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How To Secure Your Wireless Broadband In Just Five Minutes? Posted: 27 Apr 2011 11:36 PM PDT Surveys have shown that 82% of wireless home broadband users believe that their wireless network is secure and protected. But, time and again, research has proved that to be wishful thinking. For example, a recent study which tracked 40,000 networks in six UK cities found that just under half didn’t have a password and no, or only very basic, security encryption that can be hacked within seconds. It’s not just a privacy concern either; allowing hijackers on your wi-fi could slow your connection significantly. So what can you do? Here are three simple things that take just five minutes and will leave your wireless broadband network much more secure. 1. Change WEP password to WPA: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was the old standard method of encrypting wireless networks. The idea is that the router generates a random sequence of letters and numbers – either 10 or 26 characters long – and that becomes the network password. Sounds secure and, for a while, it was but it turned out that breaking the technology was a walk in the park for hackers. Don’t believe me? Try Googling ‘hack WEP connection‘. Scary isn’t it? That’s why WiFi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 are now the standard form of protection for newer wireless routers. As well as many in-built security improvements, WPA means that you can choose your own password for the network, making it potentially much more secure. In short, if you have a choice, always choose WPA. If your router only allows WEP connections that’s better than nothing but it may be time to upgrade. 2. VID (that’s very important devices): Most routers now allow users to set an ‘access list‘ of specific devices which can gain access to the wireless network. All routers do this slightly differently so I’m not going to go into too much detail but, in general, entering the router’s IP address into your browser and then look in the advanced settings to find a way to set a list of allowed devices. Some routers also allow you to simply check a box saying that new devices are not allowed to join the network. That’s ideal if you only really have one or two devices using the wi-fi. 3. Change your SSID: Your SSID is the name you see when you search for wireless networks in the local area. You can usually configure your router so that the network name isn’t broadcast at all but that’s not so convenient if you’re looking to connect devices yourself. Another deterrent to hackers is simply to change the SSID network name from whatever the factory setting is. That shows that you’ve changed your wireless network setting and makes your network look more secure right from the off. Guest Author: This is a guest article by Julia Cook who is a staff writer for Choose.net, a consumer site that helps users to compare broadband deals. The site also features guides on topics such as where to get the best mobile broadband for iPad.

How Mobile Routers Are Impacting Hot Spot Sales Posted: 27 Apr 2011 10:18 PM PDT In a world where the Internet has become as much a part of our daily lives as a coffee pot, the ability to connect anywhere and everywhere is important. This is true for families who need to stay connected as well as for business owners and employees. While Wi-Fi has made it common to connect to the Internet wirelessly, a mobile broadband router makes it even easier to connect and share a connection with others on the go. Using such technology allows several users to share one high speed 3G or 4G Internet connection anywhere there is an accessible Wi-Fi signal. Mobile hotspots, which are self-contained devices featuring an internal rechargeable battery, offer true plug-and-play wireless Internet access, typically for up to five people, on one connection. Wireless connections aren’t new. We’ve been using them at home and at work for several years. But the ability to take that connection with you, anywhere, can be a real boost. That’s exactly what you get with a mobile hotspot and router. So how is the use of wireless mobile broadband routers affecting the sale of mobile hotspots? Not surprisingly, in a favorable way. And one that is expected to continue to increase over the next five years. Mobile wireless is already a multi-billion industry. According to Anything Research, by 2015 wireless communication sales are expected to more than double compared to sales in 2010. This trend is due largely to the advance of high speed mobile routers which allow connections to be shared among families or groups of employees. With nearly every high tech gadget from cameras to smartphones and everything in between being Wi-Fi enabled, it’s no wonder mobile hotspots have become so popular. Not only can such a connection be shared among several users, but it can be shared with any device that can connect wirelessly as well. When you combine the advantages of Wi-Fi (easy high speed access and secure connections) with the advantages of mobile broadband (shared account and portable access), it’s easy to understand why the resulting “Intelligent Mobile Hotspot” has become so popular in such a short time. With the introduction of mobile hotspot devices, the dream of being able to connect several devices or users over one single account has been realized. There’s no longer a need to search for public Wi-Fi. Now, users can simply plug in the hotspot, and connect to the Internet wherever they are via a wireless broadband router. The impact on sales is obvious. The impact on society is yet to be seen.

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