Wireless router networks are a wonderful thing for easy of access and the pleasure of sitting anywhere in my home with my laptop and surfing the internet. But the question is, who else is surfing the internet via your wireless!!! I have had multiple user’s,friends and family members go out to the area superstore, buy a wireless router, get home plug it in and wow it’s running and I’m done. At this point you are far from done!!! You need to change the “factory default” password that lets you modify that router. Right now your little wireless router is beaming out to anyone that will listen, that “My network” is open and ready for anyone to use…and I do mean anyone!!!

If your lucky (haha) it’s only the neighbors that are picking up your signal and allowing them to connect and surf through your broadband (you know, the DSLCable your paying all that money for..). From there it gets worse if you have some guy (or gal) driving by your neighborhood looking for open wireless routers. Lets pretend that we’re that bad guy (or gal) and see how they do harm. Lets see, got my laptop set looking for available wireless networks…yep, found one… ok now lets see if the owner didn’t change the factory default password. So he goes to Internet Explorer and types in the address bar 192.168.1.1 (which is usually the factory for wireless routers) and now he’s prompted to enter a username and password. He knows that if this is still factory still that all he has to do is type “admin” in the password area and …..yep…he’s in your router!! He now has access to your computer!!!! Don’t Let This happen to You….. read the instructions that come with the router (yes I know this is hard for us guys to do) and it will show you the basics for protecting your router,and computer. I’m also supplying a link to a video that will show you basics on how to protect from router. Don’t allow yourself to be a victim, play it smart and lock down your router!!!

By: Jay Morrison