Everything these days is wireless. But, rarely do we care how we connect, instead often just get online. A lot of wireless routers that are available offer very useful features that you probably didn’t know about. I’ll share a few of my favorites. Note: Not all routers are made alike, but many offer similar features described.
- Encryption Made Easy — I remember when I used to write down my 16 character WEP code so I could connect wirelessly. Now, the wireless manufacturers improved this daunting task and improved the security. With WPA2, all you need to set is the shared key and you’re set, and yes, it can be simple words and numbers. In addition to this convenience, the signal is even more secure making it less vulnerable to cracking, thus, less desirable to crack.
Pictured above is a screenshot of my router’s wireless settings. Yours may look similar to accomplish the same task. - Block Phishing, Malicious and other Undesired Internet Traffic — If there was something that could protect your whole network from phishing, malicious Web sites, or even unwanted Web sites, wouldn’t you use it? Nothing to download or install — just one minor change in your router’s DNS configuration. DNS is like a phone book for your Internet connection, when it maps domain names (dot com’s) to the correct numbered IP addresses (actual locations on the Web). OpenDNS does exactly this, and is completely free. Additionally, if you’re interested, you may sign up to track statistics on your connection for free as well.
To setup OpenDNS, you only need to change these two fields in your router. - Universal Plug ‘n Play – Universal Plug ‘n Play (UPnP) is a very useful technology so you don’t have to setup port forwarding or hassle with firewall issues. However, it came at a cost — security. Many Windows worms have exploited this in the past, but the risk is much lower if you segment your network (you already are if you have a router…) in addition to some decent anti-virus software. The benefit? A lot of newer applications automatically can configure your router securely to only allow inbound traffic at specified times. This is very helpful for people who use uTorrent or Pidgin, but I imagine there are many other vendors that use this feature, too.
In most routers, you only need to enable UPnP. -
Learn Who is Connected to Your Network — Chances are if you’ve never accessed your router’s settings, you are just running the defaults which means your neighbors or anyone who drives by could potentially access your data or perform a criminal act that points to you. However, there are times when it’s OK to take the shields down and let people leech off your network. For that reason, you may want to periodically check who is accessing it. In most routers, they have a status page to display connected (or previously connected) computers.
Most routers display this information. I have masked my information for privacy reasons.
- Scan for Wireless Networks — It’s probably a good estimate that the wireless radio is a little stronger on your router than your notebook. You can actually take advantage of this, by accessing your router’s wireless status page and viewing wireless networks that it can detect. This information is very helpful at quickly scanning to find what channels are “crowded” and ones that are free. Additionally, some routers support “bridging” which describes connecting to the other router and be the “go-between” for you to their network. Optionally, you may also “repeat” wireless signals to boost their coverage around your house.
Scan of Wireless Networks. Image has been altered to protect the innocent.
BONUS!
A majority of popular Linksys (and a few D-Link, and Buffalo) wireless routers support the ability to use third-party firmware. That is, support specialized enhancements to improve the speed, boost the wireless signal, add new features and more. Using unofficial firmware essentially voids you from contacting their technical support, but with great firmware like DD-WRT, you will never make a tech support call to Linksys. DD-WRT is completely free, but should only be installed if you are comfortable with using a computer. If you still need help, check out this guide on how to install DD-WRT.
To learn how to connect to your router, definitely visit PortForward.com. Further, if you need help accessing your router, or need the default password to it check out this helpful page that lists common user name and password combinations for most routers.