Having a secure, fast and reliable home network is critical to the enjoyment of everyday life at home. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your home network.
Plan your network
Planning your network is a critical step in setting up your home network. It will save time and money, and it can help you avoid problems later on. Planning the layout of your home network also gives you an opportunity to get the most out of it by choosing the right placement for devices like routers and modems so that they’re accessible by all computers in the house.
Planning Your Network Layout
Choose a wired or wireless network
- Choose a wired or wireless network.
- A wired network is more secure and reliable, but it requires more setup and maintenance. A wireless network is convenient, but it’s more vulnerable to hacking.
- If you choose to go with a wireless option, make sure that the router has WPA2 encryption enabled by default (or at least turn on MAC address filtering). This will prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi.
If possible, avoid using public hotspots when working on sensitive tasks like online banking or shopping; these can be hacked easily via malware installed on other users’ computers or through fake Wi-Fi networks set up by hackers nearby.*
Secure your Wi-Fi with a password
- Use a password you don’t use anywhere else.
- Make it hard to guess.
- Don’t use a dictionary word.
- Don’t use your name, birthdate, or any other information that can be easily guessed.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts (e.g., email and social media).
Take advantage of the Security tab in Windows
- Turn on Windows Firewall
- Turn on SmartScreen Filter
- Enable AppLocker, if you have not done so already. This is a feature that allows you to control which applications users can run, and it helps prevent malware from running in your network.
- Enable Device Guard, which is an advanced security feature that uses virtualization to protect against attacks like rootkits and bootkits by preventing unauthorized applications from running on your device by using hardware-based isolation technology. (This option is only available for Windows 10 Enterprise editions.)
- Enable Device Health Attestation (also known as Secure Boot), which prevents devices with compromised firmware from booting into their operating system or loading any software from storage media such as USB drives or SD cards until they have been cleared by IT administrators at the organizational level through firmware validation processes such as whitelisting trusted vendors’ certificates so only authorized software can be loaded onto these devices during manufacturing timeframes before being shipped out into the wild where anyone could potentially tamper with them later down the road–which makes it difficult for attackers looking for ways around traditional defenses like antivirus solutions because once something malicious gets installed onto one machine within your organization’s network perimeter then all others connected afterwords face similar risks too!
Encrypt files or folders shared on your home network.
Encrypt your files or folders shared on the home network.
If you’re sharing files and folders with others, they will be able to view them in their own computers, but only if they have permission to do so. To prevent unauthorized access to these files and folders, encrypt them by using a password or passphrase that no one else knows except for yourself. Use strong passwords (not easy-to-guess ones) for each account where you share encrypted information–don’t use the same password across multiple accounts because it increases the risk of someone guessing it correctly! If possible, use two-factor authentication so that even if someone gets hold of your username/password combination somehow (e.g., through phishing), it will still be more difficult for them to access what’s inside those accounts without additional verification from another device belonging specifically yours (e.g., smartphone).
Use a VPN for privacy on public Wi-Fi.
If you’re using public Wi-Fi, like in a cafe or airport, it’s crucial that you use a VPN (virtual private network) to protect your privacy. A VPN encrypts all of the data between your device and the internet, preventing anyone else from seeing what you’re doing online. This includes hackers who may be trying to steal information from users on their network; they won’t be able to see past the encryption!
VPNs are also useful if you want access blocked websites like Netflix or YouTube but aren’t allowed by school or work policies because they block those sites as well.
Turn off UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) in Windows 10 if you don’t need it.
UPnP, or Universal Plug and Play, is a feature that allows devices to communicate with each other over a network. This can be useful for allowing your Xbox One to stream games from your computer or laptop–but if you’re not using this feature then it’s best to turn it off.
Turning off UPnP requires some basic Windows knowledge:
- Open Control Panel and click on Network Connections; 2) Right-click on your wired connection or wireless adapter (for example: Ethernet or Wi-Fi); 3) Select Properties; 4) Go to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), click Properties; 5) Scroll down until you see “Obtain DNS server address automatically”; 6) Uncheck this box and click OK
Use an antivirus program on every device in your network.
A network firewall is not enough to protect your home network from malicious attacks. You should also install antivirus software on each device in your home, whether it’s a PC or smartphone, tablet or game console.
The best antivirus programs are free and have the ability to detect malware that might otherwise go unnoticed by other security measures. Here are some recommendations:
- Avast! Free Antivirus (for Windows) – https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
- AVG AntiVirus FREE Edition – https://free.avg.com/en-us/homepage
Keep your operating systems up to date to reduce security risks.
- Keep your operating systems up to date to reduce security risks.
- Update your antivirus software, router firmware and browser.
- Update the firmware of any other devices that connect to the network like printers and smart TVs.
- Make sure you have a firewall enabled on all devices in the home network that support it (most do).
Scan your computer for viruses with a third-party scanner at least once per week.
Scan your computer for viruses with a third-party scanner at least once per week.
There’s no denying it: computers get viruses, and they can be difficult to remove. That’s why it’s important to scan your computer at least once per week with an antivirus program like Malwarebytes or Avast! Free Antivirus (which you can download from the internet). You should also make sure that you have the latest version of Java installed on your machine; this will help protect against malicious software that targets web browsers such as Chrome or Firefox. The last thing you want is for a hacker who has gained access to your network through one of those browsers being able to gain access and wreak havoc on other devices connected via Ethernet cable!
Having a secure, fast and reliable home network is critical to the enjoyment of everyday life at home
Having a secure, fast and reliable home network is critical to the enjoyment of everyday life at home. You can have the best internet connection in your neighborhood but if it’s not properly set up and maintained, you’re going to have problems.
The following tips will help ensure that your network is working properly:
If you follow these tips, your home network will be secure and reliable. You can have peace of mind knowing that your devices are protected from viruses and other threats while still being able to access the Internet from anywhere in your house.
