More often than not a home is populated with more than one device that connects to the internet wirelessly. The new wave of Notebooks, Tablet computers, Smart Phones, and Gaming Consoles, all with wireless capability, has prompted a need for wireless routers everywhere. A key piece of knowledge in the computer industry is the ability to setup and SECURE a new wireless router.

This means logging into the web interface of your router, navigating its menus and setting up a type of wireless security to prevent unwanted users from accessing your wireless network. If your network is "open" or "unsecured" anyone with a wireless device in range of your signal can connect. This will slow down your connection and possibly put your computers and devices at risk.

Most wireless routers have a web interface that can be accessed by typing 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of your browser. A prompt will appear asking for a username and password. Different brands of routers will have different user names and passwords. Two common brands are Linksys and Netgear. The default credentials for these are admin/admin for Linksys and admin/password for Netgear.

Once you have entered the proper login information, navigate to the wireless settings menu and from there you can setup your security. WPA2 (or WiFi Protected Access 2) is the newest and most preferred method of security. Choose a password that has at least 8 letters (use at least one number, too) and make sure you save or apply this setting. Securing your wireless signal will give you control over who can connect to your router.