The modem router is now present in all homes where there is a fixed Internet subscription, since it allows you to connect 24 hours a day and 7 days a week: often its operation is so silent that many people do not even notice or remember the his presence! Even if a router is not an object that is often replaced, for many it remains a simple box that offers the Internet, thus leaving all the basic settings (if the Internet works at first glance, we probably won't even worry about investigating how this device works ) . In reality there are several things that all owners of a new router (but also those who have owned one for years without having ever configured it) can do, so as to make the network created by the device more secure and make the most of the wireless networks generated from the same.
Speaking of router configuration, let's see what we have to do every time we buy or place a new router in the house, so that we can use it without thoughts and without too many headaches (prevention is always better than cure).
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Things to do on a new router
After purchasing a new router or after receiving the modem router from the telephone operator, we carry out all the steps described in this guide, so as to significantly increase the security of the device and the browsing speed of some services (such as Torrent and eMule ).Switch on the control panel
Accessing the configuration screen or the control panel of a router is very easy: after connecting and turning it on, get a PC and connect to its Wi-Fi network or use an Ethernet cable behind one of the LAN ports present; done this we turn on the PC, open any browser and type the IP address of the router, which is usually 192.168.1.1 (but we can also try 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.254 ).
We will find ourselves in front of the login screen where you can enter your username and password: on many routers the username is admin and the password is admin; if they don't work, check in the manual or in the router box to find the right credentials or read our guide on how to find the login and password for all the routers .
Change administrator password
To prevent other people connected to our network (via Wi-Fi or Ethernet) from entering the control panel, we will have to change the administration password. To do this, go to the router's control panel and check in the Administration, Administration or System section if it is possible to change the access password; on some routers there is also a dedicated Change password button.
We type the old password with which we entered the panel then we type a new password that is robust and difficult to guess. Let's not forget this password, since recovery is impossible (we will have to reset the router to the initial settings, so that we can reuse the default credentials).
Change the name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)
The SSID is the name of the wireless network, visible from any compatible device nearby (even outside the home). The default SSID contains the name of the model or operator in use, so better to change it so as to customize it and make it less sensitive to targeted attacks. To change the name of the home Wi-Fi network, go to the router's control panel and look for the Wireless or Wi-Fi menu.
From this menu we change the name of the network where the SSID is present, using a fancy name but which we can easily remember. In the case of dual band routers we will have to make the change also for the SSID of the 5 GHz network, so as to prevent attacks on the faster network provided by our router.
Change the default Wi-Fi password
Many do not care much about the Wi-Fi password, using the password provided by the operator or present by default on the router. Unfortunately, these passwords are very vulnerable to cyber attacks, so we recommend always changing the default Wi-Fi password, even if it should be very simple and clear. Let's go back to the control panel of the router and open the Wireless or Wi-Fi menu; from here we delete the old password to set a new one long enough and difficult to guess (we recommend at least 10 characters with a capital letter and 2 numbers).
If we have a dual band router, we also change the default password present on the 5 GHz network, so as to prevent targeted attacks on the faster network.
Change the Wi-Fi settings (WPS, channel etc.)
To make our router really secure and to speed up the connection speed to Wi-Fi networks, we recommend you apply the following tips:- We use WPA2 AES : the new routers provide different algorithms for protecting wireless networks; currently the most secure is WPA2 with AES encryption, hacker-proof (especially with a very stolen personal password).
- We disable WPS : WPS allows you to quickly connect devices without manually entering the password; although this system is very convenient, it has proven to be unsafe in recent years. To prevent it from being exploited by a hacker to guess the Wi-Fi password, we advise you to disable it.
- Let's change the transmission channel : on the 2.4 GHz frequency our rotuer has 11 transmission channels on which to place the Wi-Fi network we created; basically the router manages the change of channels automatically, but if there are many Wi-Fi networks nearby it is better to intervene manually and choose between channels 1, 6 and 11 (we choose the free or less crowded one). On the 5 GHz frequency this modification is not necessary, since the networks do not tend to interfere with each other (we can also leave the automatic management of the channels).
- We change transmission protocol : on the 2.4 GHz frequency we can transmit with different protocols; currently the fastest is 802.11n or Wi-Fi 4 (depending on the models), so we will only have to check in the wireless section of our router if we are using the fastest protocol. On the 5 GHz frequency we will have to make sure to take advantage of 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 5, so as to benefit from a very high transmission speed (equal to the Ethernet cable).
Other options to be changed
The ones we showed you above are the most important settings to change on a new router or one that has never been touched before. However, if we really want to make the most of our router, we recommend that you also change the following items:- Disable remote access or remote management (if such a possibility exists): in 99% of cases it will not do anything to leave active remote access to the router so disable it to be more relaxed and leave less possibility for a hacker to enter the router.
- Disable UPNP : UPNP is a protocol to facilitate the detection of devices in a network. If it is not used with an application on your computer and if you do not need UPNP, better disable it.
- Change the IP address of the router : this change is not really necessary, but if you change the IP of the router in the LAN settings, it will be more difficult to access the router settings. In this regard, we invite you to read our guide on Why home computers have an IP address of type 192.168.XX "> For those who feel more daring, they can also try updating the firmware of the router by installing DD-WRT, so as to significantly improve the control panel of the router and get more security and functionality.
If we don't know which router to buy for our home, we invite you to read our guide to the Best WiFi Routers to connect your home wireless devices .
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