WFN #14 – Home Networking Basics

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

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Listener Emails

Yes, Chris S from Cocoa Beach. We got your movie quote from War Games. We loved that movie, too.

Home Networking Best Practices

If you don’t have one, PLEASE get a router. All routers come with something called a firewall. And that means a layer of protection from the big, bad Internet. And when you do, the first thing you should do is change the admin password.
Never plug your cable modem directly into your computer. Keep the router between your computers and the modem.
If you have a router but lost the manual, you can download it from the manufacturer’s web site. There is no shame in reading the manual. This will tell you what to type in your web browser to manage the settings on your router.
If you don’t need wireless, you will still benefit from the built-in firewall.
And if you don’t need wireless, you should turn it off on your router. That means you can skip all of the other tips we talk about.
But if you do need wireless (lots of people do these days) then you should change your SSID. But what is a SSID anyway?
Enabling encryption is also a good idea. But remember that you have to set this for each device that will be using your wireless network.
Filtering MAC addresses is an advanced topic. No, this doesn’t mean keeping Apple computers off your network.
Most people know about Windows Update. But there is something even better called Microsoft Update that will make sure you get Office updates, too.
If you’re a Mac user you most likely know all about Software Update.
Consider software protection as an added layer. If you travel with your laptop, it’s a good idea anyway. A good free A/V program is AVG.
Secunia – a free utility that scans your entire computer to see what needs to be updated, including Windows, Office, Java, Adobe, Flash to name a few.