I’m a Wi-Fi expert and every household must make five changes to their router for instant home safety boost

A WI-FI expert has revealed five tips that can bolster your home network’s security – and they only take a few minutes.

The tips from YouTuber All Things Secured, “make sure that your home is a safe place to get online” for all devices, including PCs, smartphones and other gadgets.

YouTube / @AllThingsSecured

All Things Secured has a range of tips on how to make your home network more private and secure[/caption]

First, log into your router settings using the code and password that is printed on the hub.

For more information on how to log into router settings for Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk and Now TV internet, read here.

Change the router’s SSID name

The SSID is the name that comes up when you’re searching for your Wi-Fi network.

According to All Things Secured, these names are often tied to the manufacturer of the device, and if the device has known vulnerabilities, hackers will immediately be able to spot how they can hack into the network.

You can change the name in your router settings that you should have already logged into.

Change the SSID to something that a potential hacker won’t be able to associate with the product itself or your home.

Create a more secure password

Internet providers give all Wi-Fi users a default password, made up of letters and numbers.

These are already quite secure.

However, you can make it more secure by using a password generator online that will give you a unique set of digits you can use instead.

Disable remote access

There are very few times when the average homeowner will want to remotely access their router.

So, it’s best to switch off access entirely to avoid a cyber crook from using it to sneak into your home network from another location.

You can also do this inside your router settings.

Create a separate guest Wi-Fi network

When friends and family come over, it’s common to give out your password to get them onto the network.

But when this happens, the network password is then stored inside whichever device they used to access it.

It’s possible this information can be compromised by a clever hacker.

This means a hacker can not only access your broadband but see what devices you have inside your home that are connected to the internet.

Turn off Wi-Fi while on holiday

If you’re going on holiday or leaving your house for longer than the average working day, there’s no reason to have your Wi-Fi switched on.

It’s best to switch it off – alongside all your connected devices, such as your Alexa or Ring gadgets – to squash the opportunity for a hacker to invade while you’re away.

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