Wi-Fi Router Secrets Similar to their cable-connected counterparts, Wi-Fi networks are quick and easy to install-at least this is what hardware manufacturers claim. But the real story is quite dfferent. In practice, many routers perform at only half the speed advertised on their packages. In many cases, you are disconnected abruptly and the performance you get is totally insufficient. with data trickling in only at sl,!w speeds. And of course anyone who wishes to ,secure his Wi-Fi network must get to know what ,exactly the terms AES, RC4 and MAC filtering mean. Although installation wizards are available these days, they are really useful only if all components come from the same manufacturer.
But do not panic! We show how you can fix dead spots, increase the range of your router, and draw the maximum possible speed from your router to solve any connection problems. As a bonus, we will also make your network energy efficient and hacker proof. We will also point you to some of the best free utilities available online to help you do all these things.
Security: The password decides
At the beginning of this year experts were unanimous: anyone who opts for WPA with AES, one of the latest WLAN encryption standards, does not have to fear any hacker. However, within three months a team of researchers demonstrated how even that supposedly safe algorithm can be cracked. A few months ago, a tool was launched in the market which used the processing power of a graphics card to crack Wi-Fi passwords quickly.
Nevertheless, you can still make your wireless network hacker-proof. You just need one thing: a lot of patience to type the secure key! It should be at least 20 characters long and should be a combination of randomly picked letters and digits. The software identifies every tapproximation of an existing word from any language, so you can make a hacker's work more difficult by u'sing a non-obvious series of characters. You can additionally stall a hacker's progress with MAC filtering. Here, the router only allows devices to be connected in network if their hard-coded internal network identifiers are approved. A very experienced attacker can also overcome this filtering, but it will keep most causal intruders away. Still, the security of the wireless network in such a case is dependent on the WPA key. Routers distinguish types of WPA as per their encryption methods: either the RC4 or AES algorithms. As per availability, use the AES version since hackers have cracked RC4 a long time ago.
Using the example of a standard home router, we will show you how to generate a secure key. Different models from different manufacturers will have similar methods. For starters, enter the router's IP address in the address bar of your Qrowser. This brings up your configuration page, which will ask for the admin password. By default, routers have extremely weak passwords, like "admin". You should change this login data as soon as possible, since leaving the common defaults only makes a hacker's work easier. In this model, a Linksys WRT54G, click on Administration and then click on Management. The fields on top allow you to set and confirm a new password. It should be at least six characters long consist of letters and digits and should not be based on a real word. Save the settings with "Apply". That was the password for configuring the router. Now for actual password you need to get on the Wi-Fi network. Open the "Wireless I Security" page, and under "Security Mode", select WPA with AES encryption. Enter a safe password, and make sure you don't share it with friends.
More power: A change in bandwidth works
The 2.4 GHz frequency band, which is used by most Wi-Fi networks, is strewn with sources of interference such as microwave ovens, some newer cordless phones, and even some Bluetooth accessories. The bad news is that while 13 channels are officially available for Wi-Fi (2.412 GHz to 2.472 GHz each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz), only three channels can be used simultaneously without interfering with one another. The thumb rule is that routers which are in very close proximity to each other should maintain a space of at least five channels between the ones they use. With the tool Easy WiFi Radar you can find out the channels used by wireless networks in your surroundings, i.e. your neighbor's router might be interfering with your own. Some newer routers can automatically search for the best channel, but older ones all default to the same one, so if your neighbors have the same model router, you should change this setting immediately.
TIP: If all channels are already occupied, use the one which is occupied by the closest or most powerful neighboring network. At first it may sound counterintuitive, but the properties of the Wi-Fi standard mean that your router can separate these clear ;;ignals from its own with less effort than it would take to filter out weaker networks. Lastly, if selecting the best WLAN channel does not result in increased speed and range then you can try changing the frequency band from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, provided all your Wi-Fi devices support that band. A dual band router (for example the Linksys WRT610N) can use both the frequency bands simultaneously. It links to older 2.4 GHz devices and also works without any interference on the 5 GHz band. You might have to spend a little to upgrade older devices to work on the 5 GHz band. USB adapters for PCs and laptops are available.
Range: Use MIMO
It requires a lot of trial-and-error to determine the perfect position for your home router, but the only way to find out for sure is to manually move it around before deciding on a spot. These tips are very helpful for positioning: For the best result set it up on the wall as high as possible. This way it will not be interfered with by any PCs or other electrical appliances like microwave ovens. Adjust the antennas downwards so that you get the maximum possible. coverage. If this is not possible, then make sure that the access point is not directly behind a PC or any other device which radiates strongly or is shielded by a metal body.
However, if the data connection still breaks after a few meters then it could be due to some other reason. The radio waves from the router could be being reflected or interfered with: although rare, waves can cancel each other out if a trough from one coincides with a crest from another. Routers can now solve this issue with MiMo technology (Multiple Input Multiple Output) which is a standard part of the latest IEEE 802.11N standard. They have multiple antennas and make the best of it: MiMo technology uses reflections actively for transmission. To be able to operate, the antennas must be p~sitioned at least one wavelength away from each other. The wavelength can be determined by . dividing propagation velocity by the frequency; in case of Wi-Fi it is around 12 meters.
Dead spots cause problems but even thick concrete ceilings and plasterboard walls are culprits. Plasterboard contains moisture, which is bad because the frequency of Wi-Fi is closely matched to the excitation frequency of water (this is what every microwave uses it, which is also why they cause problems). While . water would heat up with approximately 800 Watts of power, a Wi-Fi router transmits at roughly 0.1 Watt, so there's no danger, only a loss of signal strength. But the walls absorb energy and therefore considerably diminish the range of the radio signal. A solution to this problem is a unidirectional beam antenna. It concentrates radio beams and even transmits them through heavy materials rather than the usual Wi-Fi antennas which transmit in every direction. You can use simple do-it-yourself tweaks (see box below) so that you do not have to spend much on expensive special antennas. However, there is a catch:
The coverage area Is reduced to a single focused area instead of a wide cover. This Isn't much of a problem in case of a desktop PC or laptop that's always on your desk, but will be if you roam around the house with a portable device.
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