Your home internet router has a lot of security features that you may not want to use. You paid a lot for this box with all those flashing lights, so you should make sure you use all the security it has to offer.
Depending on how old your router is, it may offer you more or less security features. You may need update its firmware, to provide access to all the latest features offered by the router manufacturer. If your router is really old, it might be too old to be «secure» and it might be time to upgrade.
Let’s take a look at 6 router security features that you should consider enabling right now.
1. WPA2 encryption
Do you leave your doors and windows open and unlocked at night? If you are not using WPA2 encryption (or more modern standard) on your wireless router or access point, then you may not even have a door because you are letting hackers and everyone else into your home through your wireless network.
This means that not only are they connected to your network and possibly its shares, but they can also lose Internet connection that you pay for. Check out these tips for securing your wireless network .
2. Guest network access
Do you have visitors who need access to the Internet, but you are not very interested in giving them a wireless password, because you do not want them to have access to the rest of your network, and you do not need to change the password on all your devices, when do they come out?
Enable the function guest network your router may be just what the doctor ordered. If your router has this feature, consider using it to provide temporary internet access for your visitors. It can be turned on and off at will, which is good when you have kids who shouldn’t be online after sleep. You can turn it off for them while still staying connected.
3. Built-in firewall
Your router may have a built-in firewall that you didn’t even know existed. This can be a great tool to allow or block traffic from the Internet, preventing it from reaching your computer. You can also use it to control the traffic that leaves your network.
Check out our guide on why do you need a firewall, and also check out recommendations for setting up a firewall, to learn how to set it up. When you’re ready to test it out to see if it works, check out the section How to test the firewall .
4. Improved parental controls
Many new routers now offer advanced parental controls such as DNS content filtering. Routers such as Netgear Nighthawk R7000 are integrated with content filtering providers such as OpenDNS to provide malware, phishing, and adult content filtering.