5 Settings Need to Change Right on Your New Router

This guide reviews 5 settings need to change right on your new router and highlights the differences that matter in everyday use. Compare the options below before making a choice.

Here are 5 basic settings to consider when configuring a Wi-Fi network router.

If you recently moved to a new house or apartment, one of the first items in your to-do list is: Call the provider where you live to set up the Internet.

To change your username and password, you need to log in to your provider's website or mobile app. Log in to your account and find the Network or Wi-Fi settings section. On the Xfinity website, the author clicks Edit Wi-Fi To change his Wi-Fi network name and sets a new password. Choose a password - or better yet, a passphrase - which you will easily remember but not too easy to guess for others.

• Summary of how to create strong passwords and manage the most secure passwords

If you set a strong password for your router, then you have taken the first step in protecting your network (instead of leaving it open for everyone to access freely). With the password set on the modern router, you're probably using WPA or WPA2 encryption.

WPA or Wi-Fi Protected Access, is a 256-bit encryption protocol, safer than older and weaker WEP standards, using 64 or 128-bit encryption. WPA2 improves WPA by using a stronger encryption algorithm. It uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm more secure than WPA combined with its own TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) algorithm.

Many routers provide a combination of both WPA and WPA2 so that older devices can also connect to your network, but WPA2 has existed for more than 10 years so most current devices are compatible with WPA2. . When choosing the security mode for the router, users will usually choose WPA2 - also known as WPA2-PSK (AES) - and only switch to mixed mode if you have an old device that cannot connect to the network. WPA2 protection.

If your router is a new device, it is likely an 802. 11ac model, and can broadcast in two frequencies: 5GHz and 2. 4GHz. These are the frequencies that your wireless network broadcasts to transmit information. Both bands must be turned on by default, but check the advanced settings on the supplier's website or app, check the status of both bands to make sure they are all active.

The 2. 4GHz band is more crowded because it is a frequency for many popular household electronics, from wireless phones, small screens, to automatic garage door openers. Microwave. You may experience interference with the 2. 4GHz band, but it allows older devices to connect to the network. The 5GHz band is less congested and faster but has a shorter range than the 2. 4GHz band.

With both modes working in parallel, your router automatically selects the best mode for each device in the network.

Find the ParentalControls Section or Access Restrictions To set some boundaries for your child's device. With Xfinity, select the People Tab to set the profile for your child. You can assign devices to each profile and then select Pause For any or all devices in a profile, to prevent users in that profile from accessing Instagram, Snapchat, messaging and everything else on. Internet.

Create a guest Wi-Fi network to make sure strangers can't access shared computers and files on your network, as well as the trouble of letting them know complex Wi-Fi passwords or make you feel ashamed. In the settings on your account, look for Guest Network or Home Hotspot.

Here are some tips on installing a new router. Hope they are useful for you. Good luck!