Securing Your Wireless Network As a Fairly Simple Task

An unsecured wireless network is a dangerous thing. It's kind of like leaving the door to your car unlocked, or allowing your neighbor to listen in on your private phone calls. By leaving your wireless network open, any information that you send over that network can potentially be intercepted by malicious individuals. That's something you definitely don't want.

An unsecured wireless network allows anyone within range to use your internet connection, slowing down your personal connection and potentially driving up your internet bill. And if people start using your internet connection for illegal means, you will likely be implicated in any resulting investigation.

Luckily, securing your wireless network is a fairly simple task. We've laid out the steps

Step 1: Access your Wireless Router

Wireless routers are controlled through administration pages that can be accessed through your web browser. All you'll need is the IP address of your router. This can often be found by searching the web for information on your specific model of router, or by looking in the manual.

Alternatively, you can find it by locating the default gateway of a computer that is currently connected to the router. If you're using a Windows computer, you'll need to open the command prompt. In Windows 7, opening the command prompt is as simple as clicking the start button and typing "cmd." For Windows XP users, you'll want to click Run, then type "cmd.exe".

Once the command prompt is open, type "ipconfig/all" and locate the default gateway. It should look something like "192.168.1.1".

If you're using a mac, find the router's IP by opening the preferences, navigating to Network and clicking the TCP/IT tab. It's the IP marked "Router."

Once you have your router's IP, type it into your browser's URL bar. You'll be asked to input a user name and password. Most routers use "admin" as both the user name and password by default, though some use "admin" as the username and "password" as the password.

Step 2: Change the Default Admin Username and Password

You'll want to restrict access to the admin page of your router. If someone were to get into it, they could change the wireless password and even lock you out of the system completely.

Most wireless routers allow you to change their admin login information by navigating to the System section of the page. See our tips for creating strong passwords for help with making your admin page as secure as possible.

Step 3: Change the SSID

Your router's SSID (which stands for Service Set Identifier, but is more commonly known as the name of your wireless network) should be personalized. A router's default SSID can attract unwanted attention from malicious individuals because it looks like the router has never been configured. You don't want this kind of attention.

Change the SSID in the Wireless section of the admin page. Call it something you can remember, and remember that your neighbors will be able to see the name. 

Step 4: Lock Your Wireless Network

Navigate to the Wireless Security (or Wireless Setup, depending on the brand of your router) section of your router's admin page.

There are a number of different security options available for wireless routers. For most users, WPA/WPA2-Personal is the best choice. Do not secure your wireless network with WEP. WEP is an older security protocol and it is very venerable to attack.

Set both the version and encryption methods to their automatic settings. Then set a password that is both easy to remember and complex enough to be hard to guess.

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Our Smartphone Addiction

It's no secret, our use of personal technology has turned into an addiction. To me, it is no different than a drug. You may remember the 2010 "The World Unplugged" project whereby 1,000 college students in ten countries on five continents were asked to go without technology for 24 hours. The results of the study revealed the depths of their addiction. Some recent notices though, suggests it is going to get even worse.

A new study by ZACT, a smartphone provider, reveals a quarter of children ages two and under now have a smartphone, as do children ages three to five. As the study reveals, the penetration goes deeper as the child grows older; 39% of children ages 6-9 have a smartphone, 56% for ages 10-13, and 66% for ages 14-17. I might understand older children needing one, but a 25% penetration of the two year old age group is bewildering. And once they get hooked, they are likely addicted forever. Taking it a step further, there is a significant movement afoot in this country to teach computer programming in elementary school, thereby solidifying the addiction. Frankly, I would rather see students taking more classes in speech and English, but I am a creature of the 20th century who understands the importance of building human relations.

Smartphone addiction is also changing our lifestyles. To illustrate, a venture capitalist in San Francisco recently suggested movie theatres should be altered to allow moviegoers to actively use their smartphones as opposed to turning them off; see, "Would you go to a Wi-Fi-connected, lights-on movie theater?" It is his contention that technology savvy people would rather use their smartphones during the performance to reference such things as cast members, credits, rate the movie, and carry on a dialog with other people in the theater regarding the movie, not to mention perform a little work on the side. If this comes to fruition, look for movie producers to capitalize on this by offering a movie that interacts with local smartphones, such as supplying trivia about the movie, giving clues as to how the plot will progress, or maybe allow the patrons to guess "who done it."

Then there was the story in the "Huffington Post" where a respected professor and education researcher suggests that teaching spelling and grammar should be de-emphasized as smartphones now perform this function using "autocorrect." One may argue student math skills have slipped thanks in large part to a plethora of available calculators. Now, the same phenomenon may occur to English thanks to our dependency on the smartphone.

Two things are disturbing about these recent reports, how early children are being weaned on technology, and how this will affect society in the long run. The more technology takes over the basic processing functions of our brain, the more we become dependent on it. Do we really need to multitask as we watch a movie? Do children really need to learn technology as opposed to mastering language and socialization skills? It seems to me the human spirit is being programmed and I'm not sure we are going to like the end result.

To understand how programmed you are, try "The World Unplugged" experiment and abstain from using technology for at least 24 hours. If you develop a nagging feeling for checking your smartphone or computer, in medical circles this is commonly referred to as an "addiction."

The writer, Tim Bryce has considerable experience in writing technical documentation (paper and on-line), help text, and web design. He has authored several articles on a variety of computer and management related subjects. He has also penned several trade newsletters. His books include: "Tin Heads," "The IRM Revolution: Blueprint for the 21st Century," "PRIDE Methodologies for IRM," and "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in Today's Corporate Culture."

Tim can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

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Ten Things Great Dads Do

While many may believe there is no such thing as a perfect father, there are things that great dads do that have a positive impact on the lives of their children, in turn setting them up to be great parents themselves.

Ten Things Great Dads Do

1. They have a vision for what values they want their kids to grow up with. Having this vision helps to solidify it through their carefully thought out setting of boundaries and expectations.

2. They approach their kids with a hug, kiss or praise for no reason at all. Often dads can wait for kids to do something good to show affection or praise. This interaction out of the blue helps to show your child you acknowledge their achievements no matter how big or small, and love them simply for being who they are.

3. They see mistakes as a teaching tool and will cease the opportunity to grab the teachable moment without anger. He does not need to roar to get his message across. The great dad also knows the importance of laughing with his kids as well as sharing in their disappointments.

4. A great dad is open minded with his children. He understands that things change and even encourages his children to question.

5. A great dad follows through on his promises and is reliable to the core. He understands that his number one job on this earth is to be there for his kids.

6. He tries to understand where his kids sit developmentally and does not hold unrealistic expectations of his children. He is patient and mindful of his reactions when things go wrong and is not ruffled by spilt milk... most days.

7. He understands the power he holds as a role model. He is wary of his behaviour in front of the children and understand to successfully impart knowledge, it is best to live what you teach.

8. Great dads are involved in the traditional mum stuff. While he may run at the nappy change, he makes a conscious effort to take an active role in many aspects of his young children's lives.

9. They are that safe place to fall and have worked out the delicate balance between softness and firmness. Men can mistakenly find themselves thinking they need to be seen as tough and firm to have an impact on kids, when in fact, too much toughness or firmness can cause children to steer clear and only interact when necessary.

10. They show undeniable respect to the mother of their children. Even if not together, when presented with opportunities to show respect to their child's mother, they do so. They know this makes children feel more secure and that all is right in their small world, encouraging them to feel whole.

Great dads of the word I salute you. Anyone can be a father, but to be a great dad is to be your child's biggest fan, and the most influential male in their young lives.

Creator of the "Early Years Toolbox" and "Ready Set School" talks, Danielle's humour and child impersonations always leave her audience wanting more. Those who have seen her claim "she gets it". Danielle's new passion lies at http://www.mummyweekly.com.au where she writes articles that aim to not only teach parents vital parenting skills, but to also make them laugh a little along the way.

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