They’ll know what’s inside, when somebody is home and when the house is empty.” “They can case the place without even being there. “If you're dealing with a professional thief, there's tons of intel they could gather,” said James Banta, a former police detective and home security and safety expert at SecurityNerd. Unfortunately, they can also be easy to hack, giving a criminal real-time surveillance footage of your home. Wireless home security cameras are reasonably priced and easy to install. If your current router only has WEP or WPA encryption, get rid of it. Consumer Reports found that some new models still make WEP encryption an option.

Don’t use WEP, an outdated security protocol. Security settings: Some new routers support WPA3 encryption.If you need a little assist, use a password generator. Change default password: You want something long and complex, that’s not obvious to anyone.Unless you have a device or software that specifically asks for UPnP, turn it off, Consumer Reports advises, because “UPnP has a history of serious security vulnerabilities.' Many routers now have UPnP turned on by default. Turn off router features you don’t use that could pose a security risk: This would include remote access (often called Remote Administration or Remote Management) and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).“One router didn’t require the owner to change the default login credentials from 'admin' and 'password.'”.For example, they’ll accept passwords with fewer than eight characters or no complexity, such as “aaaaaaaaa,” or “12345678.” Eleven routers “accept very weak passwords that many websites and workplace accounts would reject,” the editors said.While some of the 29 routers tested had important security safeguards built in, such as automatically updating the firmware with the latest security improvements, other models tested were missing some basic protections.Only a few models did well in all three categories. Others buy a router to improve the wireless coverage they get.Ĭonsumer Reports recently released the results of its router testing and found that “many wireless routers lack basic security protections.” CR’s new Digital Lab rated the routers on security and privacy, as well as performance. Some people purchase their own modem and router to eliminate the monthly rental charge.

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