In today’s world, access to the Internet is a necessity for most people. Everyone has personal Internet access points at home and people can quickly get online and find the information they need or send messages to their friends, for example.
A common method of access to the Internet today is wireless Wi-Fi. Every home is equipped with routers that broadcast a signal to which users’ devices can connect. This is very convenient, as it doesn’t require additional equipment and various wired connections. All you have to do is to install a router in the center of your home and configure it.
Of course, you have to remember that this method of connecting to the Internet has its own disadvantages, for example, you need to take care that the router isn’t very far from your device otherwise the signal can be too weak and the Internet will not work correctly.
In addition, many users are worried about the security of their devices connected to the Wi-Fi network. As the signal from it can catch any user who is in the vicinity, is the Wi-Fi network safe enough?
What is WPA2
WPA2 is a protocol for securing your Wi-Fi network. It stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. Since 2006, all Wi-Fi routers are required to have this security standard. It currently provides one of the strongest security features for your device.
WPA2 supports AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. For the average user, this means that it provides strong encryption of your signal. It’s almost impossible to gain access to your access point remotely without knowing the exact password.
How secure is Wi-Fi with WPA2 protection? In fact, this type of protection is one of the safest, as there is no quick way to hack an AP with WPA2 protection.
One possible option for hacking remains the Brute Force attack. This means that a hacker will use a program that will go through various passwords until it finds the words and numbers that are suitable for accessing your network. This procedure can be time-consuming and doesn’t give a 100% guarantee of success if you take care of the security of your password.
What’s the best password to set on your router
No matter how secure your AP with WPA2 protection is, you should still think about the uniqueness of your password. You shouldn’t put your name or your pet’s name as a password, as hackers will be the first to try it.
The best solution would be to use a password that isn’t personally related to you or to use passwords that will be generated in the randomizer. Such a password may not even consist of a specific word, but just of a set of characters. In this case, it will be most difficult to crack. Of course, this means that remembering it will be a hard task, but it is the best solution for your security.
What are the dangers of hacking your Wi-Fi
Some users may wonder what a hacker can get if he can get access to your Wai Fi. In fact, for ordinary users, such a hack can be quite dangerous.
Attackers gain access to the information you request from the network and upload to the network. That means they can intercept your e-mails, the pictures and videos you send, your credit card numbers, and any other personal information you enter into the network.
In addition to this, they can intercept your request and send you a fake page on the site you are trying to open. This way they can steal your username and password on the given resource or get other personal information.
In some cases, hackers can even access the files on devices that are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
As you can see, the dangers of hacking are many. That’s why you should do everything you can to secure your Internet access points.
How to protect your router with WPA2
As I wrote above, since 2006, WPA2 security is now obligatory on all routers. That means any user can set this type of protection for their network in their settings. To do this is quite simple. To do this you will need:
- On any device that is connected to the router, enter 192.168.0.1 IP address into any browser.
- Then you must go to the settings page of your router. For this you need a login and password for admin access. This information is usually found on a sticker on the router itself. In most modern models, the default login and password are admin and admin.
- Next, select Wireless > Wireless Security in the panel on the left. This will bring up a window with the encryption and password choices.
- Here you need to select WPA2-PSK security, AES Encryption and set your password.
- At the end, simply click the “Save” button. Your router may restart.
Remember that when you change the password and encryption type, all devices that were previously connected to the router will be automatically disconnected. You will need to re-enter the password everywhere.
Also, if your router model supports a mobile app, you can do it via it. In general, the instructions will be similar, only instead of a browser, you can use your mobile device with the app installed. Then you will need to enter the admin settings and change the password in the Security tab.
