few questions about router settings.
macgig
Contributor - Level 1
  1. should I change the admin username even though the password is unlikely to be guessed? 
  2. login configuration> Maximum Unsuccessful Login Attempts  is set to 5. can I make this higher or lower? it locked me out once already which is a pain to reset.
  3. should I disable SSID broadcast?

do I need to change anything since the tech installed or is everything already secure as it should be?

thanks.

0 Likes
Re: few questions about router settings.
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader
@macgig wrote:
  1. should I change the admin username even though the password is unlikely to be guessed? 
  2. login configuration> Maximum Unsuccessful Login Attempts  is set to 5. can I make this higher or lower? it locked me out once already which is a pain to reset.
  3. should I disable SSID broadcast?

do I need to change anything since the tech installed or is everything already secure as it should be?

thanks.



1 I would and did as there is no reason not to and it provides some extra security.
2 I would set it lower however I know what my userid and password are and typically would never be wrong more than once in succession.  I thought it auomatically re-enabled from a logock out after some amount of elapsed time.  If not then it's a good reason to make a backup of your configuration in case you have to do a factory defaults reset.
3 Again why not as it provides another level of security.  
As to the last comment I doubt the tech did anything but the bare minimum.  I'd guarantee that he left your wireless security as wep with the wep password being what was printed on the router.  If I were you I'd check the settings very carefully.
Re: few questions about router settings.
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

The answers to your questions depend on how likely you think it will be that people try to hack your router.

Changing the user name provides a little bit of security, but not much.  You're more likely to forget the user name than have somebody break into the router using "admin" as a login.

It's your choice as to how many login attempts to allow before lock-out.  If you think people are going to be hacking your router, then make it smaller.  If you think it's unlikely that anyone will try and you think you'll forget the password, make it higher.  The default of five is a good number to me.

Disabling SSID broadcast does not deter the determined hacker.  There are ways to find out SSID even when it is not broadcast.  Generally speaking, disabling SSID makes things harder for legitimate users without creating a challenge for hackers.

Make sure your WiFI is setup for WPA2, not WEP.  WEP is not secure, WPA2 is.

Good Luck.

Re: few questions about router settings.
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

#1

Part a) yes if it t is the Default OR any computer has malware (or had malware on it recently).

Part b) Also see the text at http://ask-leo.com/should_i_change_my_routers_password_and_if_so_how_often.html

 #3 No, see http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/28653/

Title Debunking Myths: Is Hiding Your Wireless SSID Really More Secure?

[EDIT] #2 See the posts above mine in this thread

0 Likes
Re: few questions about router settings.
macgig
Contributor - Level 1

Im on a mac so malware or a virus is not a big threat. but I would not trust the kids around here as far as trying to hack into someones wireless. one was caught breaking into homes and stealing things recently.

0 Likes
Re: few questions about router settings.
VUser50
Contributor - Level 2

The only one of the suggestions I think is truly worth thinking about is to hide the SSID. As long as remote access isn't enabled, they would need to first get on the WiFi (or ethernet) to make router changes. Would it be annoying if they messed with your settings: yes but it can easily be reset and from a security/ illegal downloading standpoint you are already screwed. That said, if you don't mind the hassle of the new security restrictions, you might as well.

Hiding the SSID doesn't do a ton and can be really annoying, but if you have only a few devices it doesn't hurt. It doesn't provide much in terms of actually security but it does imply that you are security conscious. If I was trying to guess/brute force a WiFi password, I wouldn't start with a hidden one. (unless you get a geek that takes it as a challenge and wants to teach you a lesson on how hiding the SSID alone doesn't make you secure) 

0 Likes
Re: few questions about router settings.
CaptainSTX
Contributor - Level 3

The best thing you can do is use a very secure password for your router and a very secure encryption paraphrase for WAP2 PSK.   With fifteen  or more characters, upper  and lower case letters numbers and special characters there isn't enough time in your lifetime for anyone do do a brute force attack on your router.

Long passwords aren't that difficult to remember if you use a sentence.  "Thebrowncowjumpedoverthemoonin1955!!!"

This password would take 2.09 trillion trillion trillion centuries to guess under a massive attack of 100 trillion guesses per second so limiting guesses to three per minute isn't going to make much difference other than telling an attacker to buzz off.

0 Likes