal. When you browse a website from one device connected through WiFi, all other devices will also get access.
Your Home Network and Devices Within it are Susceptible to Hacking
Many think their routers are safe because they don’t have a password. But, the truth is that your home network devices within it are susceptible to hacking.
Hackers can use a wireless router to access your home network by intercepting and reading any data sent between computers on that network or by impersonating one of those devices. Once granted access, hackers can steal personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and account information while monitoring every activity on your computer or smartphone.
Hackers can also use your wireless router to access personal devices by installing malware through malicious software embedded in websites or emails you may visit on those devices.
The Placement of Your Can Affect Your Service.
The location of your router is something you should think about. The placement of your router will affect both the strength and quality of the signal and interference and range. The speed, coverage, and reliability of your WiFi network can vary significantly based on where you put it in relation to other devices in your home.
Here are some tips for finding the ideal spot:
- Try to place it somewhere central within or near each room where computers or other wireless devices need connecting. This way, everyone gets a similar experience when using their device.
- Make sure there isn’t any heavy furniture or objects between where you want to place it and walls/ceilings around it, which could block signals from reaching those locations in question (such as refrigerators blocking an antenna on top).
Avoid placing electronics behind these obstructions because this could cause interference with signals passing through them too! If possible, try moving these obstructions out instead so they wouldn’t cause any problems with our internet connection later down the road.
Routers Have a Default Wi-Fi Name and Password.
A router’s default Wi-Fi name is usually the router’s brand, so if you use a modem/router combo from your ISP, this may not apply to you. However, suppose you purchased a separate modem or router for your home network. In that case, it will have a default name that someone on your network could easily guess.
Most manufacturers use either their own product names or model numbers as their default names for all devices in their lineups; this means that there will be only one manufacturer out there with a particular product line having a certain model number — making it easy for an attacker to guess what they would want as their username and password when trying to access someone else’s Wi-Fi connection through yours!
Conclusion
Your wireless router is a complex piece of equipment that, for the most part, does its job quietly in the background. But if you want to get the most out of your home network, it’s important to understand how routers work.
Author’s Bio:
Rosette has a knack for anything DIY, but not only that, she also knows a lot about manly chores and tech stuff as she spent her younger years immersed in books about tools and technology. She makes it a point to write about the things she’s most passionate about during her free days.