Many of us never get around to securing wireless network connections inside our residence, this is nuts. You do not leave your car keys in the car or your credit card number on your front door so why do you want to give people access to your laptop.

It is easy to think that we are safe using a personal computer as we are consistently being advised by banking institutions and other institutions that they have the best possible security. That may be the case, but what if the weakness isn't with their system but with ours?

In the event you buy on the web then you can be consistently sending details about yourself to other people. Imagine if someone followed all your online movements for a period of time, they may gather lots of details about you; your banks, your service providers, places you shop and the time when you are least likely to be at home.

There are very simple steps which you can take to make sure that you are so much safer.

Firstly you need to examine your router or access point. A lot of of these are created with password, this password is necessary to modify or change any of the configuration settings. You are unlikely to be using this often so after getting your WLAN operating you probably never gave it another thought. Many manufacturers will utilize a basic password like 'password' or the manufacturers brand name when they build these. Your first step in securing wireless network connections is to change this to an alphanumeric password. Since you will not be using it too often it is maybe best to keep a note of this somewhere.

When choosing your encryption where possible it's ideal to always pick a WAP option rather than a WEP one since the WAP is notably more powerful. If no WAP is available then make sure that you have at least enabled the WEP.

A great place to check if you have maximised your protection setting is to revert to the website of the manufacturer of your router. Looking at the FAQ and set up information could guide you through the different options.

In case you have never previously reviewed your router and WLAN settings now is a good time to get moving on it. securing wireless network connections is an essential part of protecting your identity and the security of your financial investments.