1. Understanding your Home
Network and keeping it
secure
Computer Learning Center at Ewing
David Shinkfield
January 2015

2. Do I need to know this?
 Since you attend our Tips and Tricks or our
courses, chances are you got a shiny new
tech toy as a holiday gift. Maybe it was an
a new netbook or laptop, an Apple iPad or a
smart phone.
 One thing all of these devices have in
common: they need to be attached to your
home network.

3. Do I need to know this?
 For many people, Home Networks is the most
painful part of the tech experience. The new piece
of tech you got for the holidays definitely needs
“some assembly required”.
 For most of us, connecting to the home network is
a set-and-forget scenario. This causes potential
problems once something bad happens – like the
freak thunderstorm that knocks out power, and
then you cannot access the internet on your iPad

4. What are the benefits of a
Home network?
 You can use your laptop, iPad or Smart Phone
anywhere in your home without any wires
 Back up copies can be exchanged between
computers
 They can provide an additional and strong level of
protection – hardwire firewall
 Visiting children can easily access the network
and the internet

5. Our discussion today
 What are the parts of a Home network?
– The Router – the center of the Home Network
 Replacing your Router
 Setting up your Home Network
 Securing your wireless network
 10 biggest Home Networking Mistakes (and
how to fix them)

6. How it comes together

7. The center of your Home
Network is the ROUTER
 The router is the
gateway between the
Internet and your
home network. It is
also the means by
which all the devices
on your network
communicate with one
another.

8. Router features

9. Routers
 Wireless routers have different “speeds” and
“range” – A, B, G, N or AC
– A is primarily for business
– B and G are older specifications. They are
slow and routers with wireless G are
inexpensive
– N is the current specification.
– AC is the latest spec, but still not common
 Match your router to your laptop

10. A Verizon Video

11. A “tech” fact about Routers
 B and G routers work on the 2.4 Ghz
frequency band. This is the same as your
cordless phone and can create interference
 N and AC routers are “dual band”. They
operate on the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
frequencies. 5Ghz is clearer with less
interference.

12. Routers in your Home Network?
Verizon provides a
wireless router for your
home network
Comcast gets you to buy
the router. It is your
responsibility to replace
it if breaks

13. Our discussion today
 What are the parts of a Home network?
– The Router – the center of the Home Network
 Replacing your Router
 Setting up your Home Network
 Securing your wireless network
 10 biggest Home Networking Mistakes (and
how to fix them)

14. Replacing your Router
 What type of user are you?
– Email and web surfing – 2.4Ghz is fine
– Streaming videos from Netflix – get dual band
 Single band or dual band? (2.4Ghz or 5Ghz)
– Asus 2.4Ghz - $65
– Buffalo AirStation dual band - $120
 If you're purchasing a new router, be it
single or dual band, go with an 802.11n
router.

15. Some Examples
 Best N600 router
 Asus RT-N56U Dual-
Band Gigabit
Wireless-N Router
 $90 at Amazon

16. Some Examples
 Apple AirPort
Extreme Base Station
 What it lacks in
functions and features,
the new AirPort
Extreme more than
makes up for that in its
great new look and
fast performance
 $190

17. Some Examples
 Trendnet AC1750
Dual Band Wireless
Router (TEW-
812DRU)
 Amazing wireless
throughput and range.
Easy setup.
 $90 at Amazon

18. Apple Devices
 If you have Apple devices, seriously consider
using Apple AirPort routers. (They work with
Windows devices too: we use them here at the
CLC.)
 Apple AirPort Extreme — $199, simultaneous
dual-band AC beamforming antenna array
 Apple AirPort Express — $99, dual-band N, for
smaller areas
 Easy to manage using the AirPort Utility app

19. Set Up – Apple Airport Router

20. Our discussion today
 What are the parts of a Home network?
– The Router – the center of the Home Network
 Replacing your Router
 Setting up your Home Network
 Securing your wireless network
 10 biggest Home Networking Mistakes (and
how to fix them)

21. Securing your Router
 Your wireless router can be accessed by
anyone with an iPad outside your home
 All routers come with a “default” user name
and password which is published on the
Internet.
 Change it to Protect it with your user name
and password

22. Securing your Router
 The most difficult part of managing your router is
accessing it
 The router comes with a set up screen, which you
access by entering 192.168.1.1 in the address bar
of your browser, and then entering a password
 The initial password will be in your
documentation. For Linksys routers, it was
“admin”
 For Apple routers, use AirPort Utility app (Mac,
iPhone, iPad, Windows)

23. Securing your Router

24. Securing your Router

25. Securing your Router

26. Securing your Router

27. Our discussion today
 What are the parts of a Home network?
– The Router – the center of the Home Network
 Replacing your Router
 Setting up your Router
 Securing your wireless network
 10 biggest Home Networking Mistakes (and
how to fix them)

28. How can a wireless network
be secured?
 Computer security
 Router security
 Wireless Security
 Sharing printers and files

29. Computer security
 Make sure that you have all the latest Microsoft
patches installed.
 Make sure that your Virus protection is installed
and that it is regularly updated
 Install a good software firewall
 Regularly run Spyware removal programs
 If you use Microsoft Office or any of its
components, such as Word or Excel, make sure
that you update that as well

30. Router security
 You should only set up the Router through a
computer that is connected to the Router by a
wire.
 Once the Router is set, the computer can be
unplugged and used wirelessly if necessary.

31. Wireless Security
The key requirement for wireless security is to stop
others from accessing your network.
 Have a hardware firewall in addition to your software
firewall
 Encrypt all data traffic between the wireless computer
and the router
 Protect that encryption with network names and
passwords

32. Wireless Security
 Your Router should include an SPI and NAT
firewall.
 Make sure that it is turned on

33. Wireless Security
 Give a name for the network.
 This is the SSID.

34. Wireless Security
 Set the Security Mode to WPA2
 Set WPA Algorithms to TKIP +AES
 Set the WPA Shared Key.

35. Wireless Security
 The final step in the process is to make sure that
you set up identical settings on the laptop or
wireless computer
– the same Mode,
– the same SSID and
– the same shared key

36. Sharing printers and files
 If you plan to access files or a printer between
computers, you will need to allow Sharing for the
Printer and the appropriate folders

37. Sharing printers and files
 Check “Share the
printer”
 Give the shared printer a
descriptive name

38. Sharing printers and files

39. 10 BIGGEST HOME
NETWORKING MISTAKES
(AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
Courtesy of Network World.com

40. #10 The mistake: Failing to
determine a network’s
needs before buying a
router.
 Size of home
 Type of walls
 Number of devices
 Streaming or just email

41. #9 The mistake: Not
recording older router
settings before upgrading.
 When performing the initial setup, write
down the old router’s settings, passcode and
any other customized settings.
 Make it clear not only for yourself, but for
spouses/friends who might need to fix/reset
your network

42. #8: The mistake: Poor router
placement.
 Place the router in an open space – hallways
are optimal – and to be as close to the center
to the home as possible. The higher up the
antenna, the better.
 If you can’t place the router in an optimal
location, look into wireless range extenders

43. #7: The mistake:
Connecting a new wireless
router to an existing home
network without powering
down the broadband router.
 Power down the modem when connecting a
new system. Then power up the modem,
wait two minutes, then power up the new
router.

44. #6 The mistake: Plugging
the Ethernet cable from the
modem to the router into a
LAN port instead of the
WAN/Internet port.
 When going from your broadband modem
to the router, make sure it goes into the
WAN/Internet port of the wireless router.

45. #5: The mistake: Leaving
everything to default mode.
 Change your router’s password, the SSID
name and password (enable the security!)
And write everything down!

46. #4 The mistake: Not enabling
device sharing options, or setting
a “public” policy when attaching
a new device to the network.
 When connecting new Windows machines to the
network, make sure the policy is set to “Home”, to
allow sharing.
 Check file sharing and network-device access
settings to make sure connected devices can talk
to other devices (such as printers).

47. #3 The mistake: Having
older Wi-Fi devices on the
network that bring down the
new router’s performance.
 Remove (or upgrade) any older devices
(especially 802.11b) that may still be on the
network.

48. #2 The mistake: Not checking
the router regularly for firmware
updates.
 Updating the firmware on a router is still a manual
process, requiring users to go to the
manufacturer’s website, downloading new
firmware and then updating with a computer
connected directly to the router via Ethernet.
 While some routers include browser software that
lets users check for updates, firmware updating is
still a tough process for many users, so in all
likelihood they end up not updating the firmware.

49. #1 The mistake: Jumping
too soon to the “hard reset”
option.
 If you are well prepared by writing down all
your router settings in advance, doing a
hard reset shouldn’t be too much of an
issue.
 But it could create more work than is
needed through other fixes.

50. Android App
– Speed Test

51. Android
App –
WiFi
Analyzer

52. Android
App –
WiFi
Analyzer

53. Wi-Fi Explorer – Mac App

55. Now it all works!!
And it is secure!

56. The Presentation Web Site
http://www.clcewing.org/tips_and_tricks.html