Publish date:: Jul 12, 2010
Updated on: Nov 7, 2018

How to Lock a Wireless Router

It's important to secure your wireless internet and prevent people from pirating off of it by locking the router with a personal password. Here's how to do it.

Instructions

Step 1: Open your browser Open your web browser. Type in the URL address that is specified your router's instruction manual. You should see a window pop up requesting a username and password.
Step 2: Type in default info Use the username and password listed in your manual to sign in. The configuration page will appear.
TIP: Be sure to change the default password once you reach the configuration page.
Step 3: Change your password Click on administration. At the top you'll see a place to type in a password, and then a place to re-enter your password to confirm. Choose your network's name, called your SSID. Enable Wi-Fi protected access encryption, called WPA2 or WEP. Save your settings.
TIP: Choose a name for your network that doesn't reveal your name or address.
Step 4: Enable MAC filtering Most wireless routers come with an option to enable Media Access Control -- or MAC address -- filtering, allowing you to specify that only computers that have a particular MAC address are allowed access to the wireless network. To enable this feature, refer to your router's manual.
FACT: Wi-Fi, a term coined by the Wi-Fi Alliance, stands for wireless fidelity.