Scheduled Maintenance: We are aware of an issue with Google, AOL, and Yahoo services as email providers which are blocking new registrations. We are trying to fix the issue and we have several internal and external support tickets in process to resolve the issue. Please see: viewtopic.php?t=158230

 

 

 

How to secure wifi?

Off-Topic discussions about science, technology, and non Debian specific topics.
Post Reply
Message
Author
rocky
Posts: 8
Joined: 2020-03-06 11:24

How to secure wifi?

#1 Post by rocky »

Is there a way to secure wifi without being a techie? I need to secure my home network from hackers, spammers, or outsiders, or hacking attempts.
TIA

Bulkley
Posts: 6383
Joined: 2006-02-11 18:35
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 39 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#2 Post by Bulkley »

The easiest way is to set your router to maximum protection if possible. Initial directions should be on the side of your router. You probably accessed admin when you set your router password. On mine I loged in and moved to the Firewall section and chose a setting. I set mine to maximum a few years ago and never had any obvious problems.

User avatar
sunrat
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6412
Joined: 2006-08-29 09:12
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 462 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#3 Post by sunrat »

Further to Bulkley's advice, change the default router password. Mine came with username: admin and password: admin, which I believe is quite common.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!


User avatar
sunrat
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6412
Joined: 2006-08-29 09:12
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 462 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#5 Post by sunrat »

Handy and helpful guide. Prompted me to check my recently supplied ISP router and sure enough several settings needed to be secured.
Last edited by sunrat on 2021-05-26 13:38, edited 1 time in total.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!

User avatar
wizard10000
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 557
Joined: 2019-04-16 23:15
Location: southeastern us
Has thanked: 76 times
Been thanked: 85 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#6 Post by wizard10000 »

sunrat wrote:my recently supplied ISP modem/router...
ISP-supplied modem and router are usually the first things I replace. I get that's not possible with every ISP but we really have no idea what's getting sent back to our internet provider.

Another thing I do set my router to rotate WPA keys every 60 minutes. There isn't enough computing power on the planet to brute-force my WPA key before my router generates a new one.
we see things not as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin

User avatar
sunrat
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6412
Joined: 2006-08-29 09:12
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 462 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#7 Post by sunrat »

Actually I just remembered my ISP supplies a separate router and NBN Co supplies the modem which is not able to be changed. Best I can do is secure the router as much as possible. It's a TP-Link Archer with most of the settings configurable so not as bad as some I've seen. I'm satisfied having set all the settings mentioned in the guide linked above.
Plus I'm on a pension and $200+ for a new decent router is money I'd rather use elsewhere.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!

Bulkley
Posts: 6383
Joined: 2006-02-11 18:35
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 39 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#8 Post by Bulkley »

arochester, great guide. Thanks.

kedaha
Posts: 3521
Joined: 2008-05-24 12:26
Has thanked: 33 times
Been thanked: 77 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#9 Post by kedaha »

if you ask me, best to get rid of Wifi altogether, if you can, and use a wired connection.
DebianStable

Code: Select all

$ vrms

No non-free or contrib packages installed on debian!  rms would be proud.

LE_746F6D617A7A69
Posts: 932
Joined: 2020-05-03 14:16
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#10 Post by LE_746F6D617A7A69 »

The first step is to choose a router which is supported by Open Source projects and replace the firmware.
All other options/methods of protecting Your network are useless if You use closed source firmware.

Best of the best is OpenWRT, and what is funny, it boots Your router typically 10 times faster than the closed source crap.
Bill Gates: "(...) In my case, I went to the garbage cans at the Computer Science Center and I fished out listings of their operating system."
The_full_story and Nothing_have_changed

User avatar
wizard10000
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 557
Joined: 2019-04-16 23:15
Location: southeastern us
Has thanked: 76 times
Been thanked: 85 times

Re: How to secure wifi?

#11 Post by wizard10000 »

sunrat wrote:TP-Link Archer...
I have one of these also and have been pretty happy with it. Archer A7 v5 and the first time I tried to flash OpenWRT on it it didn't work so have been using stock firmware until I can get my wife off the router long enough to try again :)

My ISP is Spectrum and the cheap Asian generic cable modem they gave me refused to work if laid on its left side. Took me a whole day to figure that out and replaced it with a cheap Asian Motorola cable modem. Worked great ever since :)

edit: Misspoke above. My router rotates WPA keys every 15 minutes, not 60. This is probably security overkill so I may back it off a little.
we see things not as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin

Post Reply