The short answer
Change the router's admin password, keep WPA2 or WPA3 encryption on, update the firmware, and put smart home gadgets on a guest network.
- Change the router's admin password from the default printed on the sticker.
- Use WPA3 or WPA2 encryption. If it still offers WEP, the router is old enough to replace.
- Change the Wi-Fi password if it has ever been shared widely.
- Turn off WPS, the push-button pairing feature, which has known weaknesses.
- Put smart plugs, cameras and doorbells on the guest network, so a compromised gadget cannot reach your computers.
- Update the firmware, or use a router that updates itself.
What will ruin it
Cheap smart home devices from unknown brands frequently never receive a security update at all. Treat anything with a camera or a microphone with particular care about where you put it and which network it is on.
Why it works
The router is the front door to everything in the house. Most home network compromises start with a default admin password or an unpatched device rather than with the Wi-Fi password being guessed.
Tipking is general household information, not professional advice. Test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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