IP Address: 192.168.x.1 where x is generally a 0 or 1.
Username: Admin or Administrator
Password: password
Yes, this is the default log in for many people's routers. Hackers know this, and can sit outside your home, and on a laptop, hack into your network. Upload a virus on your network, and then move down the block. They can write a little script that runs this simple routine, and drive slowly through a neighborhood and if their hit rate is 1% (and its generally higher than that), you may have hidden folders on your machine of kiddie porn, and are part of a network selling these.
So, when the FBI comes knocking, and finds a hidden folder on your computer, your situation doesn't look good - does it?
So, I would recommend something simple, and highly effective.
Changing your IP number may be difficult, many of your other devices may not find it.
So, at least change the password to something other than "password", and don't use Administrator either. Something simple that you won't forget. Your first car (ex 1982Yugo), your dog or wife's name and a significant date (Rover2021) - The hacker doesn't have time to direct connect and spend a hours in front of every home. A dedicated hack will take time, and then they get a few.
A door lock doesn't make your home a fortress - it just slows a thief down, keeps honest people honest. Do the same on your wifi router.
I was a network engineer for many years, am a security architect, and am now a CISSP.
Unfortunately I have to be "that guy".
There are two major problems with what you provided.
An attacker cannot get onto your network easily unless you purposely set up open Wi-Fi where no key is necessary to get onto your network from outside your building. No need to worry about a hidden folder if an attacker couldn't get on your network in the first place. Do enable firewalls on your workstations to provide an extra layer of security such that even if your network is compromised an attacker can't access your workstations.
Changing your subnet address is pointless. The IP address of your router will be the same IP address as the subnet's gateway. If an attacker's device is already on your network, the IP address of your router will already be known because through the DHCP process the attacker's workstation will be provided the subnet's gateway. Scripting can easily look up the gateway address on the attacker's workstation and attack that address. Do set up a guest wireless network for visitors. Make sure it too requires a key so that it is not open. A guest wireless network will not allow access to the IP address of the router (among other things) so you don't have to worry about a guest hacking at your router.
IP Address: 192.168.x.1 where x is generally a 0 or 1. Username: Admin or Administrator Password: password
Yes, this is the default log in for many people's routers. Hackers know this, and can sit outside your home, and on a laptop, hack into your network. Upload a virus on your network, and then move down the block. They can write a little script that runs this simple routine, and drive slowly through a neighborhood and if their hit rate is 1% (and its generally higher than that), you may have hidden folders on your machine of kiddie porn, and are part of a network selling these.
So, when the FBI comes knocking, and finds a hidden folder on your computer, your situation doesn't look good - does it? So, I would recommend something simple, and highly effective. Changing your IP number may be difficult, many of your other devices may not find it.
So, at least change the password to something other than "password", and don't use Administrator either. Something simple that you won't forget. Your first car (ex 1982Yugo), your dog or wife's name and a significant date (Rover2021) - The hacker doesn't have time to direct connect and spend a hours in front of every home. A dedicated hack will take time, and then they get a few.
A door lock doesn't make your home a fortress - it just slows a thief down, keeps honest people honest. Do the same on your wifi router.
I was a network engineer for many years, am a security architect, and am now a CISSP.
Unfortunately I have to be "that guy".
There are two major problems with what you provided.
An attacker cannot get onto your network easily unless you purposely set up open Wi-Fi where no key is necessary to get onto your network from outside your building. No need to worry about a hidden folder if an attacker couldn't get on your network in the first place. Do enable firewalls on your workstations to provide an extra layer of security such that even if your network is compromised an attacker can't access your workstations.
Changing your subnet address is pointless. The IP address of your router will be the same IP address as the subnet's gateway. If an attacker's device is already on your network, the IP address of your router will already be known because through the DHCP process the attacker's workstation will be provided the subnet's gateway. Scripting can easily look up the gateway address on the attacker's workstation and attack that address. Do set up a guest wireless network for visitors. Make sure it too requires a key so that it is not open. A guest wireless network will not allow access to the IP address of the router (among other things) so you don't have to worry about a guest hacking at your router.
You have the experience. No argument
What I was attempting (and probably poorly) was to NOT use the default settings a Routet comes out of the box with
You can scan network ID’s that are all defaulted to what it was sent from the factory with. That seems an open invitation to being exploited
Yes, you should change the username and password for administrative access.
It has been a while since I set up a new wireless router or wireless access point, but I highly doubt any of them have open Wi-Fi set up by default.