You pay full price for Internet access. So why let leeches go for free?
Wireless communication has its strengths, but it is far from perfect. A tech-savvy person can connect to your Wi-Fi and leave without you knowing. Worse, an attacker could pass on information about your Wi-Fi vulnerability to others.
The good news is that you can put an end to these opportunists and their thieves’ ways. In this post, you will learn how to hide your wireless network from neighbors and prevent them from logging in.
Hide your SSID
Simply put, your SSID is your WiFi name. You will not be able to connect to the network without knowing it.
Needless to say, if the public can’t see the SSID, then they won’t be able to access it. Here’s how to hide it.
To create a hidden network, you must first connect to your Wi-Fi network. Once connected, open your web browser and enter your IP address.
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If you don’t know what IP address you have, open a Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell and type IPCONFIG. Your IP will go to the default gateway. The IP address is a string of numbers, for example 192.168.0.1.
Entering your IP address into a web browser allows you to configure the router settings. You will be prompted for your username and password.
If you’ve never configured your router settings before, chances are you’re still using the default credentials (usually Admin / Password
The appearance of the router settings page depends on the brand. Most of them will have the option to turn off SSID broadcast, often in their wireless settings. Deselect the Enable SSID Broadcast checkbox. If you are prompted to reboot your router, do so. Turning off SSID broadcast will hide your Wi-Fi name from neighbors and passers-by. Remember that you will have to manually enter the SSID in order to reconnect to the Internet. Therefore, it is important not to forget your SSID. 
Update your settings
Hiding the SSID can be effective but inconvenient. This is especially true if your family and guests need to communicate regularly.
But by changing some of your router’s settings, you can get a more secure network without having to hide your Wi-Fi.
Turn on WPA2 encryption
Turn on WPA2 encryption
Switch WiFi encryption to WPA2. Older routers use WEP, an outdated encryption method that is easy to crack. There are even free tools on the Internet that even novice hackers can use to gain access to your network.
WPA2, however, is better encrypted and more suitable for leech protection. Use WPA2 to set a strong password for your Wi-Fi network.
Change your SSID
Change your SSID
Your SSID will reflect your default router brand. If left unchanged, hackers can find the default username and password associated with your browser. Some sites even share known issues with your router model.
So make your SSID unique and don’t mention your router brand.
Disable administrator rights over Wi-Fi
Turn off admin privileges over WiFi
Users can now access their router settings. They can now even access the page over Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, hackers do too.
To put an end to this, disable administrator access through the router. Thus, any changes to your wireless router settings will need to be done by connecting the Ethernet cable to the router.
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