Wireless networks have become common place now pretty much every where you go. Seting up wireless networks is now easy, cheap, and can be put pretty much anywhere you want. With most wireless access points nowadays you can simply plug it in and you are setup for wireless which makes them very convient. But with the conveince that wireless adds, it also comes some security risks and vulnerabilities. With a few simple tricks and configurations you can make your wireless safe and secure for your home network.

1. Change all default settings on your access point
All wireless access points no matter which manufacture they come from have default settings on them and if you leave them anyone who has access to the documentation of that access point can gain access to it. The two primary default settings you want to change on your access point is the admin password and the SSID. Changing these two default settings dramatically increase the security on yoru access point.

2. Know your broadcast range
Location, Location, Location. Where you place your access point in your house or office determines where you can pick up signal. You obviously want to keep the signal confined within your office or house so the worst place to put an access point in near a window facing the road. By doing that you send a wireless signal out toward the road for anyone driving by to pick up. The best place to put an access point in relation to security is as close the middle of the house or office.

3. Turn off SSID broadcast
Wireless access points are usually setup by default to broadcast their SSID which tells anyone in range that there is a wireless network nearby. By disabling this feature you have to know the SSID of the wireless to connect to it. This security measure will stop your basic war driver from picking up your wireless network. This along with configuring WEB which is listed below will significantly increase your security.

4. Enable WPA 2
Wireless signal by default is sent over the air in plain text, which means that someone with a listening device (sniffer) can pickup wireless transmission between the computer and the access point. By enabling and configuring WPA 2 you are now encrypting the information you are sending over the air. WPA 2 has to be configured on the wireless access point and it also has to be configured the exact same way on the wireless computer you are connecting to the access point. WPA 2 is far superior to WEP because the encryption information is never sent across the wireless.

5. Enable MAC address filters
If you have configured numbers 3 and 4 then enabling MAC address filtering is probably not needed but it is still an option to help increase security. Almost all access points now a days come with MAC address filtering. These filters allow you to input the MAC addresses of the wireless cards that are allowed to connect to the access point and will deny any other wireless devices that attempt to connect.

6. Disable DHCP on your router or access point
Disabling DHCP on your router/server/access point means that you will have to manually set all computers IP addresses. By disabling DHCP you are requiring someone to know your IP scheme to actually connect to your network. This is not a huge security measure but it adds another layer of inconvience for the person attempting to access your network.

     Security is an ongoing process that continues to change and evolve. By implenting some of these recomendations you can signicantly increase your security and protection.