Surely it happened to us once that we have contracted an Internet service pack and the provider delivered us a modem by mail with different cables, connectors and indications in different languages to install it, which We don’t even know how to read them.
When we open the box to start the configuration We don’t understand where to start, much less how to do it. Also, we know that people like to crack other people’s WiFi passwords, so our cause for concern is heightened.
Next, we will explain everything you need to know about the configuration of we will also teach you how you should work to obtain impenetrable access to our modem and thus avoid the decrease in Internet speed.
From where can I configure my wireless network to personalize it to my liking?
A wireless network is the set of devices, called nodes, that connect to it through electromagnetic waves, which are sent and received through ports that decrypt these waves to perform a certain action.
To be able to set up a wireless network we need a routerwhich will be connected via cable (either fiber optic or ADSL) to the Internet network, and a computer (in this case it will work as a receiving device) that has a network card connected to be able to capture the WiFi signal.
Once we have the router and the computer working and connected to each other, we can enter the modem through our PC and start with the configuration to increase security according to our needs.
The most recommended is always to establish new SSID and passwordsbeyond changing other parameters that will further increase the verification process for access to the gateway.
Steps to set up a WiFi network from scratch so that it is fast, secure and efficient
Once we have acquired a modem, either privately or because our Internet provider delivers it to us with the service package we have contracted, it is necessary to configure it in order to have a connection that is fast, efficient and also secure.
We have to remember that these routers come with factory preset configurations in which the access password is publicly known by the manufacturer.
This point is a weak factor for our security since there are apps that have different PINS in their databases that can quickly access the modem.
This is why we recommend configuring our WiFi network every time we buy and install a new router.
The steps that we will have to carry out to be able to configure a WiFi network in our home are the following:
connect the router
The first thing we will have to do is connect each of the cables to their respective inputs or ports that are on the back of the router. we will have no problem with thisbecause they come in different colors and shapes and the indications that are recorded on the router are very easy to understand.
Once we have done this, we turn it on and check that it works correctly by turning on different pilot lights.
Enter control panel
Once we have verified that the router is correctly installed, we must go to our computer and from there follow the following steps:
- We enter the browser and write in the address bar the following IP “192.168.1.1”
- Once we have entered the router configuration, what we will have to do is type the username and password provided by our Internet provider. Generally, depending on the device, the default user is “admin” and the default password is “1234” either “admin”.
- When we access we will have a control panel on the left side of our screen
If we have any doubts about the default username or password, we will have to contact the service provider, or look for this information on the official website of the router brand.
Change SSID and password
When we are in the control panel, the first thing we are going to do is change the SSID and the password. Depending on the brand of the router, the place where this option is located in the task menu will depend.
SSID is the name that the WiFi network will have and that will be publicly known. The password will be the one that we will put as the access code to be able to enter our wireless network.
We will follow these instructions:
- We look for the option “Wireless”
- we choose “Security”
- We will write in the SSID field the name of our wireless network
- We will choose the password
- we squeeze “To accept”
It can happen at this time that our computer is disconnected from the network since we have produced changes. If this happens we will have to enter again with the modified data.
change channel
When our network does not have a good signal stability, probably many nearby networks are transmitting on the same channel.
To do this, we can solve the stability with the following indications:
- We entered the menu at “Networking”
- We choose the network we want to modify WLAN
- We look for the option “BASIC”
- we select “Channel”
- we choose a channel
- We click on “To accept”
Change DNS
The routers have integrated DHCP servers, which are used to identify an IP address and generate some additional parameters such as the network mask, the access door or gateway, and also allow the configuration of the DNS servers of the devices that connect wirelessly with the router computer.
It must be clarified that not all routers allow you to change the DNS, for those that can be changed, we will follow these steps:
- We enter the control panel
- we seek “Networking”
- we select “DHCP server”
- We choose a primary and secondary DNS
- We click on “To accept”
Activate MAC filter
The direction MAC is a 12 digit number that is assigned to the interface of the network card that the devices that connect to the wireless network have.
If we activate this option, what we are doing is telling the router that certain devices can only connect if any other equipment that is not on that list wants to enter, you will not be able to access thanks to the MAC filter.
To change the MAC address we will have to follow these steps:
- We start at the control panel
- we select “Wireless”
- We look for the option “MAC filters”
- we select “Deny”
- We wrote the MAC address of each device that can be connected
- we squeeze “To accept” for each of the teams
Is it possible to detect if my Internet connection is being stolen from my WiFi network?
When our Internet connection works slowly and we have already verified that our devices that connect to the WiFi network do so correctly.
In addition, we have verified that the wiring connections to the router and its configuration are correct, the only thing left to see is if intruders are stealing our WiFi signal.
To do this we can check it with these methods:
from the router
We can check if they decrypted our WiFi network access key through the router by following this procedure:
- We disconnect all the devices that are in our house and that have access to the WiFi network.
- Once we have deactivated the WiFi connection between the computers authorized to connect, we will go to the router and check if there are lights that are intermittent, especially the Internet connection.
- If this happens it is because there are devices on our network. If the result is negative in the first place, we can check it at different times, especially when we realize that the Internet speed decreases.
Another way to check if our Internet connection is being stolen is by verifying the IP addresses that connected to the router.
In order to verify we will carry out these step by step:
- We enter the browser and write “192.168.1.1”
- In this way we enter the router and write the username and password
- We choose in the control panel located on the left, the option of connected devices
- We study the list and control it with the IP addresses of our devices and we will realize if there is any strange one that may belong to an intruder
A third method to verify is also controlling all the configurations that we have assigned in the router.
That is, if we have an open network connection, an access password assigned by the manufacturer by default or we have MAC filters disabled.
To achieve this, we will enter the router from our computer, and if we find some of these poorly configured weak points, it is very likely that they are using our Internet connection without our authorization.
With an external program
There are different apps that allow us to check if strangers connect to our WiFi network. We can do it from our computer or also from our mobile device. The only thing we need is to be connected to the network that we will analyze.
Next, we will take the Android application “Fing” as an example and we will show you the steps that we must follow:
- We open the application
- We choose the name of the WiFi network at the top
- we select “Devices”located in the lower left margin
- A list with all currently connected devices will not appear
- We choose some that seem strange to us and we will obtain different data such as the IP address, the MAC address, the provider of this address and the operating system in case it is a mobile device
To delete some of them we simply select it and block it, in this way it will not be able to connect anymore with the data with which it entered improperly.
Online pages
Although this is not a method to determine if our Internet signal is being stolen, but It will help us what we have and thus be able to establish if it is a problem with the router or directly with the device with which we connect to the wireless network.
There are different websites in which we can control our Internet speed and compare it with what the service provider offers us. Us We recommend our speed test.
If we find that the speed is lower we have two options, one is to call the Internet provider and find out the reasons for the low speed.
The second way is to enter through the two steps that we mentioned above, through the router with external programs.
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