September 2004  Email this  Print this
 License or reprint this article
SOLVED!
I'm Worried About Wi-Fi Security
Rest easy as long as your system has been configured to require a password. To check, look at the security-settings area of your Wi-Fi adapter's management software, usually accessible from the Start menu or via an icon. If security is enabled, you will see an entry that says "WEP" or "WPA." WEP, for Wired Equivalent Privacy, is available in almost all Wi-Fi products. Newer systems are often equipped with an improved mode, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
For security to work, you must turn it on by setting every adapter and router on the network to the same security mode and assigning a password. To choose a password, change the router's settings first, and then the adapter settings on your PCs. Make it a point to change the password every month or so. Long passwords with a combination of numbers, symbols and letters are best.
Another tip: Use your router's control-panel software to turn off the SSID broadcast feature, which announces your network's name to anyone nearby. That will at least make your network tougher to find.
Untitled
| 
MAGAZINE
