MacDirectory Magazine

MacDirectory 117 FEATURE carefully follow the procedure and steps given to you by the update wizard. When in doubt, consult with the manufacturer or your ISP for further details. What if you don't see any available updates on the router page, or you discover your last firmware update was a long time ago? Again, check with the manufacturer to ensure that support for your model is still ongoing. You can also google the firmware version number along with your router model to determine when it was released. If it's only six months (to a year at most) old, then you're likely still supported and in good hands. If it was several years ago, it might be time to think about upgrading to a newer, more secure model. While you're logged in to the router, consider changing the username and password, especially if you never have. Leaving the default combo in place not only means that it's very easy for someone to log in to your modem/router page if they can connect to the network, but it could leave you vulnerable if you suffer a malware infection. Use a strong password just as you would for a website. While we don't necessarily recommend writing passwords down, storing a hard copy of your modem password in a safe place at home can help you in case you forget and need to get back in six months from now. Basic tips for choosing routers So, if you do decide what you need a new router, what sort of things should you consider? As we mentioned, if you depend on your ISP for your modem/router, you won't have much choice regarding the actual model supplied. However, if you're concerned that your current router is too old and out of date to be still secure, call your ISP and let them know about your concerns. Do note that you may be required to pay for the new router, but it will ensure that you have the necessary protection to guard against modern threats. If you go out to the store or start shopping online, make sure the one you pick up is a recent model, typically produced within the last year or two. In other words, don't head over to eBay to grab a steal of a deal on a router from 2011 — you won't have a good time with one of those. The more recent a model is, the more likely there will be patches and firmware updates that keep you safe from the newest problems. There are other reasons to avoid older routers, too, even if they are bargains: many of them don't even support the latest Wi-Fi security standards. Remember WEP? It was the gold standard in the early days of Wi-Fi, but now it's completely broken; anyone with the right software and a bit of time can crack a WEP key and break into your wireless network. Similarly, the original WPA-PSK standard is now deprecated too. For the maximum safety, you want a router compatible with WPA2. There are several types of WPA2, including one based on the AES encryption standard, but as long as you choose a recent version, you will still be safe. After purchasing your new router, log in to its setting pages and turn off any unnecessary services. Close down open ports that don't need to be accessible to the open Internet; you can check these settings on the router's firewall configuration page. Right out of the box, you probably won't have too much to close down, but check anyway to ensure nothing is insecure by default. While you're here, make sure that none of your computers are in the router's "DMZ" — this is a mode that places devices entirely outside the router's firewall protections. While it can be useful for troubleshooting connection problems, it exposes your machine to all kinds of potentially malicious traffic on the web. What about the situation we described earlier in homes that rely on range extenders to improve Wi-Fi reception at home? If you want to set up a mesh network or boost your signal to enjoy better connections, make sure to look for signs of compatibility between your router and these extenders. This is often easy to spot on the box or the product info page when you shop for these products. There's nothing worse than wrangling with a system that won't cooperate due to weird compatability problems, so do your homework in advance. Some routers in this class have the capability of operating in "bridge mode," which makes the extender act as though it were a digital extension of the main router. In other words, there's no visible difference between your primary network and the extension when you use a bridge. At other times, this functionality isn't available. You'll connect the extender to the main router, but you'll then have to connect to a secondary Wi-Fi network to hop on the boosted signal. This will largely depend on the layout of your home and the type of product you buy, but some experimentation can yield the best coverage. Whenever possible, shop for and purchase the most recent models you can find. This not only ensures a more extended period of active support from the manufacturer but can assure you've got the latest updates out of the box — or as near to them as possible. With that in mind, and with an understanding of how to keep your router secure over time, you can browse the web with ease and in peace. That wraps up today's edition of The Checklist — we hope you've learned a little something about this humble hardware that keeps us all connected all the time. We also hope this will inspire you to take a closer look at the hardware in your life you might take for granted and to consider the potential security implications. For now, be sure to change your default password at least and check your firmware version! For more information, visit: www.securemac.com

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